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Skin Conditions: How to Describe a Skin Condition
A physician may ask you to describe your dermatological condition and its location. Here are some of the more common terms that may help you in providing a more accurate description:
| atrophic | thin, wrinkled |
| blister | fluid-filled bump |
| crust/scab | formation of dried blood, pus, or other skin fluid over a break in the skin |
| cyst | deeply seated lesion that contains material |
| excoriation | a scratch |
| hives/wheals | pink or white swelling of the skin |
| lichenification | skin that has thickened |
| macule | a flat discolored spot |
| nodule/papule | solid, raised bump |
| raised bumps | bumps that stick out above the skin surface |
| patch | flat, discolored spot |
| pustule (pimple) | inflamed lesions that appear to contain pus |
| scales | dead skin cells that form flakes |
| scar | fibrous tissue that has formed after a skin injury |
