5 Most Common Skin Conditions (and How to Fight Them)

Your skin is your body’s biggest organ. It’s one of the first things people notice about you and can sometimes make or break your self-esteem. When your skin is healthy, you can feel great. When you have persistent skin issues, it can be really frustrating.

Solving a chronic skin issue can sometimes feel like an uphill battle, but there’s good news. Many of your skin’s most common concerns are solvable. Let’s take a look at five of the most common skin issues and what options you have for a solution.

Acne

The bane of your teenaged existence and the first of our top 5 skin conditions, this chronic issue isn’t always solved by aging out of the teen years. For many of us, problems with acne extend even into our middle-aged years, causing self-esteem issues and frustration. It’s a common type of skin problem on the face.

Many things can cause acne. Hormonal acne can flare up around your cycle or with hormone changes as your body ages. Acne can also happen when your skin doesn’t turn over dead skin cells as quickly, causing blocked pores and inflammation. Acne can also occur because of sensitive, irritated, or dry skin as the irritations cause inflammation deep in the pores, and cracks allow in more bacteria.

Acne appears most often on the face but can extend down into the back, shoulders, neck, and even the chest. Whiteheads and blackheads are the most well-known forms of acne, but cystic and nodular acne can cause profound irritation and even scarring if not treated.

Acne is a type of skin problem on the face that can wreak havoc on your self-esteem, so treating common skin conditions like acne are essential. Here are some common ways to help ease or eliminate your acne issues:

• Be gentle – harsh cleansers can further irritate your skin, spurring oil production. Gentle cleansers and toners are typically more effective.
• Drink water – when your skin is dehydrated, it doesn’t heal itself as well as it could. Drinking enough water can also help with sleep issues, which can contribute to overall skin health.
• Seek medical help – For difficult acne issues, a medical professional can help choose skin disease treatment, including hygiene products, and offer treatment solutions within an office.

Eczema

Eczema, the second of our top 5 skin conditions, is an umbrella term for a variety of skin irritations. Eczema is commonly characterized by dry, scaly rashes on the skin. Because Eczema often causes itch, these patches frequently develop intensely inflamed areas due to excessive scratching and irritation.

It appears most commonly on the face and hands, but any part of the body can be affected by it. Many people are bothered by this type of skin problems on the face. It’s not contagious but can cause serious concern if constant scratching causes injury to the skin, making it more likely to become infected.

There isn’t a specific test you can take to determine if it’s Eczema, but doctors diagnose it based on physical exams and medical history. It’s incurable, but many people see dramatic results with lifestyle changes, including good moisturizers, gentle cleansers, light therapies, diet changes, and in the most severe cases, topical prescriptions.

The most common types of Eczema are:

• Atopic dermatitis – a childhood condition that sometimes affects adults as well.
• Allergic contact dermatitis – irritations caused by environmental factors
• Nummular dermatitis – defined by distinct coin-shaped irritation areas.

Other types of Eczema can occur, and you should always talk to your medical professional about treating common skin conditions and, in some cases, seek outside help with your skin disease treatment.

Skin Cancer

The third of our top 5 skin conditions is a scary one for many people. Skin cancers are the most common type of cancer, and around one in five Americans will have some kind of skin cancer diagnosis in their lifetimes. The most common forms are Basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas, and it can be a type of skin problem on the face.

Melanoma, the third most common type, can be quite deadly, but for the first two, many people experience a removal treatment and monitoring for a complete cure. It’s important to watch things like sun exposure because ultraviolet light is a common cause of skin cancers.

Doctors often find these issues because patients have come in complaining about sun-damage and hyperpigmentation. Keeping up with your skin checkups and skin disease treatments can go a long way to finding and treating these lesions early.

Basal cell carcinoma and melanoma are highly influenced by genetics, but Squamous cell carcinoma is almost exclusively caused by sun exposure. If you have frequent skin issues due to sun damage, you may be a good candidate for checkups.

Handling your long term sun exposure damage can help prevent new issues from forming. Wearing sunscreen and limiting exposure to the sun during peak hours. You can also use different professional processes for treating common skin conditions.

Rosacea

Number four on the top 5 skin conditions, Rosacea is a chronic swelling and redness of the facial skin. It’s often caused by autoimmune factors, vein issues, and even environmental triggers. Skin disease treatments vary, but many patients can find some relief from this incurable condition.

For many patients, the most significant factors are environmental. Too much alcohol or spicy foods may cause flare-ups as well as sun and heat. These flair ups can be painful and irritating, causing red rashes and acne.

Lifestyle factors often bring relief for sufferers, and treatments that help soothe the skin and boost cell turnover may help relieve some of the long term effects. Experts believe that there’s a genetic component to Rosacea, but sufferers should be able to find some relief from their flair ups.

In addition to booking sessions for treating common skin conditions by helping soothe sensitive, irritated skin (helping with many types of skin problems on the face), Rosacea sufferers may also want to avoid:

• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Spicy foods
• Sun exposure
• Excess heat (hot showers, hot tubs, and space heaters, for example)

Wrinkles

Our final entry in the top 5 skin conditions, wrinkles are a genetic component of aging and a common type of skin problem on the face. However, different factors can determine how many wrinkles you obtain and how fast they arrive during your aging process.

For many people, lifestyles that deplete the skin of natural nutrients and interfere with the skin’s natural aging process can make skin look older than it is. Dehydration, lack of sleep, and nutrient-poor diets can also cause your skin to look older than it is.

While nothing can get rid of wrinkles completely, drinking plenty of water and eating a nutrient-rich diet can go a long way to helping the skin perk back up. Other treatments include good moisturizers and gentle cleansers that can boost cell turnover while removing impurities.

Professional treatments such as facials and things like microdermabrasion go a long way in treating common skin conditions. With a combination of healthy lifestyle changes, quality skincare products, and professional services for skin disease treatment designed to boost your skin’s appearance, you can age gracefully.

Treating the Top 5 Skin Conditions

Treatments range from medication to lifestyle changes to professional services, but there’s always something you can do to improve the look and feel of your skin. Staying on top of how your skin is doing can also help ensure that whatever your issue is, you can find relief. Whatever your skin condition, there’s something you can do about it.