General Dermatology

Overall, general dermatology deals with skin diseases caused by various types of bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms. They are relatively easy to treat with antibiotics, creams or minor surgical procedures.

However, that does not mean that those dermatological diseases should not be taken seriously, as their symptoms can significantly affect everyday activities and reduce one’s quality of life.

For that reason, in the following paragraphs we will shed light on skin diseases treated by general dermatology. We will talk about the nature of said diseases, their symptoms, and the recommended treatment methods.

Warts on the Skin

There are several types of warts on the skin: common (or vulgar), flat, genital, filiform, and mosaic. They usually appear on the hands, more precisely on the fingers, often growing alongside the nails, especially in those who prone to nail biting. Moreover, warts can be found on the feet, in which case they are known as flat warts due to the pressure from constant walking, they are not bulging. Also, in men, they appear more often in the chin area, while in women, they appear more often on the legs and feet.

Warts on the skin are contagious, and sometimes it takes several months for them to incubate. They are transmitted by HPV (human papillomavirus). They can be transmitted by direct or indirect contact with an infected person. Whether you succumb to the virus or not usually depends on your immunity, so some people are more susceptible to warts, while others are immune to them.

Common warts can appear anywhere on the skin. They usually appear on the fingers, where a number of them may occupy a small area, but they also may appear on the legs and knees. They are bulging, ball-shaped, and rough to the touch. They can often be itchy and get in the way of performing daily activities. Warts first spread after moisturizing the skin and after peeling, when microinjuries occur on the skin.

Next are flat warts – they can appear anywhere on the face and are often found on the feet. They usually occupy a smaller area as compared to other types of warts and are not bulging like common ones, but only hard to the touch. Once they are removed by a short surgical intervention, the patient should follow the prescribed therapy, because otherwise there is a good possibility that the warts will return.

Filiform warts are quite small, growing from a single base like a cone, and they are attached to the skin over a small surface area. They most often appear on the face, near the eyes, on the eyelids, lips, neck, and the like.

Condylomas (genital warts) usually appear in the pubic region and around the genitals. They are transmitted by HPV during unprotected sex. Growths appear in the genital region, sometimes after as long as three months. It is very difficult to control their spread, and it is practically impossible to diagnose them until the first symptoms appear. They are treated with radio waves, but that does not mean that condylomas will not appear again when the immune system is weakened.

Feet warts. The biggest disadvantage of these warts is that the sufferer often confuses them with corns, so they pay a visit to the dermatologist much later than they should have. Due to the constant pressure, those warts can be quite tender and interfere with normal walking. Hard plates are often formed on the feet.

There are many ways to get rid of warts, such as radio waves, liquid nitrogen treatment, laser removal, salicylic acid removal. Your dermatologist will always decide on the method that best suits your age, as well as the nature and location of the wart. Wart removal is usually short-term and leaves no scars.

Hemangiomas

Hemangiomas are small red moles, at least one millimeter in diameter. They are small benign tumors that are caused by hyperplasia of blood vessels. They usually appear in the facial area, where there is a possibility of them degrading over time, and they can also be found in the trunk and arms area. In women, there is an increased possibility of hemangioma formation in the breast area.

A certain type of hemangioma has no possibility of regression. The exact reason for their appearance is unknown, but it is believed that their formation is related to pregnancy, liver diseases, and taking oral contraceptives.

In most cases, hemangiomas appear in the form of red moles, but sometimes they take the form of a spider web, most often in the area where the skin is thinner, under the eyes, near the lips. Hemangiomas can be present in children since birth, and they can appear shortly after birth. In addition to skin hemangiomas, there are also those that appear on the liver and colon.

Keratoses

Keratoses are caused by excessive exposure of the skin to harmful UV rays, so they are to appear first in people who are exposed to the sun too often without regular protection. There are two types of keratosis, one of which is harmless (seborrheic keratosis) and the other potentially dangerous (actinic keratosis).

Both sexes are susceptible to seborrheic keratosis. They can appear anywhere on the body, but the most common areas are on the face, neck, and breast. They are darker than the rest of the skin, sometimes turning completely black. They usually appear flat on the skin and are often confused with moles.

Although it can sometimes cover larger areas of the skin and have a warning black color, seborrheic keratosis is completely harmless. In some cases, surgical interventions are performed to remove those keratoses, but that is done for purely aesthetic reasons. They can sometimes appear in very visible places and affect the patient’s self-confidence. The intervention is quick and leaves no scars.

Actinic keratoses are also caused by exposure to the sun or staying in a solarium. They appear on the face, in the area of the auricle or on the face. They look like a scabbed wound that won’t heal at all. If you notice this kind of change on the skin, you must contact your dermatologist, because this condition indicates pre-cancer. If not treated in time, the condition can worsen and become serious: untreated keratoses result in squamous cell carcinoma.

Skin Acne

Acne is very common in teenagers, and sometimes occurs in adulthood. It occurs in the form of blackheads, abscesses, comedones, and cysts. It is often quite painful or itchy, so the sufferer can’t help touching them. It is caused by the Propinobacterium acnes bacteria, which release fatty acids in the skin and cause painful cysts.

It first appears in one region, usually the forehead, chin, or cheeks. It gradually spreads over the entire face, and in the next stage it spreads to the neck, back, and chest. However, it is quite rare that acne develops to that level. It is usually mild, appearing only on the face, or in certain regions of the face. With proper treatment, it recedes completely, leaving no visible scars.

If not treated properly or if untreated at all, the condition can get much worse and the acne leaves a scar. The most difficult thing when treating an acne sufferer is not to drain pus and blackheads, which makes the skin even more inflamed.

General dermatology does not treat acne with any surgical treatments, but recommends the use of lotions, creams, and gels made specifically for acne that directly attack the bacteria that cause them. In addition, treatment usually requires the use of antibiotics. The skin is regularly cleaned and chemical peels are used to remove blackheads. hemijske pilinge gde se uklanjaju mitiseri.

With proper care, the skin recovers completely, and you can’t even notice that it was once prone to acne.

Xanthelasmas

Xanthelasmas are deposits that are paler than the color of the surrounding skin and are slightly raised. They are in the form of tiny tiles. They appear in the area around the eyes, on the eyelids, in the corners of the eyes or below, towards the cheeks. Women suffer from this skin condition much more often than men.

Xanthelasmas are created by the accumulation of lipids, so for a quite long time it was believed that people with elevated cholesterol were especially susceptible to them. However, studies showed different results: people who usually suffer from xanthelasma have normal lipids in their blood.

Today, it is believed that genetics plays a large role in the development of xanthelasmas, but they can also indicate diseases such as diabetes, atherosclerosis, or biliary cirrhosis. Therefore, if you notice those scaly deposits under the eyes, they may be due to genetics, or it may mean that the skin is showing more serious health conditions, and that you should pay a visit to your dermatologist to determine with certainty what it is.

The best way to remove xanthelasmas is with radio wave therapy. Some deposits can occupy more space and be deeper, so it will take more than one treatment for them to completely disappear, while at other times a single treatment is sufficient.

After the treatment, you will have scabs where the xanthelasma used to be, but when they fall off, you will be left with clear, scar-free skin. Treatment is fast and safe.

Papillomas and Fibromas

Did you know that almost 50% of the population notice some form of fibroma and papilloma on their skin at some point in their lives? This completely harmless condition is caused by genetics. They are usually skin-colored or slightly darker. They are attached to the skin by a thin stalk. There are small blood vessels in them, and by twisting that stalk, blood flow is blocked and the papillomas enlarge and become painful, and their color changes a bit.

As we have pointed out, fibroids and papillomas are completely harmless, but sometimes they can grow in inconvenient places, so they are removed for aesthetic reasons. Another reason for their removal is because they can be a nuisance, for example, if papillomas appear under the armpits, a region that is often shaved, the person who has them must constantly be careful not to cut them. If this happens, there is a good chance that a new papilloma will grow in the old place.

That is why it is by no means recommended to remove papillomas and fibroids yourself, in addition to infections and complications, they can return again. Dermatologists usually remove them with the help of radio waves. The treatment is minimally invasive, and no scars remain afterward.

Rosacea and Couperose

Rosacea represents increased redness on the face and is a disease of the sebaceous glands. The exact reasons why it appears are unknown. It is believed to be largely due to genetics, and some lifestyle habits such as the consumption of alcohol and hot spices can make the condition even worse.

Couperosis and rosacea are diseases that affect the face. Most often, they begin to spread first on the cheeks, and then cover the rest of the face. In men, it is typical to attack the nose. The skin is sensitive and dry, and it turns red at a sudden change in temperature. In healthy skin, the capillaries shrink after a change in temperature, but in this condition they remain dilated.

Along with redness of the skin in rosacea, another typical sign of it is dry skin with smaller pimples that should not be touched. This condition is treated with mild preparations, without alcohol or any chemicals that could activate the skin and further dry it out. Treatment is slow and difficult, and sometimes the redness cannot be completely removed. Treatments with azelaic acid, tretinoin and ichthyol are used, sometimes in combination with antibiotics.