Hidradenitis suppurativa occurs in areas where there are sweat glands around hair follicles. It is a condition that often affects the armpits but can also affect the groin, under the breasts, and around the anus, as well as other areas of the body. It is a chronic condition that can cause both abscesses and scarring of the skin. The cause of hidradenitis suppurativa is unknown. The symptoms are painful lumps ranging from blackheads to boils, cysts, or channels (called sinus tracts) that contain and sometimes leak pus. As it is a long-term recurrent condition that requires ongoing management, it can cause quite an impact on an individual’s everyday life and lead to depression.

A yeast called candida can be responsible for infections in the mouth, on the skin, and around the genital area. Doctors call the infection candidiasis, but it’s known to most as thrush. Yeast infections are more common in people who are pregnant, those taking antibiotics, or those who are prone to infections due to other medical conditions, such as poorly controlled diabetes or immunosuppression. It is common in the mouths of children and babies and can be common in people who wear dentures. Most women will suffer from a vaginal thrush infection at some point in their life. Yeast infections are easily treated with antifungal medications. Depending on where your infection is and how widespread, these come in the form of oral drops, vaginal formulations, creams, or tablets.

Under its fancy Greek title of xeros (dry) and derma (skin), dry skin can be intensely itchy. It feels rough and flakes easily. Cracks and redness can form in more severe cases. It affects both sexes and is more common in Caucasian skin than in those with higher oil content, such as Afro-Caribbean or Mediterranean skin types. Children can be particularly at risk, which may take the form of eczema - where inflammation of the uppermost layer of skin causes dryness, which is most likely to appear on the insides of elbows or the backs of knees. Eczema may run in families or go alongside asthma or hay fever. Dry skin is a variant of normal skin and is not contagious.

Warts and verrucas are caused by a harmless viral infection in the skin called the human papilloma virus (HPV). HPV causes keratin, a hard protein in the top layer of the skin, to grow too much, giving the typical roughened texture of a wart. There are more than 60 different types of viruses known to cause warts; this includes genital warts. They are increasingly common through childhood and adolescence but then their frequency drops drastically again on reaching adulthood. Warts often look different depending on where they are on the body and how thick the skin is, and a wart on the sole of the foot is called a verruca. What do they look like? Warts on the hands are found most frequently around the nails and on the fingers and are often shaped like a cauliflower, whereas verrucas are seen most commonly on the ball of the foot as areas of flat, thicker skin with a harder edge around a softer center.

Vitiligo occurs when pigment (melanin) is lost from areas of skin, leaving behind white patches. The patches can grow in size and merge. These patches may be a little itchy but are not otherwise bothersome. The main complaint is the appearance of these patches, and the loss of self-confidence that comes with it. This requires specialist attention to treat, with the aim of stopping new patches from forming. If it's caught early enough, there's the possibility of reversing white areas to allow pigment to gradually come back. For this reason, it's important to see your doctor.

A shingles rash is caused by a virus called herpes zoster and starts as tiny red bumps or blotches that become weeping blisters (known as vesicles). This often appears on the chest, back, stomach, neck, or face. People sometimes notice a tingling or burning in the days before the rash appears and may have a headache, mild fever, or feel otherwise unwell. It is distinctive in that it will only appear on one half of the body and usually only covers a small area. This virus was originally caught as chickenpox (varicella-zoster virus), usually in childhood. While your body recovers from this, the virus lays asleep, or dormant, in the nerves and is reactivated under stress or illness, usually in those over 60 years old. Following the pathway of nerves means the virus is only activated from the nerves leading off the spine to one side or the other - a so-called dermatomal distribution.

This is a rash where the skin becomes inflamed, appearing on greasy areas with lots of sebaceous glands - on the cheeks, between eyebrows, the folds next to the nose and the chin, and also on the chest or scalp. Red, greasy, scaly, or flaky patches are common, and little red bumps known as papules may appear. It can cause a mild itch, but the appearance prompts most sufferers to seek treatment. It is considered a type of eczema but can also overlap with psoriasis and rosacea. Stress, tiredness, and cold weather can prompt flare-ups in those susceptible. An overgrowth of a usually harmless yeast (scientific name: Malassezia) is thought to be part of the cause, so treatment focuses on eradicating this and reducing inflammation using a combined antifungal and mild steroid cream.

Monkeypox is a relatively rare disease that entered common public knowledge in 2022 as an outbreak spread within the US. Cases are usually restricted to Africa, and it usually causes only a mild illness. Monkeypox is a virus from the same family as smallpox, a devastating condition that has been defeated worldwide. It's very different from the COVID-19 or chickenpox viruses. It is called monkeypox because it was first discovered in monkeys in 1958. It took 10 years for the first cases to be recorded in humans, and the most likely transmission is still from animals to humans rather than human to human. There are two strains, one from western Africa and one from central Africa. The cases in the US are the western African strain, which causes a milder illness. Although monkeypox was declared a public health emergency in the US in August 2022, most people are not severely unwell. Still, scientists are investigating why it seems to be spreading more quickly from human to human than previously. One working theory is that now that COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted, people are traveling more but have lost some natural immunity to fight viruses during the prolonged period of lockdowns and mask-wearing.

Molluscum contagiosum are small protruding, smooth, shiny bumps, often flesh-colored or pink/red, and distinguished by the dip in the center of their tip. If squeezed (and we advise not), a semi-solid substance may ooze out. This is not recommended as this liquid contains the molluscum virus that causes the bumps, and as these are highly contagious, squeezing risks spreading to other parts of the body or gifting to friends and loved ones. Molluscum is common and usually seen in children. It causes no harm, but parents or sufferers may be bothered by the appearance, and occasionally, a molluscum may become itchy and irritated, or even infected with bacteria.

A mole is usually a mid- or dark-brown flat mark (a junctional nevus), or a dome-shaped brown or flesh-colored bump (a dermal nevus). It should be neither itchy nor bothersome. You may have numerous moles, and they may run in your family. They may have been present for as long as you can remember, or since birth, although new moles can appear throughout childhood and even into your 20s, especially after recent sun exposure. People with certain skin types, such as those with pale skin, blue eyes, and red or blond hair, and who are likely to easily sunburn, are likely to be more at risk of concerning changes to moles.

Milia is a condition described as tiny pearly-white bumps on the skin under the eyes. These are little cysts (or sacks) containing a hard semi-solid protein called keratin. There may be one, two, or a few, and they usually cause no symptoms except that people become self-conscious about their appearance. They are entirely harmless, they need no treatment, and most disappear within a few months (although new ones may form in time). What causes milia? In adults, these may form in response to recent sunburn or from skin damage, such as from burns or unusual skin conditions. They appear in up to half of newborn babies, appearing around the eyes, nose, and across the cheeks and clearing up a short while later.

Melanoma (also known as malignant melanoma) is the most serious type of skin cancer caused by sun exposure. It's serious because the cancer can spread to other organs in the body, so it needs prompt identification and treatment. You can take steps to prevent it, but also keep a watch for any moles or other skin marks that are new, changing or don't look like your other moles. Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the US, with almost 100,000 new cases each year. The number of cases has doubled in the last 30 years, and it can occur at any age.