Describing a Skin Condition
How to describe a skin condition
A healthcare provider may ask you to describe your skin condition and its location. Here are some of the more common terms that may help you give a more accurate description:
Condition | What it looks like |
Abscess | A closed, painful pocket containing pus |
Atrophic | Thin, dry, wrinkled skin |
Blister or vesicle | Fluid-filled bump under or in the epidermis (the surface of the skin) that is less than 1 cm in size |
Crust or scab | Formation of dried blood, plasma, or pus over a break in the skin |
Cyst | Enclosed sac in skin containing fluid or solid material |
Excoriation | An erosion with loss of the epidermis, caused by scratching |
Hives or wheals | Pink or white localized swelling of the skin that is often itchy |
Lichenification | Skin that has become thickened, hardened, or leathery with skin markings from chronic scratching |
Macule | Small, flat, discolored spot, less than 1 cm |
Nodule or papule | Solid, raised bumps. A nodule is greater than 1 cm, and a papule is less than or equal to 1 cm. |
Patch | Flat, large (greater than 1 cm) discolored area |
Plaque | A raised or depressed area of skin that is greater than 1 cm in diameter |
Pustule (pimple) | Inflamed, raised lesions that contain pus |
Scales | A buildup of dead skin cells that form flakes |
Scar | Fibrous tissue that forms after a skin injury |
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