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desquamation

desquamation

9.9
Peeling of the outer layer of skin in small flakes
  • noun
  • /ˌdɛskwəˈmeɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : descamación
  • The skin underwent desquamation after the sunburn, resulting in unsightly flakes peeling off.

Examples

  • Brookes and Graham opined that when there is obstruction of the canal, desquamation of the epithelium continues, and the collection of impacted squamous debris may ultimately modify the canal lining and lead to cholesteatoma formation.

    Academic text (2009)
  • In the ear with AOE, we see desquamation of the skin into the ear canal and an inflammatory infiltrate (figure 2).

    Academic text (2004)
  • Fingerprinting was impossible because highly decomposed bodies, which almost invariably showed extensive post-mortem skin desquamation or peeling.

    Academic text (2007)
  • Figure 2. Photographs show desquamation (A) and inflammatory infiltrate (B) in an ear with AOE. (Photographs courtesy of Michael Hawke, MD.)

    Academic text (2004)
  • Severe eczema can lead to desquamation, where patches of skin shed and cause discomfort.

  • During the healing process, the desquamation of the outer skin layer is a natural occurrence.

Synonyms

shedding
vsdesquamation
3 3.4

Losing hair or leaves naturally from animals and plants

focuses specifically on outer skin coming off as flakes or scales
peeling
vsdesquamation
1 2.3

Skin or paint coming off in thin pieces after damage

is limited to outer skin coming off as flakes or scales

How Flaky

sloughing
  • Specialized
1 8.8
desquamation
  • Specialized
9.9
exfoliation
2 6.8
peeling
1 2.3

Surface Forms

desquamation singular
desquamations plural

Morphology

desquamation = desquamate (opaque) = de + squam + ation

Formation from the verb 'desquamate' to the noun with -ation is a regular and predictable nominalization.

Etymology

The word desquamation comes from the Latin parts de- 'off' and squama 'scale'. Picture tiny 'scales' or flakes coming off the skin, which is exactly what desquamation means: the outer skin peeling away in flakes.