Welcome to the Skin, Hair, and Nails Studies Page
About Skin, Hair, and Nails
The skin plays an important role in keeping children healthy; by forming a barrier, skin helps keep dirt, germs, and other things outside of the body. The skin also houses a network of nerve cells which allow children to touch things, sense temperature, and feel pain. All of those nerve endings mean that itchy skin conditions like eczema (also called dermatitis) can be very painful for children. Other skin conditions, like warts or ringworm, are highly contagious and can spread quickly from child to child. Psoriasis and scleroderma are examples of conditions that can cause the skin to feel hard or scaly. While it may not be very painful, acne can impact the way children view themselves and cause permanent scars. Medical researchers who study the skin and its related conditions want to be able to provide children with the chance to feel happy and healthy in their skin.
