Aesthetic Dermatology Skin Allergies, Fungal Skin & Nail Infections

Skin Allergies

Red, bumpy, itchy skin can be irritating, painful and embarrassing. Rashes can be caused by many things, including exposure to certain plants (poison ivy, for example), allergic reactions to a medication or a food. Rashes can also be caused by an illness such as measles or chickenpox. Eczema and hives, both of which are related to allergies, are two of the most common types of skin rashes.

Fungal Skin

Although there are millions of species of fungi, only about 300 of them can actually cause infections in humans. There are several types of fungal infections that can affect your skin. Common infections such as athlete's foot, jock itch, and ringworm are caused by fungus and are easy to get and to pass around. In healthy people, they usually don't spread beyond the skin's surface, so they're easy to treat. If you spend a lot of time at the gym, take steps to protect yourself against fungal infections.

Nail Infections

A fungal nail infection occurs from the overgrowth of fungi in, under, or on the nail. Fungi thrive in warm, moist environments, so this type of environment can cause them to naturally overpopulate. The same fungi that cause jock itch, athlete’s foot, and ringworm can cause nail infections.

Fungi that are already present in or on your body can cause nail infections. If you have come in contact with someone else who has a fungal infection, you may have contracted it as well. Fungal infections affect toenails more commonly than fingernails, likely because your toes are usually confined to shoes, where they’re in a warm, moist environment.

If you get a manicure or pedicure at a nail salon, be sure to ask how the staff disinfects their tools and how often they do it. Tools, such as emery boards and nail clippers, can spread fungal infections from person to person if they’re not sanitized.