Glossary
Glossary of skin care terms
Plain-language explanations of medical words and abbreviations you may see on our website or hear at your visit.
A
- Actinic keratosis (AK)
- A rough, dry, scaly spot caused by years of sun exposure. AKs are the most common precancer and can turn into squamous cell carcinoma if not treated.
- AI
- Artificial intelligence: computer software that can help with tasks such as writing visit notes. At our practice it is always used under your provider’s supervision.
- Allergen
- A substance that causes an allergic reaction in some people, such as a fragrance, metal or preservative.
- Alpha hydroxy acid (AHA)
- A family of acids, such as glycolic and lactic acid, used in skin care to gently remove dead cells from the skin’s surface.
- Androgenetic alopecia
- The most common kind of hair loss, often called male-pattern or female-pattern hair loss.
- Antioxidant
- An ingredient, such as vitamin C, that helps protect skin from damage caused by the sun and pollution.
B
- Basal cell carcinoma (BCC)
- The most common type of skin cancer. It usually grows slowly and rarely spreads, but it should be treated.
- Benign
- Not cancerous.
- Beta hydroxy acid (BHA)
- An acid, such as salicylic acid, that exfoliates the skin and helps clear clogged pores.
- Biopsy
- Removing a small piece of skin so it can be looked at under a microscope to find out what it is.
- Board certified
- A physician who has finished specialty training and passed exams given by a specialty board, such as the American Board of Dermatology.
- Broad-spectrum sunscreen
- A sunscreen that protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
C
- Cherry angioma
- A small, harmless, bright red bump made of tiny blood vessels.
- Collagen
- A protein that keeps skin firm and strong. The body makes less of it as we age.
- Contact dermatitis
- A rash caused by something that touches the skin. When it is caused by an allergy, it is called allergic contact dermatitis.
- Cyst
- A closed pocket under the skin filled with fluid or other material. Most cysts are benign.
D
- Dermatitis
- Irritation or inflammation of the skin that can make it red, itchy or scaly. Eczema is a common type.
- Dermatologist
- A physician who specializes in conditions of the skin, hair and nails.
- Dermatopathology
- Examining skin samples under a microscope to diagnose skin conditions.
E
- Elastin
- A protein that lets skin stretch and spring back.
- EMA
- The electronic health record and patient portal system our practice uses. You can reach the portal at pmg.ema.md.
- Erythema
- Redness of the skin.
- Exfoliation
- Removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.
F
- FDA
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the federal agency that approves medicines and medical devices.
H
- Hemosiderin staining
- Brown discoloration of the skin caused by iron left behind from blood. It can happen after leg vein treatments.
- HHS
- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Its Office for Civil Rights handles complaints about discrimination in health care.
- HIPAA
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, a federal law that protects the privacy of your health information.
- Hyaluronic acid (HA)
- A substance that holds moisture in the skin. It is used in moisturizers, serums and some dermal fillers.
- Hyperpigmentation
- Patches of skin that are darker than the skin around them, such as sun spots or dark marks after acne.
- Hypopigmentation
- Patches of skin that are lighter than the skin around them.
I
- IPL
- Intense pulsed light, a light-based treatment for brown spots, sun damage and redness.
- IUD
- Intrauterine device, a small form of birth control placed in the uterus. A copper IUD contains metal.
K
- KB
- Kilobytes, a measure of file size. 1,024 KB make one megabyte (MB).
L
- Lipoma
- A soft, fatty lump under the skin. Lipomas are usually harmless.
M
- MD
- Doctor of Medicine, the degree earned by physicians.
- Melanoma
- A serious type of skin cancer that starts in the cells that give skin its color. It can spread if not found and treated early.
- Mohs surgery
- Pronounced “moze.” A precise surgery for skin cancer in which the cancer is removed one thin layer at a time and each layer is checked under a microscope while you wait.
N
- Nanometer (nm)
- A billionth of a meter. Laser and light wavelengths are measured in nanometers.
- Nd:YAG laser
- A laser named for the crystal that makes its light: neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet. Its 1064 nm wavelength reaches deeper into the skin than many other lasers.
- Neuromodulator
- An injectable medicine, such as Botox® or Dysport®, that relaxes certain facial muscles to smooth wrinkles.
P
- PA-C
- Physician Assistant – Certified. A licensed medical provider who diagnoses and treats patients as part of a physician-led team.
- Patch testing
- A test that places small amounts of common allergens on your skin to find out what is causing an allergic rash.
- Portable Document Format, a file type that looks the same on any device. Our PDF forms can be filled in on a computer and work with screen readers.
- PDT
- Photodynamic therapy, a treatment that uses a liquid medicine and a blue light to destroy actinic keratoses.
- Phototherapy (narrowband UVB)
- Treatment with carefully measured ultraviolet B light to calm skin diseases such as psoriasis and vitiligo.
- PPO
- Preferred provider organization, a type of health insurance plan.
- PRP
- Platelet-rich plasma, made from a small sample of your own blood. It is injected into the scalp to encourage hair growth.
- Psoriasis
- A long-term condition that causes thick, scaly patches on the skin.
R
- Retinoid
- A vitamin A–based ingredient, such as tretinoin, retinol or adapalene, that speeds up skin cell turnover.
- Rosacea
- A common condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels on the face, sometimes with small bumps.
S
- Seborrheic keratosis
- A common, harmless skin growth that often looks waxy or “stuck on.”
- SLS and SLES
- Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate, foaming cleansers found in many shampoos and soaps. Some people find them irritating.
- SMS
- Short message service: ordinary text messages sent to a mobile phone.
- SPF
- Sun protection factor, a measure of how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays.
- Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC)
- The second most common type of skin cancer. It should be treated because it can grow and, rarely, spread.
T
- TDD
- Telecommunications device for the deaf, another name for a TTY.
- THD ascorbate
- Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, a stable form of vitamin C used in skin care.
- TTY
- Text telephone, a device that lets people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech-impaired use the phone by typing.
U
- UAMS
- The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, in Little Rock.
- UPF
- Ultraviolet protection factor, a measure of how well fabric blocks the sun’s rays.
- UV
- Ultraviolet, the invisible light from the sun and tanning beds that causes tanning, sunburn and skin aging. See UVA and UVB.
- UVA and UVB
- Two kinds of ultraviolet light from the sun. UVA mainly ages the skin and UVB mainly causes sunburn. Both raise the risk of skin cancer.
V
- Vitiligo
- A condition that causes the skin to lose its color in patches.
These definitions are for general information only and are not medical advice. Ask your provider about your own skin.