Skincare Skin Conditions and Treatments 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Psoriasis is caused by which underlying mechanism?
- Bacterial overgrowth on the skin surface
- An overactive immune response causing rapid skin cell turnover (Correct answer)
- Allergic reaction to environmental allergens
- Fungal infection in the dermis
Correct answer: An overactive immune response causing rapid skin cell turnover
Psoriasis is an autoimmune condition where the immune system accelerates skin cell production, causing thick, scaly plaques.
Question 2: Which treatment approach is commonly used for moderate-to-severe cystic acne that has not responded to topical treatments?
- Increased use of physical exfoliants
- Oral isotretinoin (Accutane) (Correct answer)
- Daily application of glycolic acid at 70%
- Intensive moisturization only
Correct answer: Oral isotretinoin (Accutane)
Oral isotretinoin is a powerful vitamin A derivative prescribed for severe cystic acne that reduces sebum production significantly.
Question 3: What is transepidermal water loss (TEWL)?
- The evaporation of water from the skin through the epidermis into the environment (Correct answer)
- The absorption of moisture from skincare products
- The production of sweat by eccrine glands
- Water movement from the dermis to the epidermis
Correct answer: The evaporation of water from the skin through the epidermis into the environment
TEWL is the passive diffusion of water from the body through the epidermis to the environment, indicating skin barrier integrity.
Question 4: Contact dermatitis can be divided into which two main types?
- Viral and bacterial
- Irritant and allergic (Correct answer)
- Acute and chronic only
- Fungal and parasitic
Correct answer: Irritant and allergic
Contact dermatitis occurs as either irritant contact dermatitis (direct tissue damage) or allergic contact dermatitis (immune-mediated reaction).
Question 5: Which skin condition is characterized by autoimmune destruction of melanocytes, resulting in white patches?
- Melasma
- Tinea versicolor
- Vitiligo (Correct answer)
- Albinism
Correct answer: Vitiligo
Vitiligo is an autoimmune condition where the immune system destroys melanocytes, causing depigmented white patches on the skin.
Question 6: What is the Fitzpatrick scale used to classify in dermatology?
- Severity of acne lesions
- Skin type based on response to UV light and sun-burning tendency (Correct answer)
- Degree of skin hydration
- Level of sebum production
Correct answer: Skin type based on response to UV light and sun-burning tendency
The Fitzpatrick scale classifies skin into six types (I–VI) based on how skin responds to UV exposure and its likelihood of burning or tanning.
Skincare Skin Conditions and Treatments 2
Psoriasis is caused by which underlying mechanism?