from February 4, 2021
Keratosis or hyperkeratosis is a non-inflammatory form of dermatosis, which is accompanied by excessive keratinization of the skin.
For healthy skin of any person, the process of keratinization is a normal physiological state. The process of keratinization provides one of the most basic functions of the skin - protective.
MECHANISM OF KERAINIZATION IN NORMAL AND IN HYPERKERATOSIS
Normally, as a result of their vital activity, skin cells gradually move from the lower layer to the upper, while gradually accumulating keratin - a protein that makes them more durable and resistant to external influences. The top layer of skin is nothing more than completely keratinized cells or horny scales, which are peeled off and replaced with new ones during human life. Such cells lack viability, but at the same time, thanks to keratin, they provide protection to living cells located underneath them from negative environmental factors.
With the development of hyperkeratosis as a pathological condition of the skin
- on the one hand, there is an active accelerated division of epidermal cells that produce keratin;
- on the other hand, there is a delay in the process of normal physiological exfoliation of horny scales from the surface layer of the skin.
Which doctor should I contact?
At the first alarming symptoms: the formation of white stripes and spots on the nails, it is recommended to consult a dermatologist. In the future, concomitant consultation with a trichologist, infectious disease specialist, cardiologist, endocrinologist, gynecologist, nutritionist, and dietician may be required. In some situations, complex treatment with the help of doctors of several specialties is required. To achieve the best therapeutic result, you must adhere to the recommendations of specialists and refrain from self-medication.
Choose a specialist, read reviews and make an appointment with a dermatologist online
TYPES OF KERATOSIS
Most often, the phenomena of hyperkeratosis are localized on the legs (heels, feet, knees) and arms (palms, elbows), less often - on the scalp, face in the area of the nose, cheeks, forehead. Basically, this pathology is formed in areas of irritation by any external mechanical or environmental factors. However, hormonal imbalances, heredity and improper skin care can also provoke hyperkeratosis.
The most common types of manifestations of hyperkeratosis are:
- Actinic (solar) keratosis on the face and body (keratomas). It develops due to excessive exposure of the skin to ultraviolet rays and photodamage. Appears as flat, rough yellow or brown spots;
- Palmar and plantar keratoderma - calluses, corns on the soles of the feet and palms, heel cracks. Formed in areas exposed to prolonged friction or pressure, during infectious and fungal diseases;
- Follicular or pilaris keratosis (“goose bumps”). Dermatosis occurs as a result of both accelerated keratinization and disruption of the physiological desquamation of horny scales. Against this background, the normal secretion of sebum is disrupted and local inflammation of the hair follicles on the body occurs. It looks like a rash of small multiple nodules of bright pink and gray color on the face, shoulders, legs, buttocks;
- Seborrheic keratosis is the most common form of hyperkeratosis. It is a hyperpigmented “plaque” with clear boundaries from light to dark brown, covered with keratinized skin. It can be either single or multiple.
- Actinic keratosis - develops in old age in the form of beige-brown spots and is localized on the face, shoulders, back, and back of the hands.
What do white stripes on nails mean?
Perhaps every person in his life has encountered the appearance of whitish stripes or dots on his nails. They can appear as a single manifestation, or they can completely cover the plates, not only on the arms, but also on the legs. Everyone is accustomed to treating them as a small cosmetic defect and does not pay attention to them. Meanwhile, white stripes on the nails can become a kind of signal from the body, indicating that it is feeling unwell. Also, white stripes can be a consequence of banal trauma to the plates. However, you should carefully consider the reasons for the appearance of stripes on the nails in order to help the body in time, if, after all, it is in this way “crying out” for help.
Photo from the site: cyberviewdvr.ru
To begin with, we note that white stripes or leukonychia, in medical terms, is not a disease, but rather a consequence of pathological changes occurring in the nail plates, resulting from a violation of the keratinization process. There are two types of leukonychia:
- True, associated with dysfunction of the nail matrix.
- False, caused by various factors, and, as a rule, disappears when the cause that caused its formation is eliminated.
The clinical picture of leukonychia is different and depends on the type of damage to the nail plate:
- Limited symptoms. It appears as small spots, which are usually concentrated on 1–2 nails.
Photo from the site: vmirenogtei.ru
- Point symptoms. The most common variation of leukonychia. With this variation, whitish dots of varying diameters appear on all nails. As a rule, this picture is typical for mechanical damage to the nail plate.
Photo from website: prettysite.org
- Band-like leukonychia. The picture of the lesion is expressed by the appearance of thin transverse white stripes that affect the entire nail field.
Photo from the site: womanvote.ru
- Total leukonychia is characterized by a complete change in the nail plates, when almost the entire nail is painted white. Very serious symptoms, indicating the course of chronic or viral diseases. The same picture is observed with fungal nail infections.
Photo from the site: derma-wiki.ru
Important!
Total leukonychia is always a sign of a malfunction of the body. A complete change in nail color is always a reason to consult a doctor.
As you can see, white stripes on the nails are not a disease in themselves, but always signal us about problems. The picture of changes in the nail is the main sign of what problem is affecting the body. In this regard, it would not be amiss to consider the reasons for the appearance of white stripes on the nails.
REASONS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF KERATOSIS
Factors causing the development of hyperkeratosis are divided into external and internal.
External factors that provoke hyperkeratosis include chronic inflammatory processes on the skin, infections, ultraviolet radiation, exposure to aggressive chemicals, as well as strong pressure, for example, tight shoes, a tight hat, hairpins, headbands, improper skin care and incorrectly selected cosmetics, which causes dry skin, as well as a lack of vitamins A, C, D, etc.
If the pathology has formed without prior irritation or injury, then skin hyperkeratosis is probably caused by internal factors. In this case, it may be hereditary diseases, dry skin due to metabolic disorders, liver disease, gall bladder, thyroid disease, diabetes mellitus, congenital pathologies. In addition, manifestations of hyperkeratosis occur and accompany some chronic skin diseases - eczema, psoriasis, lichen planus, seborrhea, erythroderma, keratoderma.
Diagnostics
Diagnosis of stretch marks includes:
- analysis of patient complaints;
- examination of the skin;
- blood test to determine cortisol levels.
If there is a suspicion of endocrine system pathology, additional examinations are carried out:
- determination of the level of cortisol in daily urine;
- Ultrasound of the adrenal glands;
- determining the level of adrenocorticotropic hormone in the blood (this hormone regulates the activity of the adrenal glands);
- MRI or CT scan of the adrenal glands;
- MRI or CT scan of the pituitary gland.
The patient may also need to consult an endocrinologist.
HOW TO TREAT HYPERKERATOSIS
Symptoms of hyperkeratosis usually do not cause pain and are considered a cosmetic defect. The exception is calluses and corns on the feet, which cause discomfort when walking. In this case, you should immediately seek qualified help, especially if the manifestations of hyperkeratosis cause pain, discomfort, there are symptoms of infection (redness, swelling, accumulation of pus) or if you have diabetes.
Hyperkeratosis will not go away on its own; in any case, it is necessary to start treatment.
The method of treating hyperkeratosis is chosen by the doctor, taking into account the cause, location, prevalence and shape of the thickenings, as well as compensation for the underlying chronic disease as a result of which the pathological process was formed.
To treat hyperkeratosis, the following are most often used:
- ointments, creams with a softening effect; creams rich in fat;
- taking acitretin;
- Daivonex ointment (calcipotriol);
- medical hardware manicure (if the process is localized on the palms, feet, arms and legs);
- creams with urea;
- peeling, including chemical and laser peeling (face and body);
- radiosurgical removal (keratomas);
- surgical cutting (calluses, corns).
You cannot remove calluses, corns or warts on your own, as there is a risk of infection and other complications.
Prevention of stretch marks: is it possible to protect your child from this deficiency?
Yes, you can very well try to prevent the appearance of stretch marks through prevention. Of course, this will be quite problematic if you have a genetic predisposition or a concomitant disease, but you will still significantly reduce your chances if you follow the following tips:
- Monitor your teenager's healthy diet - the diet should be balanced, sufficient, but moderate. Try to avoid excess fat and salt.
- If there are no contraindications, be sure to ensure that the teenager engages in physical activity. If lessons at school do not inspire enthusiasm, you can send your teenager to a sports section in a field of your choice.
- Don't disturb your sleep schedule. During hormonal changes, the body is already in a state of stress, help it with a regime.
- A teenager should receive sufficient amounts of vitamins and minerals.
- Don't forget about fresh air, especially if you live in a metropolis.
Many of the tips may seem quite general, but we ask you to take them as seriously as possible - it is from these foundations that your child’s health is built, brick by brick.
Treatment of stretch marks
Whether stretch marks can be cured completely depends on how long ago they occurred. If they appeared less than a year ago, the chances of giving your skin a healthy look are very high. Unfortunately, old stretch marks cannot be removed 100%.
Modern treatment of striae includes a comprehensive course based on alternation and combination of different techniques. This is a long and painstaking process that involves the use of:
- chemical peeling;
- laser peeling;
- wraps;
- methods of plastic surgery.
At home, women can independently resort to help:
- products that are structural components of the skin and aimed at its rapid restoration;
- drugs that improve circulation in the skin;
- formulations for topical use against stretch marks (ointments, gels, creams, lotions);
- vitamin preparations (vitamins E, A, C, group B are especially important).
Chemical peeling
To make stretch marks disappear, strong acids are applied to the skin, which burn the epidermis and activate the production of its own collagen. During the chemical peeling procedure the following are used:
- phenolic acid;
- trichloroacetic acid;
- alpha hydroxy acids.
The most pronounced effect is produced by phenolic acid, but it has serious side effects. Also, its use is associated with severe pain, so the removal of stretch marks is carried out under anesthesia. This drug is not suitable for people with heart and vascular diseases.
Trichloroacetic and alpha-hydroxy acids do not act as deeply, but require safety precautions.
Laser peeling
Laser peeling to eliminate stretch marks cannot be performed unless the patient undergoes special training. Its essence consists of applying creams that contain a large percentage of ascorbic acid to damaged skin. The procedure itself takes up to one hour and is performed under general anesthesia in a hospital setting.
During laser peeling, the doctor treats stretch marks with a laser beam, due to which they are burned out. The patient is discharged the next day. After laser treatment of stretch marks, swelling and red lesions that resemble burns form on the skin. They need to be lubricated for a long time with a special restoring cream.
Wraps
Thinking about how to remove stretch marks on the thighs, many women decide to take a body wrap course. The option is optimal if stretch marks appeared recently (no later than 6 months ago). Good results can be achieved by thalassotherapy - seaweed wrapping. Spirulina (seaweed) improves skin tone, saturates it with microelements and vitamins.
During the wrap, an algae mask is applied to the body, a film and a thermal blanket are placed on top. Due to heating, beneficial substances penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin more efficiently. Afterwards, wash off the mask with warm water.
Plastic surgery
The most radical and effective method of getting rid of stretch marks on the skin is surgery. During abdominoplasty (tummy tuck), excess skin is excised along with stretch marks. The sutures are removed within 7-10 days. The patient can return to her normal life after 2-3 weeks - it all depends on the individual characteristics of the body.
Like any other surgical intervention, abdominoplasty can lead to purulent complications, the formation of noticeable postoperative scars, and poorly healing wounds.
