We have all had that important date in the diary coming up, and a day or so before, what happens – our skin breaks out. There are many different things in our day to day life that can affect how our skin is reacting. Some in the short term, and others over the long term. Here the Healthwords medical team takes a look at some of these lifestyle factors in detail that can contribute to changes with your skin.

Psoriasis is a long-term condition that causes thickened patches to appear on the skin. It can only affect the scalp, or you might have other patches on your body. It can be intensely itchy and in a mild form, may cause red patches, usually at the back of the head and extending to the neck or behind the ears. In a more severe form, thickened plaque may cause temporary loss of hair, and this requires stronger and more prolonged treatment.

Maskne is a new phenomenon coined in the COVID-19 pandemic to describe the acne experienced around the nose, upper lip and chin area in a response to regularly wearing a mask. Mask-provoked acne is new to the general public, anyway, but has long been experienced by medical and construction workers. The causes of these pimples, or whiteheads, are two-fold: the first is the physical barrier they provide, which causes pores to become blocked with the dead skin cells we shed all the time, so-called acne mechanica. A bacteria associated with acne, called P. Acnes, causes inflammation in blocked pores and sebaceous (oil-forming) glands, and in addition to the physical friction, masks also provide a warm, moist environment for P. Acnes to grow and multiply, thus further inflaming the spots, and even causing deep spots, called cysts.

Fungal infection of the scalp usually affects children under 10 years old, although more rarely it may affect older children and adults. The medical terms are tinea capitis where the scalp is infection, tinea barbaris for infection in the beard or moustache. It can cause itching and patchy hair loss, with ring-shaped areas of redness and flakiness. Yellow crusts may form if left untreated, and this may cause hair to become matted. Hair loss is usually temporary until it's treated, but the appearance can cause distress, and the scalp can feel very itchy and a bit sore, if left untreated.

Melanoma (also known as malignant melanoma) is the most serious type of skin cancer caused by sun exposure. It's serious because the cancer can spread to other organs in the body, so it needs prompt identification and treatment. You can take steps to prevent it, but also keep a watch for any moles or other skin marks that are new, changing or don't look like your other moles. Melanoma is the 5th most common cancer in the UK, with almost 17,000 new cases each year. The number of cases has doubled in the last 30 years, and it can occur at any age.

Hydrocortisone cream is a short-term steroid cream used to treat different causes of skin inflammation. The cream can be used to treat: eczema heat rash insect bites & stings other inflammatory skin conditions The strength of the products ranges from 0.1% to 2.5%, although the maximum strength found behind the counter is 1%. There are three main formulations of hydrocortisone; cream, ointment, and lotion.