The biggest organ of the body, skin can also be plagued with diseases and problems unheard of apart from common skin conditions.

Here are some of the rare skin conditions that you must know of:

1. Argyria

This skin condition is characterized by blue or gray skin and develops due to ingestion or exposure to a large quantity of silver for a long period of time. This is a permanent skin problem without any known cure as of now. Causes for it can range from working in a sliver mine, developing photographs to consumption of silver supplements for curing a range of health problems such as diabetes, arthritis and so on. Apart from the toxicity caused by the exposure or ingestion of the element, a very common side effect of silver is a change in the color of your skin.

2. Dermatographia

A rare skin condition, a person suffering from this tends to have skin that is exceedingly sensitive to light scratches and minor injuries. This happens due to the hypersensitivity of the body’s immune system, which reveals itself in the skin. As a consequence it brings about the release of huge quantity of histamine, leading to the dilation of capillaries and formation of swellings when the surface of the skin gets scratched.

3. Harlequin Ichthyosis

Affecting newborns the most, the skin condition sees babies being born with hard and thick plates of skin all over their body. The condition renders newborns with the inability to control fluid and water loss, causing instances of severe dehydration. Newborns with this condition also experience trouble breathing, moving, controlling their body temperature as well as warding off infections. Many experts consider it to be a genetic disorder brought on by the mutation of the abca12 gene, leading to the improper development of the epidermis (outer layers of skin cells).

4. Xeroderma Pigmentosum

Over here, the individual is said to be sensitive to uv light, which makes him or her avoid sunlight whether direct or indirect and even florescent illumination. In addition to blisters on the skin and sunburn, symptoms of the condition also include dark and light skin patches. It can also cause your skin to become thin, resulting in the appearance of blood vessels and spots. Development of skin cancer is the final outcome of this skin condition.

5. Stevens-Johnson Syndrome

This skin condition brings about the shedding and falling off of not only your skin but even the lining of your internal organs. The skin problem is closely associated with another form of skin disease called toxic epidermal necrolysis (ten). It is usually identified through blisters and painful rashes that develop on the skin surface.

Ref : Lybrate