Cosmetology: diseases — симптомы, диагностика и лечение

Lentigines are flat brown spots with clear boundaries that appear on exposed areas of the body: the face, back of the hands, forearms, shoulders and upper back. They are often called age spots or liver spots, although they have nothing to do with the liver, and their main cause is ultraviolet radiation accumulated over a lifetime. Under its influence, melanocytes work more actively, and pigment is deposited in patches. Lentigo usually appears after 40 years of age, does not itch or hurt, and is safe in itself. Another thing is alarming: some precancerous changes and early melanoma look similar, so the spots need to be monitored and any changes shown to the doctor.

Bags under the eyes are swelling of the lower eyelids that can be transient or permanent. The skin of the eyelids is the thinnest in the body, and underneath there are fatty packets held in place by a thin septum. If fluid is retained in the tissues, swelling appears in the morning, which subsides by mid-day: this happens after salty food, alcohol, tears, lack of sleep or sleeping face down in the pillow. If the septum weakens with age, the fat protrudes forward and persistent fat hernias are formed - they do not depend on the regime and do not go away in the evening. There is a separate group of reasons that require examination: kidney disease, thyroid disease, heart disease, allergies and inflammation of the eyelids.

Milia, or millet, are small, dense white nodules the size of a poppy seed, most often on the eyelids, cheekbones, cheeks and nose. These are microscopic cysts filled with keratin: horny scales do not find access to the surface and accumulate in a closed cavity under the skin. Milia do not become inflamed, do not hurt, and are not associated with poor hygiene, so it is impossible to squeeze them out like a regular comedones - they do not have an open duct. They are harmless, in newborns they disappear on their own within a few weeks, and in adults they persist for months and can be removed by a simple procedure at the doctor’s office.

Acrochordons, or soft fibromas, are benign skin growths of flesh-colored or brownish color, usually on a thin stalk. Favorite places are the neck, armpits, eyelids, under the breasts and in the groin, that is, areas of folds and friction. The size most often ranges from a few millimeters to a centimeter. These are not viral warts or moles: the formation consists of loose connective tissue and blood vessels covered with skin. Acrochordons are harmless and do not turn into cancer, but their number increases with age, excess weight, pregnancy and insulin resistance. They worry mainly cosmetically and when they are injured by clothing or jewelry.

Dermatochalasis is an excess of stretched skin of the upper, less often lower, eyelids. With age, the skin loses its elasticity, the orbicularis muscle weakens, and the septum that holds the fatty tissue stretches, and the fold begins to hang over the eyelash edge. Most often this is a cosmetic problem: the look looks tired, and the makeup doesn’t stay on well. But with a pronounced excess, the skin covers the upper part of the field of view, the person reflexively raises his eyebrows and in the evening feels heaviness and a headache in the forehead. Then we are no longer talking about aesthetics, but about a functional disorder that is eliminated surgically.

Perioral dermatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the facial skin, in which small red nodules, pustules and peeling appear around the mouth, and sometimes near the wings of the nose and near the eyes. A characteristic detail is a narrow strip of clean skin right at the edge of the lips. Young women and children are more often affected. The exact cause is unknown, but the leading role is played by creams with glucocorticosteroids, heavy cosmetics and disruption of the skin's protective barrier. The disease is not contagious and is not dangerous to health, but it causes severe cosmetic discomfort and is prone to recurrence. Treatment requires patience: improvement occurs after a few weeks, and hormonal ointments, which give a quick effect, ultimately worsen the course.

Syringomas are small benign formations originating from the ducts of the sweat glands. They look like dense nodules the size of a pinhead, flesh-colored, yellowish or slightly brownish in color, usually numerous and located symmetrically. The favorite place is the skin of the lower eyelids and the area under the eyes, less often the neck, chest, armpits and abdomen. The nodules do not hurt, do not itch or be squeezed out, because there is no pus or sebum inside. They do not pose a health hazard and do not degenerate into cancer, but they are noticeable on the face and are often cosmetically disturbing. Syringomas themselves do not disappear.

Dry skin, or xerosis, is a condition in which the skin loses moisture and lipids, causing it to become rough, tight, flaky and itchy. Most often, dryness is associated with external causes: hot water, frequent washing with soap, dry air, cold, wind and age-related changes. In hot, dry climates and when air conditioners and heaters are running, the problem becomes worse. However, dry skin can also be a sign of diseases: atopic dermatitis, ichthyosis, hypothyroidism, diabetes, kidney disease, as well as a side effect of medications. In most cases, proper care is sufficient, but if there is persistent dryness, cracks and itching, it is worth getting examined.

Dark circles under the eyes are darkening of the skin and shadows in the lower eyelids, which make the face look tired, regardless of how you actually feel. The skin here is the thinnest on the body, there is almost no subcutaneous tissue, so the blood vessels and the orbicularis oculi muscle are visible through it. The causes are divided into several types: vascular, when a bluish tint is visible, pigmentary with a brown tone, structural, associated with the shape of the orbit and hernias of the eyelids, and mixed. Lack of sleep, dehydration, smoking, allergies, eye rubbing, heredity and iron deficiency all contribute. The tactics also depend on the type: some are helped by the regimen and treatment of anemia, others by procedures, and others by volume correction.

Keratosis pilaris is a very common skin condition in which horny plugs accumulate at the openings of hair follicles. The skin becomes rough, covered with small dense nodules of flesh-colored, reddish or brownish color - hence the common name “goose bumps”. Typical places are the outer surface of the shoulders, the front surface of the thighs, buttocks, and less often the cheeks of children. This is not an infection, not an allergy, or a consequence of poor hygiene; the condition is harmless, not contagious, and usually improves with age. It cannot be completely removed, but proper daily care noticeably softens the skin.