Hyperkeratosis: causes, symptoms and treatment, photo
What is it - hyperkeratosis is a pathology in which the epidermal stratum extends.
Normally, each person is slushening the upper layer of the epidermis and the growth of new cells that make up for the loss.
With hyperkeratosis the processes of sloughing and replenishment are violated. The reasons for this are many: diseases, wearing tight clothes, heredity, etc.
Pathology leads to the growth of the stratum corneum of the epidermis from several millimeters to several centimeters, which can cause significant inconvenience to a person.
Hyperkeratosis does not develop as an independent disease. There are always certain reasons for this pathology.
Development factors are divided into:
Very often hyperkeratosis occurs in people who are overweight due to body weight pressure on the feet. In addition, any external and unevenly distributed load often leads to the development of hyperkeratosis.
Endogenous causes include diseases that can lead to disruption of the processes of sloughing and replenishment of epidermal cells. Diabetes mellitus is such a disease. It often provokes a metabolic disorder, which leads to a mass of functional disorders that can adversely affect the skin. In addition, diseases of the liver, thyroid, Sesari syndrome, lichen and a group of other diseases can cause hyperkeratosis.
Separately it is necessary to allocate hereditary factors. Ichthyosis is a hereditary disease, which is expressed in violation of keratinization. And as a consequence of ichthyosis, hyperkeratosis occurs. In addition, the development of pathology keratinization can affect the presence of hereditary disorders in the formation of keratin.
In some cases, the appearance of hyperkeratosis may result in a deficiency of vitamins A and C, as well as prolonged exposure to the sun and strong winds per person.
With this type of hyperkeratosis, the hair follicles are affected. In most cases, those skin areas that are prone to dryness, that is, knees and elbows, suffer. Due to malfunctioning, the follicles are clogged with epithelium.
For this reason, the skin becomes dry and looks like goose. If the follicular hyperkeratosis is left without proper treatment, then not only the elbows and knees, but also the rest of the skin are affected.
The follicles clogged with epithelium look like tubercles and pimples. In the case of squeezing or damage to clothing, follicles often become inflamed, which causes additional discomfort.
Unfortunately, to date, there is no effective treatment for follicular hyperkeratosis. If it was caused by internal causes, but not hereditary diseases, then a cure is possible. In this case, therapy is needed to treat the underlying cause, that is, the underlying disease.
In other cases, therapy is prescribed to soften the skin, eliminate inflammation, as well as restore the processes of slimming epithelium. It should be noted that with age follicular hyperkeratosis is due to the slowing down of the growth processes of new skin cells.
Hyperkeratosis often affects the feet, forming on them a stratified layer of epithelium up to a few centimeters thick. The defect is not very pleasant to look at and, moreover, quite dangerous.
Footsteps are exposed to heavy loads every day, which can cause cracks. These cracks can be both superficial and deep, which are accompanied by pain and bleeding. It is possible to infect deep cracks, which leads to an inflammatory process.
Hyperkeratosis of the feet develops gradually. The main reason for its occurrence in most cases is wearing uncomfortable or tight shoes. For example, high-heeled shoes ensure the distribution of pressure is not on the entire foot, but only on the heel and the base of the fingers. That is why the percentage of women suffering from initial signs of hyperkeratosis is much higher than that of men.
Flat shoes can also have a disastrous effect on the legs. In the risk zone are people whose way of life or work is associated with constant walking.
Normal footwear in this case does not provide proper load distribution on the foot and does not support the foot, which can lead to the development of hyperkeratosis. People with an active lifestyle need to choose orthopedic shoes or orthopedic insoles to compensate for the burden on their legs.
Other reasons for the development of hyperkeratosis include feet: excess weight of the person, diseases leading to defect of sloughing and replenishment of the upper layer of the epidermis, neglect of foot care, flat feet and other orthopedic diseases.
For treatment of hyperkeratosis, the foot of is symptomatically treated, which involves the removal of excess keratinous layer of the epidermis followed by the application of skin softening and moisturizing agents. If the hyperkeratosis of the foot has arisen for endogenous reasons, then the therapy is directed to treat the initial disease.
Read also how to treat foot fungus and nail fungus on legs.
Hyperkeratosis of the head is similar in the clinical picture with follicular hyperkeratosis, but the lesion is the scalp.
Hyperkeratosis of the scalp develops slowly and at the initial stage of development does not cause a person's anxiety. The appearance of dandruff, dryness and brittleness of hair most often people write off to water, poor-quality shampoos, lack of proper care, etc.
Further development of hyperkeratosis is marked by hair loss, which starts to disturb the person. Unfortunately, the hair begins to fall out when the hair follicles packed with epithelium are no longer able to grow, so the new hair will not grow on the spot of the fallen hair. This is the main feature of the scalp hyperkeratosis.
The disease brings a lot of trouble and discomfort to a person. In addition to dry head, dandruff and hair loss, a person can begin to worry about skin inflammation, as it is easily injured even by combing the hair.
Treatment of this type of hyperkeratosis is long and does not tolerate frequent interruptions. is used for the symptomatic treatment of , which allows to achieve a tolerable type of scalp, and also prescribed therapy aimed at moisturizing the skin, reducing the inflammation and protecting against further damage to the scalp.
In the long term, the prognosis of the disease, taking into account the implementation of all the doctors' instructions, is most often favorable.
Normally, each person is slushening the upper layer of the epidermis and the growth of new cells that make up for the loss.
With hyperkeratosis the processes of sloughing and replenishment are violated. The reasons for this are many: diseases, wearing tight clothes, heredity, etc.
Pathology leads to the growth of the stratum corneum of the epidermis from several millimeters to several centimeters, which can cause significant inconvenience to a person.
Causes of hyperkeratosis
Hyperkeratosis does not develop as an independent disease. There are always certain reasons for this pathology.
Development factors are divided into:
- exogenous, that is, emerging from the outside in the form of aggressive effects on the skin;
- is endogenous, that is, internal causes;
- hereditary factors.
Very often hyperkeratosis occurs in people who are overweight due to body weight pressure on the feet. In addition, any external and unevenly distributed load often leads to the development of hyperkeratosis.
Endogenous causes include diseases that can lead to disruption of the processes of sloughing and replenishment of epidermal cells. Diabetes mellitus is such a disease. It often provokes a metabolic disorder, which leads to a mass of functional disorders that can adversely affect the skin. In addition, diseases of the liver, thyroid, Sesari syndrome, lichen and a group of other diseases can cause hyperkeratosis.
Separately it is necessary to allocate hereditary factors. Ichthyosis is a hereditary disease, which is expressed in violation of keratinization. And as a consequence of ichthyosis, hyperkeratosis occurs. In addition, the development of pathology keratinization can affect the presence of hereditary disorders in the formation of keratin.
In some cases, the appearance of hyperkeratosis may result in a deficiency of vitamins A and C, as well as prolonged exposure to the sun and strong winds per person.
Follicular hyperkeratosis: symptoms and treatment
With this type of hyperkeratosis, the hair follicles are affected. In most cases, those skin areas that are prone to dryness, that is, knees and elbows, suffer. Due to malfunctioning, the follicles are clogged with epithelium.
For this reason, the skin becomes dry and looks like goose. If the follicular hyperkeratosis is left without proper treatment, then not only the elbows and knees, but also the rest of the skin are affected.
The follicles clogged with epithelium look like tubercles and pimples. In the case of squeezing or damage to clothing, follicles often become inflamed, which causes additional discomfort.
Unfortunately, to date, there is no effective treatment for follicular hyperkeratosis. If it was caused by internal causes, but not hereditary diseases, then a cure is possible. In this case, therapy is needed to treat the underlying cause, that is, the underlying disease.
In other cases, therapy is prescribed to soften the skin, eliminate inflammation, as well as restore the processes of slimming epithelium. It should be noted that with age follicular hyperkeratosis is due to the slowing down of the growth processes of new skin cells.
Hyperkeratosis of the foot: symptoms and treatment
Hyperkeratosis often affects the feet, forming on them a stratified layer of epithelium up to a few centimeters thick. The defect is not very pleasant to look at and, moreover, quite dangerous.
Footsteps are exposed to heavy loads every day, which can cause cracks. These cracks can be both superficial and deep, which are accompanied by pain and bleeding. It is possible to infect deep cracks, which leads to an inflammatory process.
Hyperkeratosis of the feet develops gradually. The main reason for its occurrence in most cases is wearing uncomfortable or tight shoes. For example, high-heeled shoes ensure the distribution of pressure is not on the entire foot, but only on the heel and the base of the fingers. That is why the percentage of women suffering from initial signs of hyperkeratosis is much higher than that of men.
Flat shoes can also have a disastrous effect on the legs. In the risk zone are people whose way of life or work is associated with constant walking.
Normal footwear in this case does not provide proper load distribution on the foot and does not support the foot, which can lead to the development of hyperkeratosis. People with an active lifestyle need to choose orthopedic shoes or orthopedic insoles to compensate for the burden on their legs.
Other reasons for the development of hyperkeratosis include feet: excess weight of the person, diseases leading to defect of sloughing and replenishment of the upper layer of the epidermis, neglect of foot care, flat feet and other orthopedic diseases.
For treatment of hyperkeratosis, the foot of is symptomatically treated, which involves the removal of excess keratinous layer of the epidermis followed by the application of skin softening and moisturizing agents. If the hyperkeratosis of the foot has arisen for endogenous reasons, then the therapy is directed to treat the initial disease.
Read also how to treat foot fungus and nail fungus on legs.
Hyperkeratosis of the scalp: symptoms and treatment
Hyperkeratosis of the head is similar in the clinical picture with follicular hyperkeratosis, but the lesion is the scalp.
Hyperkeratosis of the scalp develops slowly and at the initial stage of development does not cause a person's anxiety. The appearance of dandruff, dryness and brittleness of hair most often people write off to water, poor-quality shampoos, lack of proper care, etc.
Further development of hyperkeratosis is marked by hair loss, which starts to disturb the person. Unfortunately, the hair begins to fall out when the hair follicles packed with epithelium are no longer able to grow, so the new hair will not grow on the spot of the fallen hair. This is the main feature of the scalp hyperkeratosis.
The disease brings a lot of trouble and discomfort to a person. In addition to dry head, dandruff and hair loss, a person can begin to worry about skin inflammation, as it is easily injured even by combing the hair.
Treatment of this type of hyperkeratosis is long and does not tolerate frequent interruptions. is used for the symptomatic treatment of , which allows to achieve a tolerable type of scalp, and also prescribed therapy aimed at moisturizing the skin, reducing the inflammation and protecting against further damage to the scalp.
In the long term, the prognosis of the disease, taking into account the implementation of all the doctors' instructions, is most often favorable.