The skin is an organ system that regulates body temperature, senses painful and pleasant stimuli, keeps substances from entering the body and provides a shield from the sun’s harmful effects. Skin color, texture, and fold help mark people as individuals. Anything goes wrong with skin function or appearance can have important consequences for physical and mental health.
Doctors can identify many skin conditions simply by looking at them. Revealing characteristics include size, shape, color, and location of the abnormality, as well as the presence or absence of other signs or symptoms. Sometimes, a doctor has to remove a small piece of skin for examination under a microscope, a procedure called a biopsy.
Many problems that appear on the skin are limited to the skin. Sometimes, however, the skin reveals a medical condition of the entire body. Doctors often must consider many possible causes when evaluating skin problems. Examining the entire skin surface and looking for certain patterns of a rash can help them identify any possible medical illness.
Common Skin Disorders
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