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Is your skin suddenly looking darker, as if you'd spent the day at the beach? Hyperpigmentation may be caused by Addison's disease,
which is a failure of the adrenal glands. With this condition, your
body doesn't get enough cortisol and other hormones, which can also make
you achy and tired.
Of course, a day at the beach — or any other prolonged sun exposure—
could also be the cause of your hyperpigmentation, which occurs when
UVA rays prompt the skin to create an excess of the pigment melanin,
thus creating dark patches.
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Have you been caught red handed? You might have eczema,
which causes itchy red patches on various parts of the body from head
to toe, including the hands. Eczema - which can be caused by anything
from genetics to immune system dysfunction to nickel jewelry - is common
but doesn't have an absolute cure.
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Although allergies or harmless skin disorders may cause you to itch all over all the time, it could also be a symptom of liver disease.
This is often called a "silent" disease because it yields little to no
symptoms - meaning you could have liver disease but might not know it.
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If you're considering investing in Chapstick because you use so much of it, you might have a bigger problem on your hands. Cracked lips
(aka cheilitis), particularly at the corners of your mouth, can be due
to a B vitamin deficiency. Without these essential nutrients -
especially B12 - you're more susceptible to illnesses like anemia.
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Take a good long look in the mirror: If your skin and eyes have a yellowish tint (in flat, white light), you may have jaundice, liver disease, or hepatitis.
Again, because liver disease is often "silent," watching for this
warning sign could save your life. So keep taking those selfies.
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Not all moles
are created equal, but some can mean seriously bad news: melanoma, a
common form of skin cancer. Have a large or colorful mole? Apply the
A-B-C-D test: Look for asymmetry (if it's not perfectly round), inspect the border for irregularity, note the color (if the tone changes across the mole), and examine the diameter (anything bigger than a pencil eraser may be problematic).
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Miss that dewy, glowing skin of your youth? Join the club. Dull skin
isn't a life-or-death issue, but it sure ain't pretty. It's often
caused by dehydration, smoking, an unhealthy diet, a lack of sleep,
excess stress, and poor skin-care habits so, luckily, you can take
matters into your own hands to fix this problem.
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Wrinkles may be an inevitable result of aging (unless you've got an amazing dermatologist), but wrinkles in unusual places
could signal another problem. Research has found that wrinkles on the
inner part of the upper arm, which is unlikely to show sun-related skin
damage, can indicate high blood pressure and increased risk of heart
disease.
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| It looks different than normal dry skin. Shutterstock |
When red patches pop up on your skin with shiny, silvery scales, you're likely looking at psoriasis, an issue that has plagued even Kim Kardashian.
This autoimmune disorder prompts cells to multiply too rapidly, and it
often coincides with arthritis and other joint issues. It's also been
linked to heart disease, poor blood pressure management, inflammation,
and stroke — so this isn't one to be taken lightly.
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| Scleroderma pictured. Shutterstock |
They say you need to have thick skin to survive in this world — but tough, tight skin is another issue entirely. Scleroderma (which comes from the Greek words " sclero," meaning "hard," and " derma,"
meaning "skin') is a rare condition in which the body produces and
accumulates too much collagen, resulting in oval-shaped or linear
patches of hard skin in various sizes throughout the body.
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| It could be a sign of circulation problems.Shutterstock |
Alongside wrinkles, varicose veins may be another
unsightly byproduct of aging, but they can also indicate a deeper
problem. When the skin on your legs and ankles becomes darkened or
discolored by varicose veins or other circulatory issues — a condition
called stasis dermatitis— you could have diabetes, which also causes other skin issues like infections, shin spots, itching, and slow wound-healing.
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