| Term |
Definition |
| Acneiform |
A description of skin conditions resembling small, raised and acne‐like bumps to form. |
| Actinic keratosis |
A scaly skin spot caused by excessive sun exposure. |
| Antimetabolite |
Drug(s) that interfere with the synthesis of DNA. |
| Antioxidant |
A substance that protects cells from damage caused by free radicals, which are unstable molecules produced by the process of oxidation during normal metabolism. |
| Arrhythmia |
A condition which describes an abnormality with the rate or rhythm of the heartbeat. |
| Arteriolar |
A small artery that leads to a capillary at its distal end. |
| Atrophy |
A decrease in the size of a normally developed organ or tissue. |
| Basal cell |
A cell in the deepest layer of the cellular covering of internal and external surfaces of the body. |
| Cardiotoxicity |
A condition where there is damage to the cardiac tissue. |
| Ceramide |
A family of fatty acids in the skin that help to maintain the skin barrier by retaining moisture. |
| Collagen |
A family of protein found in connective tissue, giving it strength and flexibility. |
| Contraindicate |
A reason to avoid a certain medical treatment due to the harm it would cause the patient. |
| Cytotoxic |
A chemical or process that leads to cell damage or cell death. |
| Dendritic cells |
A special type of immune cell that is found in tissues, such as the skin, and boosts immune responses by showing antigens on its surface to other cells of the immune system. |
| Dermal |
An adjective referring to the dermis, the inner layer of the skin beneath the epidermis. |
| Desquamation |
It refers to the shedding of the outermost layer of the skin. |
| Dyspigmentation |
An abnormality in the formation or distribution of pigment in the skin. |
| Ectasia |
A term referring to dilation of ducts due to loss of elastic tissue. |
| Elastin |
A protein that makes up elastic fibres in elastic structures such as tendons and ligaments. |
| Elastin fibres |
Highly extensible fibres made of the protein elastin. |
| Elastin gene |
A genetic code that controls the synthesis of the protein elastin. |
| Elastosis |
A term referring to degenerative changes in elastic tissue. |
| Extracellular matrix |
A scaffold of molecules outside the cells of a tissue that provides support to those cells. |
| Fibrillin |
A specific protein found in connective tissue. |
| Fibrillin‐1 |
A specific type of fibrillin found in connective tissue to provide structural support to tissues. |
| Fibrillin‐rich microfibrillar network |
A network of fibrillin found in an extracellular matrix, which endows connective tissue with mechanical stability and elastic properties. |
| Fibroblastic |
Relating to fibroblasts. |
| Fibroblasts |
Cells found in connective tissue, which produce proteins such as collagen and elastin. |
| First‐generation |
Of, relating to or being the first form of a class of medication. |
| Glabella |
The area between the eyebrows just above the nose. |
| Glycosaminoglycans |
Complex molecular structures involved in essential biological cell processes. |
| Histological |
An adjective pertaining to the study of biological tissue under the microscope. |
| Hypertrophic |
An adjective pertaining to excessive growth. |
| Immune response modifier |
An agent that targets the body’s immune system to combat disease. |
| Keloid scarring |
A process where a thick scar results from excessive growth of fibrous tissue. |
| Keratin |
A family of proteins produced by cells called keratinocytes; these proteins form the bulk of the outer lining of hair and nails. |
| Keratosis |
A term for a descriptive word for any scaly lesion. The plural term is keratoses. |
| Lentigines |
A plural term for patches of dark spots on the skin, resulting from excessive sun exposure. |
| Macrophage |
A specialised immune cell involved in the detection and destruction of foreign organisms. |
| Matrix metalloproteinases |
Enzymes that degrade proteins, such as collagen, normally found in the spaces between cells in a tissue. |
| Melanin |
A family of biological pigment derived from an amino acid, and produced by cells called melanocytes. |
| Melanisation |
The process of producing pigments resulting in skin darkening. |
| Melanocytes |
Specialised cells that produce the pigment melanin. |
| Melanogenesis |
An increase in skin pigment production by melanocytes. |
| Melanosomes |
Cells that synthesise, store and transport melanin. |
| Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) |
A type of genetic material that provides the template for protein synthesis. |
| Metabolite |
Metabolites are intermediate and end products of cellular regulatory processes. |
| Microfibrillar |
Basic building blocks of the elastic fibres of connective tissues. |
| Mid‐reticular dermis |
The bottom layer of the dermis. |
| Milia |
Small 1‐2 millimeter skin bumps due to accumulated skin cells. |
| Monocyte |
An immune cell that is a precursor to a macrophage. |
| Nasolabial groove |
The furrow on either side of the face that runs from the nostril down to the outer edge of the upper lip. |
| Papillary dermal fibroplasia |
A term describing scarring of the uppermost layer of the dermis. |
| Papillary dermis |
The uppermost layer of the dermis. |
| Photosensitivity |
A term to describe sensitivity to ultraviolet radiation from the sun and other light sources. |
| Post‐inflammatory hyperpigmentation |
A term to describe temporary darkening following injury to the skin. |
| Pruritus |
An unpleasant sensation of the skin that leads to the urge to scratch. |
| Pyrimidine |
An organic compound that is essential for protein synthesis. |
| Retinoid |
Retinoids are a class of compounds related to Vitamin A and its derivatives. |
| Rete ridges |
A plural term referring to epithelial extensions that project into the underlying connective tissue in skin. |
| Rosacea |
A common skin condition that causes redness and visible blood vessels on the face. |
| Sebaceous |
A term to describe glands that open into a hair follicle to secrete an oily matter called sebum. |
| Solar elastosis |
A term describing the degeneration of elastic tissue in the dermis due to excessive sun exposure. |
| Stratum corneum |
The outermost layer of the skin, consisting of dead skin cells. |
| Telangiectasia |
A descriptive term for widened blood vessels causing thread‐like red lines on the skin. |
| Teratogenic |
An agent that can disturb the development of an embryo or fetus. |
| Third generation |
Of, relating to, or being the third form of a class of medication. |
| Toll‐like receptor |
A class of proteins that are involved in early responses to foreign organisms. |
| Tropoelastin |
Basic building blocks of elastic fibres. |
