The modern beauty market offers a large number of skin care products, including for different areas of the body prone to peeling. For example, lips, feet and elbows. Meanwhile, contrary to popular belief, normally the skin of the entire body should be equally moisturized, says dermatologist, candidate of medical sciences Irina Skorogudaeva . According to the doctor, dryness of a certain area of the skin, for example, the elbows, may indicate diseases and disorders in the body.
Article on the topic Eczema under control. How to deal with dry hands
Hyperkeratosis
The cause of dry skin on the elbows is hyperkeratosis: thickening of the stratum corneum of the skin and disruption of the keratinization process. It may be accompanied by increased skin pattern, pigmentation, and peeling. Irina Skorogudaeva notes that hyperkeratosis can occur as a result of mechanical stress on the skin, for example, frequent pressure on the elbows when sitting at a table.
“Skin is the first barrier that protects us from the external environment. If we somehow influence it, damage it, this is compensated: the regeneration process starts. As a result, local changes in the skin occur: it thickens, becomes drier, and an emphasized skin pattern appears. For example, the skin begins to thicken in the area where the shoes rub. The same goes for treating heels with a pumice stone or file: the more you remove the stratum corneum, the more it grows,” says the dermatologist.
What to do if your elbows are cracking and peeling
The first thing to do if the skin on your elbows is peeling is to visit a doctor. A comprehensive analysis of hormones and the presence of concomitant diseases will not be superfluous.
Reconsider your attitude to nutrition and change your daily menu. You need to balance the menu not only when your elbows start scratching the top of the dinner table, but preferably even at the first symptoms of a change in skin condition. Excessive indulgence in foods that are too fatty or, conversely, avoidance of animal products will inevitably lead to skin problems. For greater confidence, it is recommended to drink a multivitamin complex containing vitamins A, B, E twice a year.
In addition to the internal attribute of vitamins necessary for the body, you should introduce into your arsenal special, effective means to solve problems with darkening, dryness and roughening of the skin on the elbows.
You can try to solve the reason why women's elbows are peeling by using the services of a good cosmetologist. However, it is worth remembering that you cannot remove dead epidermal cells using rough peeling. The skin will probably respond to such a harsh impact with even more intense keratinization. Weekly soft scrubs and gommage will help deal with the problem as delicately as possible.
It’s better not to fill your closet with a bunch of jars and tubes, but to use a universal and dermatologist-tested cosmetic product for special skin. The EVO elbow and knee cream contains an optimal concentration of Vitamin B3 (5%), which helps quickly restore healthy skin color and protect it from negative external influences. To enhance the softening properties of the cream, carbamide (urea) is added to its composition. It perfectly softens and moisturizes dry, rough and cracked skin, and also promotes its renewal. If you apply this cream regularly, then after 7 days of use the skin on your elbows will noticeably improve, and after a month it will be completely restored and will make you happy with a healthy appearance.
Dermatological diseases
Often, dry skin on the elbows indicates the presence of a skin disease. “It could be atopic dermatitis (a chronic inflammatory skin disease). Dry skin is always characteristic of atopic, i.e., allergic conditions: dermatitis, bronchial asthma, vasomotor rhinitis, and sometimes food allergies. Psoriasis may also appear on the elbows. With this disease, rapid development of cells occurs, they do not have time to mature, the stratum corneum is not built, and the skin looks drier,” explains Skorogudaeva.
What can cause itchy skin? More details
Dry eczema
Sometimes white, dry, flaky patches on the skin of the legs can indicate dry eczema. With this disease, dryness and tightness of the skin first occurs, then peeling and unbearable itching occur, and cracks may occur. In addition to the legs, the hands, the space between the fingers, and even the face are often affected.
The causes of dry eczema can be bacterial and fungal infections, allergens, synthetic clothing, poor hygiene and other factors.
As you can see, the appearance of dry patches on the skin can be due to a variety of reasons.
The characteristics of the immune system and the tendency to allergic reactions play an important role. But in any case, when dry spots appear, it is important to consult a dermatologist and determine the cause of this skin condition. July 5, 2020
Author of the article: dermatologist Mak Vladimir Fedorovich
Endocrine disorders
The cause of excessive dry skin, including on the elbows, can be a hormonal imbalance. In turn, it can be caused by endocrine diseases, taking hormonal drugs, age-related changes or congenital characteristics.
The sebaceous glands located on the skin are responsible for the protective function. “The production of sebum occurs under the influence of sex steroid hormones, primarily androgens and estrogens. Accordingly, if you produce less of these hormones, your skin remains dry. The cause may be endocrine diseases. For example, pronounced changes in the skin occur with diabetes mellitus. Hormonal levels can also change the use of hormonal medications. There are also individual congenital characteristics: weak sensitivity of receptors to the actions of hormones, resulting in low sebum production, resulting in drier skin. In addition, with age, sebum is produced in smaller quantities, again due to a decrease in the production of sex hormones,” the doctor notes.
Why are elbows dark and rough and what to do?
The presence of dark, rough elbows on the hands does not always mean that a person is sloppy.
In most cases, a change in the color and surface of the skin tissue at the bend occurs due to internal pathologies and contact of the elbows with hard surfaces.
Let's look at all the causes of dark elbows and how to treat them. WHY DO ELBOWS BECOME DARK AND ROUGH?
The main cause of dry, rough, and darkened skin on the elbows is friction or pressure.
Typically, the load on the elbows occurs when a person leans on them while sitting at a table. The habit of reading while lying on the floor with your elbows on the carpet and working at the computer in an awkward position, in which your dominant hand slides along the table, lead to deterioration of the skin of the elbows. The area of the limb can become not only unsightly, but also painful.
Why else can elbows be dark and rough? For some people, the problem arises from wearing woolen or synthetic clothing with tight sleeves, which rub against the elbows as they move and spoil their appearance. The causes of unsightly elbows also include improper body care and a deficiency of vitamins A and E in the body. The lack of these substances leads to darkening and dryness of the tissues.
If you understand that the deterioration in the appearance of your elbows is not associated with friction, pressure and wearing clothes, consult a doctor to identify the true causes of the problem. Roughness and blackening of the elbow surfaces may signal the development of pathology.
Now let's list the diseases that cause the elbows to turn black. Dry skin and darkening are associated with several health conditions:
Iron-deficiency anemia;
dermatological problems;
autoimmune diseases;
diabetes mellitus – due to impaired nutrition of the body’s cells, the skin becomes thinner and drier, prone to inflammation and infection;
Hypothyroidism is a disease of the thyroid gland, in which metabolic processes and the rate of cell recovery are reduced. Dead particles from the skin are not exfoliated, so the elbows become dark and rough.
Thus, the main causes of dark elbows are endocrine disorders. To establish them, the patient is asked to undergo a comprehensive examination, according to the results of which a specialist will be able to assess blood sugar levels and the condition of the thyroid gland.
The doctor must also confirm or deny the facts of the development of allergies, anemia and skin diseases. Next, he will tell you how to treat black elbows.
WAYS TO IMPROVE THE LOOK OF DARK ELBOWS: BATHS AND SCRUBS
Procedures to improve the condition of elbows include soda and salt baths.
The elbows are steamed in the solution for 20 minutes, and it is prepared from 1 liter of water, 50 g of soda and 100 g of salt. When the rough skin softens, it is carefully cleaned with pumice, the area is dried with a towel and treated with a nourishing cream. Salt and soda remove keratinized particles, and hot baths speed up the process of blood flow to the elbows.
The composition for baths can also be easily prepared from ammonia diluted in water. Concentration – 1 tsp. drug per 1 liter of liquid. For greater effectiveness, the solution can be supplemented with liquid soap. It is administered in the amount of 1 tsp.
Baths of fermented milk drinks are another answer to the question of how to whiten black elbows. Yogurt or kefir is heated to an acceptable temperature and the elbows are immersed in it. After 15 minutes, problem areas are treated with oil containing liquid vitamins A or E. Shea butter does a very good job of softening and brightening elbows. It is diluted with vitamins independently.
To prepare a scrub that removes roughness from elbows, you need:
milk – 10 ml;
liquid honey – 2 ml;
Shea butter – 10 g;
ground coffee – 2 g;
coarse sea salt – 2 g;
natural soap shavings – 50 g.
The grated soap is combined with Shea butter (karite) and heated in a water bath over low heat. The mixture is diluted with milk and honey and stirred until smooth. When it cools down, ground coffee is added to it. The bottom of a convenient mold is sprinkled with sea salt and the soap mass is laid out. To harden the scrub in the form of soap, it is placed in the refrigerator.
Lack of vitamins
Dry skin on the elbows may indicate a lack of vitamins A, D3, and group B (mostly B1, B2, B3 and B6) in the body. “These vitamins are needed to build the stratum corneum of the skin and renew its cells. Accordingly, they affect the quality of this layer, how it retains moisture so that the skin is not dry. The cause of a lack of vitamins may be impaired absorption of the gastrointestinal tract. This is already a gastroenterological syndrome,” says Skorogudaeva.
Question answer
Where do white patches of skin appear on elbows and knees?
What can dry skin on your elbows mean?
What to do ? And when should you see a doctor?
Typically, the skin condition worsens during the cold season due to temperature changes, dry indoor air, and wearing synthetic clothing that irritates the skin. The skin on the elbows is usually not the same as on other parts of the body, since there are almost no sebaceous glands, the secretion of which creates a water-lipid mantle. For this reason, the epidermis is practically not protected from moisture loss. Without this natural protection, the skin on the elbows begins to peel and crack. Bacteria and viruses can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin through skin breaks (cracks) and cause serious problems.
The main causes of dry elbow skin are:
- aggressive cleansers that cause dry skin
- Frequent visits to the bathhouse, sauna. At high temperatures, the body loses moisture and dehydration is primarily noticeable in the more sensitive areas of the skin.
- Chlorinated pool water. On the vulnerable skin of the elbows, allergies to chemicals are especially common.
- Lack of vitamins and microelements that stimulate skin renewal. These are vitamins A, C, E, group B, Zn, Se, biotin.
How to help your skin?
- Older people spend less time in hot and chlorinated water.
- Do not use soaps with sulfur and triclosan. Replace alkaline soap with more gentle products with neutral pH (foaming milk)
- After water procedures, always moisturize the skin, thus restoring the lipid layer. Use emollients!
- Include foods containing unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants in your diet: vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, fatty fish, olive and other oils.
- Dress according to the weather, protect your skin from wind, cold, and sun. Use sunscreen.
- Do a light massage with a brush and gentle peeling of the skin of your elbows (but not more than once a week).
When should you see a doctor?
It’s worth considering if, despite care, the skin on your elbows peels, cracks and sores appear. Dry skin on the elbows may indicate a malfunction of internal organs. This can be due to hormonal disorders (age-related changes, menopause, diabetes). Most often, excessive dryness and flaking of the skin on the elbows is a sign of various dermatological diseases. Thus, psoriasis may be accompanied by a scaly rash. And cracks and non-healing ulcers are characteristic of elbow eczema. If the dryness is very severe, with peeling, itching and redness, the skin is uneven and covered with cracks and scales, then this may indicate symptoms of ichthyosis. Your skin may exhibit atopic dermatitis, food allergies, vasomotor rhinitis, and anemia. It is necessary to consult a dermatologist to identify the cause of dryness, redness, peeling, and ulceration of the skin on the elbows and prescribe treatment in a timely manner. One of the reasons for dry elbow skin and discoloration is a decrease in cell sensitivity to insulin. This can be due to diabetes! In this case, it is necessary to consult both a dermatologist and an endocrinologist.
We see that the causes of dry skin on the elbows can be different - from dry air to serious diseases! Contact a medical doctor for an appointment with a dermatologist and an appointment with an endocrinologist.
We wish you good health!
What else causes dark skin on your knees?
Another reason that may contribute to the effect of dirty elbows and knees is poor diet. There is no need to be surprised that what is “thrown” inside eventually manifests itself outside. The stomach is not a garbage dump that will endure everything without side effects. Therefore, if you have rough elbows and dark skin on your knees, you need to start writing down everything you eat.
It is important to remember that drinking too little liquid has a huge impact on the condition of the skin. It is necessary to drink at least 1 liter of fluid, as this can even lead to severe dehydration.
Be sure to provide the body with the necessary amount of unsaturated fats. Therefore, it is important to include salmon, avocado, walnuts, peanuts, olive oil, almonds, mackerel, lentils, sunflower oil and flaxseed in your diet. If you are following a diet, you should not exclude fats from it, as the condition of the skin will quickly deteriorate from a lack of essential microelements and this will be reflected on the knees and elbows.
Homemade lightening of dark skin on knees and elbows
To prepare a skin lightening product, simply place half a lemon on problem areas for about 10 minutes. The fruit will effectively lighten the skin and also moisturize it. But you cannot use this method if the skin is excessively dry and cracked. You can also lubricate the skin of your elbows and knees with olive oil, shea butter or castor oil. But you need to do this regularly and as often as possible and do not forget to regularly exfoliate dead skin from your knees and elbows. To do this, you can use natural, homemade coffee or salt scrubs. It is recommended to do peeling 2 times a week and visit professional salon treatments once a month.
