Skin & Dermatology

Acne is inflammation of the skin's oil glands and hair follicles. It is almost universal in Indian adolescents and common in adults.

Wounds and injuries are breaks in the skin from cuts, grazes, puncture wounds, bites, burns, or crush injuries. Most small wounds heal well with simple care — but dirty, deep, or contaminated wounds carry a real risk of tetanus, rabies (from animal bites), and infection.

Hair loss is extremely common and rarely dangerous — but the cause matters, because the treatment is very different. Losing 50–100 hairs a day is normal.

Vitiligo is a long-term condition that causes patches of skin to lose their pigment and become white. It is an autoimmune condition — the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the melanocytes.

Psoriasis is a long-term autoimmune skin disease that causes red, scaly, often itchy plaques. It is not contagious, not caused by poor hygiene, and not curable by oils or diet changes.

Eczema (atopic dermatitis) is a chronic condition that makes skin dry, itchy, and inflamed. It often starts in infancy, runs in families with asthma or allergic rhinitis, and flares with weather, stress, and irritants.

A rash is a change in the skin's colour, feel, or appearance. Most rashes are harmless and go on their own, but some are warning signs.

A blister is a bubble of fluid under the skin, usually from friction, burns, or infection. Most are minor and heal on their own if left alone.

Sunlight is needed for vitamin D and wellbeing, but too much sun damages skin, eyes, and DNA. Darker Indian skin carries more natural UV protection than lighter skin — but it is not immune.

Skin conditions range from mild annoyances (pimples, prickly heat) to serious diseases (severe psoriasis, skin cancer, leprosy, drug reactions). Some are very common in India, some are often misdiagnosed, and a few are dangerous if missed.

Moles (naevi) are common, usually harmless dark spots or bumps on the skin. Most Indians have a handful.

Rosacea is a long-term skin condition that causes facial redness, flushing, broken blood vessels, and sometimes small pus-filled bumps — mainly on the cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead. It is more commonly recognised in fair skin but also occurs in Indian skin, where it is often under-diagnosed or mistaken for acne.