Skin Infections

Summary

What are skin infections?

Your skin is your body’s largest organ. It has many different functions, including covering and protecting your body. It helps keep germs out. But sometimes the germs can cause a skin infection. This often happens when there is a break, cut, or wound on your skin. It can also happen when your immune system is weakened, because of another disease or a medical treatment.

Some skin infections cover a small area on the top of your skin. Other infections can go deep into your skin or spread to a larger area.

What causes skin infections?

Skin infections are caused by different kinds of germs. For example,:

• Bacteria cause cellulitis, impetigo, and staphylococcal (staph) infections
• Viruses cause shingles, warts, and herpes simplex
• Fungi cause athlete’s foot and yeast infections
• Parasites cause body lice, head lice, and scabies

Who is at risk for skin infections?

You are at a higher risk for a skin infection if you:

• Have poor circulation
• Have diabetes
• Are older
• Have an immune system disease, such as HIV/AIDS
• Have a weakened immune system because of chemotherapy or other medicines that suppress your immune system
• Have to stay in one position for a long time, such as if you are sick and have to stay in bed for a long time or you are paralyzed
• Are malnourished
• Have excessive skinfolds, which can happen if you have obesity

What are the symptoms of skin infections?

The symptoms depend on the type of infection. Some symptoms that are common to many skin infections include rashes, swelling, redness, pain, pus, and itching.

How are skin infections diagnosed?

To diagnose a skin infection, health care providers will do a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. You may have lab tests, such as a skin culture. This is a test to identify what type of infection you have, using a sample from your skin. Your provider may take the sample by swabbing or scraping your skin, or removing a small piece of skin (biopsy). Sometimes providers use other tests, such as blood tests.

How are skin infections treated?

The treatment depends on the type of infection and how serious it is. Some infections will go away on their own. When you do need treatment, it may include a cream or lotion to put on the skin. Other possible treatments include medicines and a procedure to drain pus.

National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases

Encyclopedia

• Actinomycosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Erythema multiforme Medical Encyclopedia
• Erythema nodosum Medical Encyclopedia
• Erythrasma Medical Encyclopedia
• Gram stain of skin lesion Medical Encyclopedia
• Intertrigo Medical Encyclopedia
• Nikolsky sign Medical Encyclopedia
• Paronychia Medical Encyclopedia
• Scalded skin syndrome Medical Encyclopedia
• Skin lesion aspiration Medical Encyclopedia
• Skin lesion biopsy Medical Encyclopedia
• Skin lesion KOH exam Medical Encyclopedia
• Skin lesion of blastomycosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Skin or nail culture Medical Encyclopedia
• Sporotrichosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Swimming pool granuloma Medical Encyclopedia
• Tinea versicolor Medical Encyclopedia
• Wood lamp examination Medical Encyclopedia

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Dermatology American Academy of Dermatology
• Find a Dermatologist American Academy of Dermatology
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases

Start Here

• Bacterial Skin Infections Merck & Co., Inc.
• Fungal Skin Infections Merck & Co., Inc.

Specifics

• Blastomycosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Boils American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
• Boils and Carbuncles Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Cutaneous Larva Migrans American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
• Erysipelas American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
• Erythema Nodosum American Osteopathic College of Dermatology
• Intertrigo American Academy of Family Physicians
• Molluscum Contagiosum Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Molluscum Contagiosum: Overview American Academy of Dermatology
• Necrotizing Fasciitis: All You Need to Know Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Onchocerciasis (River Blindness) FAQs Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Skin Infections in Athletes American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
• Sporotrichosis Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Tinea Versicolor American Academy of Dermatology
• Tinea Versicolor Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Patient Handouts

• Blastomycosis Medical Encyclopedia
• Boils Medical Encyclopedia
• Candida infection of the skin Medical Encyclopedia
• Carbuncle Medical Encyclopedia
• Donovanosis (granuloma inguinale) Medical Encyclopedia
• Ecthyma Medical Encyclopedia
• Erysipelas Medical Encyclopedia
• Molluscum contagiosum Medical Encyclopedia
• Necrotizing soft tissue infection Medical Encyclopedia

Images

• Boils (Furunculosis) VisualDX
• Erythema Nodosum VisualDX
• Erythrasma VisualDX
• Intertrigo VisualDX
• Molluscum Contagiosum VisualDX
• Tinea Versicolor VisualDX

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Molluscum Contagiosum National Institutes of Health
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Skin Diseases, Infectious National Institutes of Health

Teenagers

• Cuts, Scratches, and Scrapes Nemours Foundation
• Molluscum Contagiosum Boston Children’s Hospital

Related Issues

• Diabetes and Skin Complications American Diabetes Association
• Don’t Use Products Marketed to Treat Molluscum, a Common Skin Condition Food and Drug Administration
• Swimming Pools and Molluscum Contagiosum Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Children

• Molluscum Contagiosum American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
• Molluscum Contagiosum (For Parents) Nemours Foundation

Journal Articles

• Skin Infections

Diagnosis and Tests

• Rash Evaluation National Library of Medicine
• Skin Biopsy National Library of Medicine
• Skin Rashes and Other Problems American Academy of Family Physicians
• Wood’s Lamp Examination VisualDX