370. Skin

See also 14. ANATOMY ; 51. BODY, HUMAN ; 95. COMPLEXION .

achromasia

absence of pigmentation in the skin.

albinism

Medicine. a congenital absence of pigment in the skin, hair, and eyes, ranging in scope from partial to total. Also albinoism. Cf. melanism. —albino, n. —albinotic, adj.

dermabrasion

the surgical process of removing the outer layer of the skin, as for cosmetic purposes in the removal of acne scars, etc.

dermatalgia

neuralgia of the skin.

dermatoglyphics

1. the patterns of ridges of skin on the fingers and palm and the bottoms of the feet.

2. the study dealing with these patterns. —dermatoglyphic, adj.

dermatographism

Medicine. a condition in which lightly touching or scratching the skin causes raised, reddish marks. Also dermatographia, dermographia, dermographism. —dermatographic, adj.

dermatography

Anatomy. a description of the skin. —dermatographic, adj.

dermatology

the branch of medicine that studies the skin and its diseases. —dermatologist, n. —dermatological, adj.

dermatophobia

an abnormal fear of skin disease. Also dermatosiophobia, dermatopathophobia .

dermatoplasty

any form of plastic surgery of the skin, as skin grafts.

dermographism, dermographia

dermatographism.

horripilation

the raising of the hairs on the skin as a response to cold or fear; goose bumps or goose pimples.

melanism

a darkening of the skin caused by an unusually high amount of pigmentation.

pachydermia

abnormal thickening of the skin. Cf. pachymenia. —pachydermic, adj.

pachymenia

thickening of the skin or of a membrane. Cf. pachydermia. —pachymenic, adj.

phaneromania

a mania for picking at growths.

phototherapy, phototherapeutics

the treatment of disease, especially diseases of the skin, with light rays. —phototherapeutic, adj.

rugosity

the state or quality of being wrinkled, as the skin. —rugose, adj.

xanthochroid

a person with light-colored hair and fair complexion. —xantho-chroid, xanthochroous, adj.