Systemic sclerosis (scleroderma) causes the body to destroy healthy tissue. It can change the appearance and texture of your skin and affect other organs.
Systemic sclerosis (SS) is an autoimmune disorder that causes atypical growth of connective tissues. Connective tissue gives your organs and muscles strength and shape. With SS, your tissue becomes thick and stiff, leading to swelling and pain.
It also causes changes to the texture and appearance of your skin due to increased collagen production. Collagen is a component of connective tissue and hardens with this disease.