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Find Treatment for Skin Conditions in MA & RI

Skin conditions include any disease, disorder or condition that affects the skin. Millions of Americans suffer from skin conditions. In fact, about 33% of us have visited the doctor because of a skin condition. Some of the most common skin conditions include:

• Acne
• Dermatitis
• Dry skin
• Eczema
• Hives and swelling
• Psoriasis
• Rosacea
• Shingles
• Sunburn
• Warts

Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and it has many functions. It shields you from germs, lets you sense your environment, helps retain nutrients and water, and regulates body temperature. When something goes wrong with your skin, it may not be able to perform these functions well — meaning your overall health can suffer. If you are worried about a skin condition, find a dermatologist at Southcoast Health or come to our urgent care to get the care you need. We can also refer patients to the appropriate specialist in order to ensure they receive specialized treatment.

Risk Factors & Causes

There are many causes of skin conditions, including infections, malignancies, allergies and other inflammatory processes. Physical or environmental factors, such as fire and trauma, sunlight exposure and genetic factors can also cause skin conditions.

Risk factors for developing a skin condition can include:

• Contact with an allergen or toxin
• Exposure to chemicals, specific medications and changes in weather or UV light (excessive sun exposure)
• Personal or family history of allergies or autoimmune diseases
• Personal or family history of skin conditions, such as psoriasis
• Poor hygiene

Common Skin Condition Symptoms

Symptoms of skin conditions vary widely depending on the underlying problem. The symptoms may affect many areas or most of your skin, or they may be localized to a small area. Skin condition symptoms could include:

• Blistering and other sores
• Discoloration, such as bruising
• Dry, scaly, peeling or flaking skin
• Itchiness or irritation
• Lumps or bumps
• Moles that change in size, color or shape
• Numbness
• Rash
• Texture changes
• Tingling or burning pain

Skin conditions can also cause symptoms in other body systems, such as the joints, muscles and nerves.

How We Treat Skin Conditions at Southcoast Health

Skin condition treatments vary depending on the specific condition. Some common treatments that our doctors may recommend include:

• Avoiding substances that irritate the skin or trigger allergies
• Immunotherapy
• Light and laser therapy
• Medications
• Moisturizers
• Surgery

Southcoast Health and Southcoast Health Urgent Care offer many treatment options for patients with skin conditions across southeastern Massachusetts and parts of Rhode Island at our locations in Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Lakeville, Seekonk and Wareham, MA as well as Middletown, RI.