Just because you are out of your teens does not mean you can say bye-bye to skin worries. As you grow older your skin gets more vulnerable to bacterial and viral attacks.

You may experience sudden itching, skin inflammation, or change skin color and texture. They all signal towards either an infection or an allergic reaction to something. Here’s what you need to look out for:

1) Shingles: It starts with skin around the hip and buttock area getting sensitive. You can feel a burning, and tingling. Within two days after that you will notice red blisters which can be very painful. Pain and numbness around the area can continue even after the rashes go. You will need treatment with antiviral drugs, topical agents, pain killers, and steroids.

2) Eczema: It is a non-contagious dry skin disorder that can be triggered by irritants, allergens, and even climatic change. Your skin can get red, inflamed, red and itchy. Actual cause of eczema is still unknown. It can occur on elbows, hands, shin etc. You will need topical cortisone creams, antihistamine, and heavy dose of moisturizers.

3) Hives: It can occur as a sudden allergic reaction that may appear anywhere and last for minutes or days. They appear as big red patches on skin accompanied by itching and a stinging sensation. Sometimes they can cover large areas of skin. Severe condition can lead to difficulty in breathing. You will need to remove all possible triggers and treat it with antihistamines.

4) Psoriasis: A non-contagious skin condition that cannot really be cured. They appear as thick red patches on the skin covered by dry scaly skin. Psoriasis usually affects the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. The cause is still unknown, but you can treat it with steroid or retinoid creams, light therapy, and medications.

5) Cold sores: Also known as fever blisters, it is actually caused by the Herpes Simplex virus. You may notice this occurring when your immune system is weak after a fever, or a stressful event. It occurs around the mouth, nose as fluid filled blisters. It can be contagious till totally crusted over. It generally goes away on its own after seven or ten days.