10 Most Bizarre Skin Diseases

• Some skin conditions although annoying or uncomfortable can be treated
• Serious skin disorders should not be taken lightly as they can be life threatening
• Don’t hesitate to seek medical treatment for any skin disorder, it could save your life
• Keep in mind skin cancer detection and methods that will help you prevent skin cancer, like wearing sunscreen when planning any outdoor event

There are lots of skin diseases you might have heard of. Everyone knows about skin cancer, cellulite, eczema or psoriasis. But many more are less known but not less dangerous. With this article we are trying to raise public awareness of such diseases. Here are the most usual ones:

1. Vitiligo

Vitiligo is a skin condition where the cells that make the pigment in your skin, the melanocytes, get destroyed. This causes white patches to appear on your skin, and this disease may affect any area of skin. These patches also show up on yoiur mucous membranes and the retina of your eyes. Symptoms include white or gray hair on the patches, as well as the white patches on your skin, mucous membranes, and eyes.

2. Tungiasis

Tungiasis is a skin disease cause by certain species of fleas, which burrow into the skin and lay eggs. Tungiasis occurs in many countries, and can be imported to others by individuals infected who travel. Symptoms include itching, burning, and pain in the area. Lesions, blisters, and ulcers may appear in the areas where the flea is burrowing. If not treated, this skin disease can cause a loss of toe nails, toes, severe infections, gangrene, tetanus, and other serious complications.

3. Pediculosis

Pediculosis is a skin disease caused by body lice. Body lice can affect all ages, genders, and races, and are found around the world. Symptoms of this disease include itching, a rash, white dots in your body hair which are nits, crawling live lice on your skin, a thickening or discoloration of your skin, and open sores on your body if the infestation is bad and not treated promptly.

4. Nummular Dermatitis

Nummular Dermatitis is a skin disease which has set skin lesion characteristics. These lesions can be oval or round, and they may itch or burn, especially when touched. When the disease starts, you may notice small areas that are red or blistered, and these spots join together to form bigger patches. Over time the skin looks like a ringworm infection, because there is a distinct outer border and a clear center.

5. Shingles

Shingles is caused by a reactivation of the herpes zoster virus in your body. Initially this virus causes the chicken pox, but can be reactivated years later to cause shingles. Symptoms can include headache, fever, general ill feeling, tingling along the nerve, skin pain that is stabbing and severe, blisters on the skin along the nerve path, a rash of small reddish dots, chills, scabs once blisters rupture and crust over, and severe itching.

6. Seborrheic Keratosis

Seborrheic Keratosis is a skin disease which causes your skin to thicken, and is normally caused by age. Symptoms of this disease include small warts which may be raised, and can be yellow or brown, papules, excess skin pigment in some areas, sebum producing warts, growths on the skin which may be raised, itchy, discolored, or thickened, and skin growths which have a greasy feel.

7. Jock Itch

Jock itch is caused by a fungal infection that occurs in the groin area. This skin disease is contagious and can be caused or aggravated by wearing underwear which is damp or tight. If you have jock itch, you will notice a red rash that is scaly which will spread from your groin to the upper area of your thighs and your buttocks. This condition may also cause extreme itching, and can lead to infections if the scratching results in broken skin.

8. Lichen Planus

Lichen planus is a skin disease that affects both the skin and the mucous membranes of the body. Symptoms of this disease can include a rash that is raised and shiny, and itches. Bumps may appear that can be pink or purple in color and small in size. You may also see scaly patches, a rash in your mouth, ulcers in your mouth, and blue areas which will appear inside the mouth on your tongue and cheeks. A rash and itching may also occur in the penile or vaginal area.

9. Photoallergy
Photoallergy is a reaction of the skin to the sun, or more specifically the UV rays of the sun. Symptoms of this skin disease include a red rash that may be raised or welted, and it can itch intensely just like other allergies. There are a number of medical conditions and medications that can cause this skin disorder, and the rash that develops is actually a form of contact dermatitis. The skin may also blister or peel, and you can experience nausea.

10. Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a group of bizarre skin diseases combined into one that causes your skin, and other tissues at times, to harden like a shell. Symptoms you will see in the skin if you have this disease include skin that is stiff, shiny, or thickened, swelling in your fingers, and hyper pigmentation. There can be many other symptoms if this disease affects tissues other than skin, and any organ or tissue in your body can show symptoms if affected.

The information supplied in this article is not to be considered as medical advice and is for educational purposes only.