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Skin, Hair, and Nails
Learn about skin, hair, and nails

Almost everyone knows someone who has dealt with acne or had a case of dandruff. Even though you might think these problems just affect your appearance, they can make you feel miserable. It's important to pay attention to the health of your skin, hair, and nails so you can prevent problems like an ingrown nail, a rash, or a life-threatening problem like melanoma (skin cancer). Our topics are here to help you deal with skin, hair, and nail problems, and they can give you tips for preventing these problems.
Get more information in our skin, hair, and nail topics, such as:
- Accidental Needle Sticks
- Acid Burns
- Acne
- Acne: Tips for Keeping It Under Control
- Acne: Treatment With Alpha Hydroxy Acids
- Acne: Treatment With Antibiotics
- Acne: Treatment With Benzoyl Peroxide
- Acne: Treatment With Salicylic Acid
- Actinic Keratosis
- Age-Related Foot Changes
- Alcohol Increases the Risk of Cold Injury
- Alkali Burns
- Allergic Reaction to Tattoo Dye
- Alopecia Areata
- Alopecia Areata: Psoralen With Ultraviolet A Light (PUVA) Therapy
- Anal Fissure
- Anal Fissures: Botox Injections
- Anal Fissures: Internal Anal Sphincterotomy
- Anal Fissures: Nifedipine and Diltiazem
- Anal Fissures: Nitroglycerin Ointment
- Animal and Human Bites
- Animal and Human Bites: When Stitches Are Needed
- Anthrax
- Artificial Nails: Problems and Treatment
- Aspiration of a Ganglion
- Athlete's Foot
- Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)
- Bartholin Gland Cyst
- Bedbugs
- Birthmarks
- Black Widow Spider Bite
- Blepharitis
- Blister Care
- Blisters
- Body Lice
- Body Piercing Healing Times
- Body Piercing Problems
- Body Piercing: Safe Jewelry Choices
- Boils
- Botulinum Toxin (Botox)
- Breastfeeding: Sore Nipples
- Breathing Smoke or Fumes
- Broken Blisters: Home Treatment
- Brown Recluse Spider Bite
- Bruises and Blood Spots Under the Skin
- Burns and Electric Shock
- Calluses and Corns
- Calluses and Corns: Protective Padding
- Calluses and Corns: Using Pumice Stones
- Cancer: Home Treatment for Mouth Sores
- Capsaicin
- Care for a Skin Wound
- Care of an Insect Sting
- Care of Your Skin When You Have Diabetes
- Caregiving: Fingernail Care
- Caregiving: Foot and Toenail Care
- Caregiving: How to Give a Bed Bath
- Caregiving: How to Help With a Shower
- Caregiving: How to Help With a Sink Bath
- Caregiving: How to Turn Someone in Bed
- Caregiving: Preventing Rashes in the Groin Area
- Caregiving: Shaving an Adult
- Caregiving: Skin Care for Immobile Adults
- Caregiving: Washing and Styling Hair
- Caring for a Baby's Nails
- Causes of Hair Loss: Diseases
- Causes of Hair Loss: Medicines and Medical Treatments
- Cellulitis
- Central Venous Catheter: Changing the Dressing
- Changes in a Mole or Skin Growth
- Changes in Your Nails
- Chemical Burn
- Chemical Peel
- Chickenpox (Varicella)
- Chickenpox: Preventing Skin Infections
- Chilblains (Perniosis)
- Chili Pepper Burns
- Cold Hands: Home Treatment
- Cold Sores
- Cold Temperature Exposure
- Color Changes in Nails
- Common Questions About Giving Yourself Shots
- Common Stinging or Biting Insects or Spiders
- Common Types of Birthmarks
- Complications of Pressure Injuries
- Contact Immunotherapy for Hair Loss
- Copperhead
- Coral Snake
- Corns and Calluses: Home Treatment
- Corticosteroids for Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac
- Cosmetic Surgery and Procedures
- Cottonmouth (Water Moccasin)
- Cradle Cap
- Creams and Ointments for Cold Sores
- Crohn's Disease: Problems Outside the Digestive Tract
- Cryosurgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Cryotherapy (Cryosurgery) for Genital Warts
- Cryotherapy for Warts
- Curettage and Electrosurgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Cut That Removes All Layers of Skin
- Cuts
- Cuts: When Stitches Are Needed
- Dandruff
- Dermabrasion
- Determining the Seriousness of a Burn
- Diabetes: Checking Your Feet
- Diabetes: Protecting Your Feet
- Diabetes: Steps for Foot-Washing
- Diaper Rash
- Dry Skin and Itching
- Electrical Shock or Burn
- Electrocautery for Genital Warts
- Electrolysis for Removing Hair
- Environmental Illness
- Estimating the Size of a Burn
- Excision for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Eye Injury: First Aid for a Black Eye
- Eye Injury: First Aid for Minor Cuts
- Eyelid Problems
- Face-Lift (Rhytidectomy)
- Facial Injuries
- Facial Problems, Noninjury
- Fifth Disease
- Filler Injections
- Fire Ant Stings
- First Aid for Chemical Burns
- First Aid for Electrical Burns
- First Aid for Tar or Plastic Burns
- Fishhook Injuries
- Fly Bites
- Folliculitis
- Foot Odor
- Fungal Infections: Risks of Oral Antifungals
- Fungal Nail Infections
- Ganglions
- Groin Problems and Injuries
- Hair Loss
- Hair Loss Caused by Lack of Protein
- Hair Loss From Cancer Treatment
- Hair Transplant Surgery
- Hand-Foot-and-Mouth Disease
- Head Lice
- Heat Rash
- Heavy Sweating
- Henna Tattoos (Mehndi)
- Hidradenitis Suppurativa
- High-Pressure Injection Wounds
- Home Remedies for Bites and Stings
- Home Treatment for Second-Degree Burns
- How a Scrape Heals
- Hydrocortisone for Itching
- Impetigo
- Incision Care After Surgery
- Indoor Tanning: Is It Safe?
- Ingrown Toenail
- Insect Bites and Stings and Spider Bites
- Insect Repellents
- Itching Relief
- Ivermectin for Head Lice
- Jellyfish Sting: Home Treatment
- Jellyfish Stings: Allergic Reaction
- Jock Itch
- Keloid Scars
- Kissing Bugs
- Laser Resurfacing
- Laser Surgery for Genital Warts
- Laser Surgery for Skin Cancer
- Laser Surgery for Warts
- Laser Therapy for Birthmarks
- Laser Treatment for Varicose Veins
- Leg Injuries
- Lice
- Lice Treatment: Examples of Over-the-Counter Products
- Lice: Cleaning Lice From Combs, Clothing, and Other Items
- Lipoma
- Live Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine, ZVL: What you need to know
- Living With More Than One Health Problem
- Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) for Genital Warts
- Lyme Disease
- Lymph Node Removal (Lymphadenectomy) for Melanoma
- Marine Stings and Scrapes
- Measles (Rubeola)
- Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA)
- Misdiagnosis of Lyme Disease
- Mohs Micrographic Surgery for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Molluscum Contagiosum
- Mucous Cyst Ganglions
- Nail Problems and Injuries
- Nail Psoriasis
- Nail-Biting
- Necrotizing Fasciitis (Flesh-Eating Bacteria)
- Needle Punctures for Health Reasons
- Nephrotic Syndrome: Skin Care Tips
- Newborn Rashes and Skin Conditions
- Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer: Comparing Treatments
- Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer: Photodynamic Therapy
- Nonpoisonous Spider Bites
- Nonsurgical Nail Removal for Fungal Nail Infections
- Oral Antivirals for Cold Sores
- Other Home Treatment Measures for a First-Degree Burn or Sunburn
- Paring for Plantar Warts
- Phototherapy for Atopic Dermatitis
- Phototherapy for Psoriasis
- Pilonidal Disease
- Pinworms
- Pityriasis Alba
- Pityriasis Rosea
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac: Barrier Lotions and Creams
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac: Other Plants That Cause a Rash
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac: Rash From Indirect Contact
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac: Relieving the Itch
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac: Tips for Removing Plants
- Poison Ivy, Oak, or Sumac: Tips for Washing
- Poisonous Lizards
- Pregnancy: Changes in Feet and Ankles
- Pregnancy: Hair Changes
- Pregnancy: Hand Changes
- Pregnancy: Stretch Marks, Itching, and Skin Changes
- Pregnancy: Varicose Veins
- Pressure Injuries
- Pressure Injuries: Conditions That Affect Healing
- Pressure Injuries: Pressure-Relieving Devices and Supports
- Pressure Injuries: Prevention and Treatment
- Pressure Injuries: Stages
- Preventing Blisters
- Preventing Flea Bites
- Preventing Spider Bites
- Protecting Your Skin From the Sun
- Psoriasis
- Pubic Lice
- Puncture Wounds
- Puncture Wounds: Stitches, Staples, and Skin Adhesives
- Puss Caterpillar Stings
- Questions About Varicose Vein Treatment
- Radiation Therapy for Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer
- Rash, Age 11 and Younger
- Rash, Age 12 and Older
- Rashes or Sores in the Groin
- Rattlesnake
- Raynaud's Phenomenon
- Razor Bumps
- Recombinant Zoster (Shingles) Vaccine, RZV: What you need to know
- Removing a Bartholin Gland Cyst
- Removing a Fishhook
- Removing an Object From a Wound
- Removing Moles and Skin Tags
- Removing Splinters
- Ringworm of the Scalp or Beard
- Ringworm of the Skin
- Rosacea
- Roseola
- Scabies
- Scabies: Getting It From Animals
- Scabies: Using Medicines
- Scalp Problems
- Scarlet Fever
- Sclerotherapy for Varicose Veins
- Scorpion Stings
- Scrapes
- Seabather's Eruption
- Seborrheic Keratoses
- Seborrheic Keratosis: Cryotherapy
- Seborrheic Keratosis: Curettage
- Seborrheic Keratosis: Electrocautery Treatment
- Seborrheic Keratosis: Laser Treatment
- Shingles
- Sjögren's Syndrome
- Skin Adhesives (Liquid Stitches)
- Skin Cancer Screening
- Skin Cancer, Melanoma
- Skin Cancer, Nonmelanoma
- Skin Changes
- Skin Cyst: Home Treatment
- Skin Grafting for Venous Skin Ulcer
- Skin Rashes: Home Treatment
- Smallpox
- Snake and Lizard Bites
- Snakebite: Symptoms of a Pit Viper Bite
- Stages of Lyme Disease
- Stopping Facial Bleeding
- Sun Protection to Prevent Sunburn
- Sunburn
- Sunburn and Skin Cancer
- Sunburn: Skin Types
- Surgical Excision of Melanoma
- Surgical Nail Removal for Fungal Nail Infections
- Surgical Removal of Ganglions
- Surgical Removal of Genital Warts by Excision
- Swimmer's Itch
- Swollen Glands, Hernias, and Other Lumps Under the Skin
- Symptoms of Lyme Disease
- Symptoms of Metastatic Melanoma
- Syphilis: Chancre
- Syphilis: Gummata
- Taking Care of Your Stitches or Staples
- Tattoo and Piercing Safety
- Tattoo Problems
- Tattoo Removal
- Tattoos: Reporting Problems
- Thrush
- Tick Bites
- Tick Bites: Flu-Like Symptoms
- Tick Bites: Signs of Tick Paralysis
- Ticks: How to Avoid and Remove Ticks
- Tinea Versicolor
- Torn or Detached Nail
- Toxic Reaction to Insect or Spider Venom
- Toxic Shock Syndrome
- Toxic Shock Syndrome Bacteria
- Treating a Hangnail
- Treating a Nail Infection
- Treating Personal Contamination
- Treating Weak or Brittle Nails
- Types of Acne
- Types of Fungal Nail Infection
- Types of Hair Loss
- Types of Psoriasis
- Ultraviolet Rays From the Sun
- Unwanted Hair in Women
- Using Tape to Remove Warts
- Vaginal Rashes and Sores
- Varicose Veins
- Varicose Veins Home Treatment
- Varicose Veins: Phlebectomy or Stab Avulsion
- Varicose Veins: Radiofrequency Ablation
- Vein Ligation and Stripping
- Venous Skin Ulcer
- Venous Skin Ulcer: Debridement
- Venous Skin Ulcers: Home Treatment
- Vertigo: Senses That Help Your Balance and Position
- Warts and Plantar Warts
- Warts: Electrosurgery and Curettage
- Warts: Using Salicylic Acid
- Yeast Skin Infection
- Acne: Should I See My Doctor?
- Acne: Should I Take Isotretinoin for Severe Acne?
- Basal Cell Skin Cancer: Should I Have Surgery or Use Medicated Cream?
- Hair Loss: Should I Take Medicine to Regrow Hair?
- Nail Infection: Should I Take Antifungal Pills?
- Shingles: Should I Get a Shot to Prevent Shingles?
- Varicose Veins: Should I Have a Surgical Procedure?
- Warts: Should I Treat Warts?
Current as of: October 9, 2017
Author: Healthwise Staff
Medical Review: Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine & Martin J. Gabica, MD - Family Medicine