BACK TOTOP Browse A-ZSearchBrowse A-ZABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0-9 E-mail FormEmail ResultsName:Email address:Recipients Name:Recipients address:Message: Print-FriendlyBookmarksbookmarks-menuScalesSkin flaking; Scaly skin; Papulosquamous disorders; IchthyosisScales are a visible peeling or flaking of outer skin layers. These layers are called the stratum corneum. Causes Scales may be caused by dry skin, certain inflammatory skin conditions, or infections.Examples of disorders that can cause scales include:Eczema EczemaAtopic dermatitis is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes. It is a type of eczema. Other forms of eczema include...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Fungal infections such as ringworm or tinea versicolor RingwormRingworm is a skin infection due to a fungus. Often, there are several patches of ringworm on the skin at once. The medical name for ringworm is ti...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Tinea versicolorTinea versicolor is a common fungal infection of the outer layer of the skin.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Psoriasis PsoriasisPsoriasis is a skin condition that causes skin redness, silvery scales, and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have thick, red, well-defined pat...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Seborrheic dermatitis Seborrheic dermatitisSeborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition. It causes flaky, white to yellowish scales to form on oily areas such as the scalp, f...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pityriasis rosea Pityriasis roseaPityriasis rosea is a common type of skin rash most often seen in young adults.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Discoid lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disorder Autoimmune disorderAn autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 autoimmune d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Genetic skin disorders called ichthyoses Home Care If your health care provider diagnoses you with dry skin, you'll likely be recommended the following self-care measures:Self-care measuresDry skin occurs when your skin loses too much water and oil. Dry skin is common and can affect anyone at any age. Symptoms of dry skin include:Scali...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Moisturize your skin with an ointment, cream, or lotion 2 to 3 times a day, or as often as needed. Moisturizers help lock in moisture, so they work best on damp skin. After you bathe, pat your skin dry then apply your moisturizer. Bathe only once a day. Take short, warm baths or showers. Limit your time to 5 to 10 minutes. Avoid taking hot baths or showers. Instead of regular soap, try using gentle skin cleansers or soap with added moisturizers. Avoid scrubbing your skin. Drink plenty of water. Try over-the-counter cortisone creams or lotions if your skin is inflamed.If your provider diagnoses you with a skin disorder, such as an inflammatory or fungal disease, follow instructions on home care. This may include using a medicine on your skin. You may also need to take a medicine by mouth. When to Contact a Medical Professional Call your provider if your skin symptoms continue and self-care measures aren't helping. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will perform a physical exam to look closely at your skin. You may be asked questions such as when the scaling began, what other symptoms you have, and any self-care you've done at home.You may need blood tests to check for other conditions.Treatment depends on the cause of your skin problem. You may need to apply medicine to the skin, or take medicine by mouth.Open ReferencesReferencesDinulos JGH. Psoriasis and other papulosquamous diseases. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif's Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 8.Marks JG, Miller JJ. Scaling papules, plaques, and patches. In: Marks JG, Miller JJ, eds. Lookingbill and Marks' Principles of Dermatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 9.AllVideoImagesTogPsoriasis - magnified x4 - illustration This picture shows a 400% magnification of psoriasis. The whitish scales give the silvery appearance to the typical psoriasis lesion.Psoriasis - magnified x4illustrationAthlete's foot - tinea pedis - illustration This is a picture of Athlete's foot (tinea pedis). Tinea infection is caused by a fungus that grows on the skin, and is also referred to as ringworm. Cutaneous (skin) tinea infections are often named by their location such as pedis, meaning foot.Athlete's foot - tinea pedisillustrationEczema, atopic - close-up - illustration This view shows the red, scaly patches called plaques that are characteristic of atopic dermatitis.Eczema, atopic - close-upillustrationRingworm - tinea manuum on the finger - illustration This is a picture of ringworm, tinea manum, on the finger. This fungal infection is inflamed and scaly.Ringworm - tinea manuum on the fingerillustrationPsoriasis - magnified x4 - illustration This picture shows a 400% magnification of psoriasis. The whitish scales give the silvery appearance to the typical psoriasis lesion.Psoriasis - magnified x4illustrationAthlete's foot - tinea pedis - illustration This is a picture of Athlete's foot (tinea pedis). Tinea infection is caused by a fungus that grows on the skin, and is also referred to as ringworm. Cutaneous (skin) tinea infections are often named by their location such as pedis, meaning foot.Athlete's foot - tinea pedisillustrationEczema, atopic - close-up - illustration This view shows the red, scaly patches called plaques that are characteristic of atopic dermatitis.Eczema, atopic - close-upillustrationRingworm - tinea manuum on the finger - illustration This is a picture of ringworm, tinea manum, on the finger. This fungal infection is inflamed and scaly.Ringworm - tinea manuum on the fingerillustrationRelated Information Review Date: 6/7/2023 Reviewed By: Elika Hoss, MD, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Mayo Clinic, Scottsdale, AZ. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team. The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. No warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, is made as to the accuracy, reliability, timeliness, or correctness of any translations made by a third-party service of the information provided herein into any other language. © 1997- A.D.A.M., a business unit of Ebix, Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. © 1997- All rights reserved. A.D.A.M. content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.Content is best viewed in IE9 or above, Firefox and Google Chrome browser.
ScalesSkin flaking; Scaly skin; Papulosquamous disorders; IchthyosisScales are a visible peeling or flaking of outer skin layers. These layers are called the stratum corneum. Causes Scales may be caused by dry skin, certain inflammatory skin conditions, or infections.Examples of disorders that can cause scales include:Eczema EczemaAtopic dermatitis is a long-term (chronic) skin disorder that involves scaly and itchy rashes. It is a type of eczema. Other forms of eczema include...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Fungal infections such as ringworm or tinea versicolor RingwormRingworm is a skin infection due to a fungus. Often, there are several patches of ringworm on the skin at once. The medical name for ringworm is ti...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Tinea versicolorTinea versicolor is a common fungal infection of the outer layer of the skin.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Psoriasis PsoriasisPsoriasis is a skin condition that causes skin redness, silvery scales, and irritation. Most people with psoriasis have thick, red, well-defined pat...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Seborrheic dermatitis Seborrheic dermatitisSeborrheic dermatitis is a common inflammatory skin condition. It causes flaky, white to yellowish scales to form on oily areas such as the scalp, f...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Pityriasis rosea Pityriasis roseaPityriasis rosea is a common type of skin rash most often seen in young adults.ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Discoid lupus erythematosus, an autoimmune disorder Autoimmune disorderAn autoimmune disorder occurs when the body's immune system attacks and destroys healthy body tissue by mistake. There are more than 80 autoimmune d...ImageRead Article Now Book Mark Article Genetic skin disorders called ichthyoses Home Care If your health care provider diagnoses you with dry skin, you'll likely be recommended the following self-care measures:Self-care measuresDry skin occurs when your skin loses too much water and oil. Dry skin is common and can affect anyone at any age. Symptoms of dry skin include:Scali...Read Article Now Book Mark Article Moisturize your skin with an ointment, cream, or lotion 2 to 3 times a day, or as often as needed. Moisturizers help lock in moisture, so they work best on damp skin. After you bathe, pat your skin dry then apply your moisturizer. Bathe only once a day. Take short, warm baths or showers. Limit your time to 5 to 10 minutes. Avoid taking hot baths or showers. Instead of regular soap, try using gentle skin cleansers or soap with added moisturizers. Avoid scrubbing your skin. Drink plenty of water. Try over-the-counter cortisone creams or lotions if your skin is inflamed.If your provider diagnoses you with a skin disorder, such as an inflammatory or fungal disease, follow instructions on home care. This may include using a medicine on your skin. You may also need to take a medicine by mouth. When to Contact a Medical Professional Call your provider if your skin symptoms continue and self-care measures aren't helping. What to Expect at Your Office Visit Your provider will perform a physical exam to look closely at your skin. You may be asked questions such as when the scaling began, what other symptoms you have, and any self-care you've done at home.You may need blood tests to check for other conditions.Treatment depends on the cause of your skin problem. You may need to apply medicine to the skin, or take medicine by mouth.Open ReferencesReferencesDinulos JGH. Psoriasis and other papulosquamous diseases. In: Dinulos JGH, ed. Habif's Clinical Dermatology. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 8.Marks JG, Miller JJ. Scaling papules, plaques, and patches. In: Marks JG, Miller JJ, eds. Lookingbill and Marks' Principles of Dermatology. 6th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2019:chap 9.