Hair, Skin, & Nails Glossary
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Acne: Acne is the name for those red bumps called pimples that a lot of kids and teens get on their skin. When your skin's oil glands make too much oil, the tiny holes on your skin called pores get stopped up with oil, dead skin, and bacteria. Then the skin around these clogged pores can swell and look lumpy or red. Usually, this happens during puberty, when your body is changing from a kid into an adult.
Astringents (eh-STRIN-jents): If your skin is oilier than normal, you might want to use an astringent. Astringents clean up skin by decreasing the amount of oil that can cause pimples. Just wipe some on your skin and say bye-bye to oil!
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Blackhead: People with acne may have different types of bumps on their skin. These can be whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts. Where do they come from? Your skin is full of tiny holes called pores. If a pore gets clogged with oil, dead skin, and bacteria, the top surface can darken and you're left with a blackhead. With a blackhead, the pore stays open. But if the pore closes, a whitehead forms.
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Cyst: A cyst is a sac that is filled with air, liquid, or pus. Cysts can happen in different parts of the body. They can get infected and then hurt or swell. Some kids who have acne may have cysts in their skin.
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Dandruff (DAN-dref): Dandruff is flakes of dead skin on your head that come loose all the time, but especially when you scratch your head, brush your hair, or pull a shirt over your head. Sometimes, during puberty, your oil glands go a little wild and you develop a lot more dandruff than normal. But with the right shampoo or medicine, you can fight that flaky feeling.
Dermatitis (dur-muh-TYE-tus): Have you ever had a red, itchy rash on your skin? Then you've had dermatitis. Dermatitis is an irritation or swelling of the skin. There are lots of different kinds of rashes — some have bumps, some have blisters, and some are dry and scaly. They can be caused by a chemical (like a soap) that irritates your skin, or happen when you touch something you're allergic to (like poison ivy). Skin conditions like eczema or dandruff also can cause a rash.
Dermatologist (derm-uh-TOL-uh-jist): A special doctor called a dermatologist knows a lot about skin. Dermatologists help people who have itchy skin, pimply skin, and any other skin problems!
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Eczema (EG-zeh-muh): If your skin has ever been super itchy, red, and dry, you might know about eczema. And no, it doesn't have anything to do with eggs … unless you're allergic to them, because eczema is sometimes caused by allergies.
Epidermis (eh-pih-DUR-mis): Look out — your epidermis is showing! But that's OK; epidermis is the fancy name for the outermost layer of your skin.
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First-Degree Burns: A burn is an injury that's caused by heat or fire. A first-degree burn is a minor burn that only affects the top layer skin (called the epidermis). It is the mildest type of burn.
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Hemangioma (he-man-jee-OH-muh): This is a big word for a type of birthmark. Birthmarks get their name because they develop on the skin of babies before or just after they're born. Hemangiomas are a bunch of tiny blood vessels — that's why they usually look red or purple. These birthmarks can be very small or quite large and tend to get bigger before they get better. Hemangiomas don't hurt and usually go away on their own in a couple of years.
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Impetigo (im-pih-TY-go [or im-pih-TEE-go]): When bacteria get inside your skin from a cut, they can cause this skin infection. Impetigo starts with small blisters that break and ooze fluid that makes a crust. Impetigo most often is on the face around the mouth but can happen anywhere on the body where the skin is broken. Impetigo is usually treated with an antibiotic ointment.
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Keratin (KAIR-uh-tin): Keratin is the hard protein that hair is made of, whether you've got straight red hair, blond curly locks, or black twisty braids. Keratin is also an important part of nails and skin.
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Lunula (LOON-yuh-luh): Take a look at your thumb and you'll see this: It's the light half-moon shape at the very bottom of your nail. Every nail has a lunula, but it's easiest to see them on thumbnails.
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Melanin (MEL-uh-nun): Ever wonder where your skin gets its color? It comes from the magic "m" word: melanin! This natural pigment is what gives your skin its special hue. The darker your skin, the more melanin you have.
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Perspiration (pur-spuh-RAY-shun): Perspiration is another name for sweat, the stuff that comes out of your skin through tiny holes called pores. Perspiration — which is mostly water — is how your body keeps you cool when you get hot from exercise or hot weather. So next time you sweat, don't sweat it! It's just your body's way of chillin' you out.
Pilomotor Reflex (py-luh-MO-ter REE-flex): If you've ever been cold or scared, you've seen your pilomotor reflex in action. That's the name for what happens when you get goosebumps on your skin!
Pimple: Your skin has many tiny holes called pores. When you go through puberty, your skin makes a lot of extra oil that might clog up those pores. Too much oil may combine with dead skin and bacteria to create a pimple. Almost everyone gets pimples. But once you're past puberty, there's plenty of smooth skin ahead!
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Rash: A rash is when skin gets irritated. A rash can be red, bumpy, scaly, blisters, or itchy — or all of those things at once! Another name for a rash is dermatitis. Lots of things can cause rashes. A chemical, like a soap, might irritate your skin. Or a rash can happen when you touch something you're allergic to, like poison ivy. Skin conditions like eczema and dandruff also cause rashes.
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Sebum: Sebum is your skin's natural oil, made by sebaceous (say: sih-BAY-shis) glands. It keeps your skin soft and makes it a bit waterproof. Ever get wrinkly fingers in the tub? Although your fingers may look shriveled like raisins, they aren't really shriveled — they're actually waterlogged because the sebum has been washed away.
Second-Degree Burns: A burn is an injury that's caused by heat or fire. A second-degree burn is more serious than a first-degree burn. It hurts the top two layers of the skin: the epidermis, and the dermis.
Scab: As soon as you scrape or break the skin anywhere on your body, special blood cells called platelets (say: PLAYT-lits) spring into action. Platelets stick together like glue to make a clot. A clot is like a bandage over your cut that keeps more blood and other fluids from flowing out. The clot also has other blood cells and thread-like stuff called fibrin (say: FY-bren) to help hold the clot together. As the clot gets hard and dries out, it is called a scab. Don't pick that scab — it will take longer to heal and you may even get a scar.
Scabies (SKAY-beez): Scabies is a common skin problem caused by tiny mites. The mites burrow into the skin, and cause small itchy bumps and blisters. Scabies mites have eight legs and a round body and are pretty hard to see. When they're fully grown, each mite is no bigger than the size of the point of a pin. But for such small critters, they sure can make you uncomfortable! The doctor gives kids who have scabies a cream to help stop the itching.
Scar: A scar is a mark left on your skin from a cut or wound that has healed. You're most likely to get a scar if there is a lot of damage to the skin or the edges of a cut are too far apart to heal properly. To help prevent scars, keep germs out by cleaning and covering your cuts and scrapes. And don't pick at those scabs!
Shingles: Also called herpes zoster, this is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox. If someone had chickenpox, the virus stays in their system for life. Anyone who's had chickenpox can get shingles later (but this usually won't happen until someone is an older adult). Shingles causes a rash with blisters on the body that can be very painful. The blisters are contagious and can spread the chickenpox virus to people who never got chickenpox and didn't get the chickenpox vaccine.
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Third-Degree Burns: A burn is an injury that's caused by heat or fire. A third-degree burn is the most serious kind of burn. This kind of burn damages all of the layers of the skin and also the tissues underneath the skin.
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Urticaria (ur-tuh-KAIR-ee-uh): Urticaria is the fancy name for hives, those itchy, red bumps people get on their skin when they're allergic to something, like certain foods or medicines. Allergies are not the only reason someone might get hives. Some infections, hot or cold temperatures, or even stress can make those bumps appear. Your doctor can give you some medicine that can help stop all your scratching.
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Wart: A wart is a small area of hardened skin that usually has a bumpy surface. Warts come in many sizes, colors, and shapes. They can happen anywhere on the body. Kids get them most often on their hands, feet, and face. They are caused by a virus.
Whitehead: People with acne may have different types of bumps on their skin. These can be whiteheads, blackheads, pimples, and cysts. Where do they come from? Your skin is full of tiny holes called pores. If a pore gets clogged with oil, dead skin, and bacteria, the pore may close and form a whitehead. If a pore gets clogged but stays open, the top surface can darken and you're left with a blackhead.
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice,
diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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