Describing a Skin Condition
How to describe a skin condition
A doctor may ask you to describe your skin condition and its location. Here are some of the more common terms that may help you give a more accurate description:
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Condition
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What it looks like
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Abscess
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A closed, painful pocket containing pus
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Atrophic
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Thin, dry, wrinkled skin
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Blister or vesicle
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Fluid-filled bump under or in the epidermis (the surface of the skin) that is less than 1 cm in size
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Crust or scab
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Formation of dried blood, plasma, or pus over a break in the skin
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Cyst
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Enclosed sac in skin containing fluid or solid material
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Excoriation
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An erosion with loss of the epidermis, caused by scratching
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Hives or wheals
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Pink or white localized swelling of the skin that is often itchy
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Lichenification
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Skin that has become thickened, hardened, or leathery with skin markings from chronic scratching
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Macule
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Small, flat, discolored spot, less than 1 cm
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Nodule or papule
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Solid, raised bumps. A nodule is greater than 1 cm, and a papule is less than or equal to 1 cm.
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Patch
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Flat, large (greater than 1 cm) discolored area
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Plaque
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A raised or depressed area of skin that is greater than 1 cm in diameter
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Pustule (pimple)
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Inflamed, raised lesions that contain pus
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Scales
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A buildup of dead skin cells that form flakes
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Scar
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Fibrous tissue that forms after a skin injury
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Online Medical Reviewer:
Daphne Pierce-Smith RN MSN
Online Medical Reviewer:
Janet Campbell RN BSN
Date Last Reviewed:
9/1/2025
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