Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your health professional.

Conditions

• Conditions that increase your risk of skin cancer, such as:
  • Actinic keratoses
  • A history of scar formation
  • A personal history of sunburns
  • Cancer, especially a personal or family history of skin cancer
  • Exposure to chemical pollution or X-ray radiation
  • Physical characteristics including light-colored skin, blue eyes, blond or red hair, or a large number of abnormal moles
• Pregnancy

Lifestyle choices

• Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
• Drug abuse or withdrawal
• Spending lots of time in the sun
• Using tanning beds or sunlamps
• Smoking or other tobacco use

Medicines

• Chemotherapy or radiation therapy
• Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
• Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection

Diseases

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
• Lupus
• Scleroderma