Pins and needles is an odd sensation that feels like tingling or numbness on the skin. It can occur anywhere on the body but commonly occurs on the arms, legs, hands and feet. Pins and needles are often a short-lived thing that happens when the blood supply to the nerve is stopped temporarily, for example, when you lie or sleep on a body part for a long time. Occasionally, there are also medical problems that can cause pins and needles. We will explain some of the varied causes below.

We have all grown more aware of the dangers of sun exposure in recent years, with the threat of sun damage altering our appearance and the risk of skin cancer. There are different types of skin cancer, but there are some rules of thumb to follow for any mole, whether it’s new or existing. Let's take you through when to be concerned.

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.

Although most bathers enjoy and use hot tubs without encountering any problems many people experience an itchy and painful skin condition called hot tub rash or folliculitis. Folliculitis is when the hair follicles that cover all areas of our surface skin become inflamed or infected. In day to day life, the most common occurrence of this is in relation to shaving, affecting men most often on the face and women in areas they wish to have hair removed from especially around the bikini line. Another cause is prolonged submersion in jacuzzis or hot tubs. The warmth coupled with high oxygen contents of the water creates optimum conditions for bacteria and funguses to grow, furthermore the frequent change of visitors into the tubs and relatively infrequent changing of the water leads to a hot tub that is teaming with bacteria.

Heat rash gives a prickly itchy feeling and a rash that looks like small red raised spots – although more flesh-coloured than red in skin of colour. It can occur anywhere on the body. It's a harmless rash that can improve on its own after a few days.

Ecchymosis is the medical term for a bruise, which happens when there is some bleeding under the skin. Most of the time, a bruise is nothing to be worried about. They tend to occur when there is some damage to blood vessels in an area of tissue, and this normally occurs by accidents like bumping your arm or leg, or getting hit whilst playing sports. This trauma causes your blood vessels just under your skin to burst and leak blood into the surrounding tissue. This blood then gets trapped beneath the skin, where it forms into a little pool that turns your skin purple, black, or blue.

COVID-19 is a virus that can affect all systems, and while most think first of it threatening our breathing, it can put a considerable burden on our skin too. As doctors, we’ve certainly seen increased numbers of skin rashes and associated skin problems, and there’s anecdotal evidence that it can impair wound healing. For 1 in 5 people with COVID-19, a skin sign may be the only symptom they get. COVID-19 skin signs fall into two categories – common conditions that have increased in number (such as urticarial), and rare conditions that have also increased, such as those affecting the toes or mouth. The COVID ZOE symptom app has looked at data from millions of people with COVID-19 symptoms. The doctors behind it, from Kings College London, have argued that skin signs are now so common with COVID-19 that it should be listed as a key sign of COVID-19 infection, alongside fever, cough and loss of sense of smell. It isn’t clear if the virus causes these changes directly or via the immune response it provokes, but nearly half appear at the time of infection, with about a third appearing following infection. It’s also worth noting that it’s common to get a rash after any mild viral illness, such as a cold.

A bruise (also known by its medical name ecchymosis happens when there is some bleeding under the skin. Most of the time, a bruise is nothing to be worried about. They tend to occur when there is some damage to blood vessels in an area of tissue, and this normally occurs by accidents like bumping your arm or leg, or getting hit whilst playing sports.

A blister occurs when fluid collects in a pocket between two of the upper layers of the skin. It's very common and most often a result of friction such as shoes rubbing on the skin of your heel. The fluid that fills a blister is serum, the liquid part of blood. There can be other causes for blisters, such as a burn, abrasive substances, and sometimes viruses or medical conditions can cause blistering. Blisters should go within seven days and the majority can be treated at home. Blisters caused by friction or heat or toxic substances are not contagious. Blisters caused by some viral infections (such as impetigo, herpes, shingles and chickenpox) can be contagious. Blisters on the feet are the most common type of blister and there are a number of reasons why these typically form: Poorly fitting shoes that rub your feet Wearing high heels that put pressure onto one part of the foot Wearing shoes with no socks, or wearing socks that are too large and have wrinkles in them Having hot or sweaty feet

If you have dark brown or black lumps, tiny in size and multiple in number, sitting on the cheekbones and under the eyes, it’s likely you have dermatosis papulosa nigra. Despite the grand title, these are completely harmless. These usually feel smooth and soft and are each only 1 to 5mm wide, and you may have a few or many, of differing sizes. They appear from the teenage years onwards and don't usually cause any symptoms, but some find them unsightly, especially with their prominence on the face.