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Click a letter to see a list of conditions beginning with that letter.
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Describing a Skin Condition
How to describe a skin condition
A healthcare provider may ask you to describe your skin condition and its location. Here are some of the more common terms that may help you give a more accurate description:
Atrophic
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Thin, dry, wrinkled skin
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Blister or vesicle
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Fluid-filled bump under or in the epidermis that is less than 1 cm in size
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Crust or scab
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Formation of dried blood, plasma, or pus over a break in the skin
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Cyst
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Enclosed sac in skin containing fluid or solid material
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Excoriation
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An erosion with loss of the epidermis, caused by scratching
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Hives or wheals
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Pink or white localized swelling of the skin that is usually itchy
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Lichenification
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Skin that has become thickened, hardened, or leathery with skin markings from chronic scratching
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Macule
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Flat, discolored spot
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Nodule or papule
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Solid, raised bumps. A nodule is greater than 1 cm and a papule is less than or equal to 1 cm.
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Patch
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Flat, large discolored spot with smooth surface
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Plaque
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A raised or depressed area of skin that is rounded or flat topped and is greater than 1 cm in diameter
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Pustule (pimple)
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Inflamed, raised lesions that seem to contain pus
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Scales
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A buildup of dead skin cells that form flakes
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Scar
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Fibrous tissue that forms after a skin injury
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Online Medical Reviewer:
L Renee Watson MSN RN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Michael Lehrer MD
Online Medical Reviewer:
Rita Sather RN
Date Last Reviewed:
2/1/2019
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