Update: October 2018

The beauty of a person is judged by his face: the shape and symmetry of the eyes, the shape of the nose and eyebrows, the fullness of the lips - all this must form a holistic and harmonious picture, then the person will be considered attractive or beautiful. Skin color is the basis on which we judge health: our own or another person’s.

Changes in skin color are medically called dyschromia. It most often occurs due to some internal diseases (we will look at them below), and a cosmetologist or dermatologist is latest specialists who need to be visited on this occasion.

A change in complexion towards a paler or redder color should be a reason to, instead of grabbing cosmetic corrective products, grab a blood pressure monitor and then count your own pulse. If you describe the color as yellow, green or bluish, you should not hesitate to see a doctor: conditions that change the complexion to such shades are life-threatening.

About skin

Human skin is the organ with the largest area. On average, it takes an adult 2 square meters, and its total mass is more than 10 kilograms. The main task of the skin, present from birth: to protect the underlying tissues from the penetration of microbes and chemicals. In addition, it protects them from high and low temperatures, ultraviolet and other rays for which the subcutaneous tissue and muscles are clearly not designed. The skin also performs other very important functions: it participates in respiration, thermoregulation, synthesizes some vitamins, enzymes and bioactive substances, conveys information about pain, tactile sensations and temperature in spinal cord. It can absorb substances applied to it, delivering them into the systemic circulation.

From 3-4 months of life, another one develops important function integumentary tissue relevant to our topic is excretory. The skin removes some of the products formed during the process normal operation organs, and those that arise during the neutralization of toxins by our main “filters”.

A person's complexion depends on:

• combinations of pigments in it;
• thickness of the stratum corneum;
• the depth of the location of vessels in it and their filling;
• on the intensity of metabolism occurring in the body.

Changing each of the parameters leads to a change in complexion. Let's look at all this in more detail.

Skin structure

Our covering tissue, skin, consists of two layers. The top one is called the epidermis. This is the same epithelium as the one that forms all mucous membranes internal organs. Its difference is in the number of cell layers. The latter, gradually turning into dead plates from the lower layer to the upper, still remain on the surface of the skin and protect it from unfavorable factors. external influences. Between the ordinary cells of the epidermis are those that, being the owners of a coloring pigment, provide the skin with brownish and yellowish shades.

The deep layer of the integument is represented by the dermis. There are protein fibers here that are responsible for the elasticity of the skin and the ability to straighten it when forming a fold. The intercellular substance located between them is responsible for moisturizing the skin and the ability to properly “cooperate” with facial muscles– straighten without forming wrinkles after demonstrating another emotion.

The dermis is the layer of skin that contains blood vessels: many blood vessels and some lymphatic vessels. The hemoglobin found in them gives the cover pink.

Pigments

Healthy color is provided by a combination of four pigments:

1. melanin;
2. carotene;
3. oxyhemoglobin;
4. reduced hemoglobin.

Melanin

This is a pigment brown. Its task is to protect the skin from ultraviolet rays that are dangerous due to their oncogenicity, ability to cause burns and oxidative stress (and with it early aging). Therefore, when exposed to the sun, our skin turns brown, and people living in conditions of increased solar activity have dark or even black skin.

Melanin is produced in special cells of the epidermis - melanocytes. Through special processes, vesicles with pigment are delivered to other cells - keratinocytes, where they accumulate. Some of it is dissolved in the dermis.

The accumulation of melanin bubbles in the main skin cells is dictated not only by genetic, but also by constitutional factors. Thus, some localizations darken greatly under the influence of ultraviolet rays, while others remain practically unchanged, while others are brown regardless of radiation. Genetics “dictates” that some people become very dark in the spring and summer. Others - this disorder is called albinism - do not sunbathe under any circumstances, maintaining milk white skin.

The process of formation and accumulation of melanin is regulated by two main enzymes - copper-containing and zinc-dependent. If the body lacks each of them, there is nothing to absorb ultraviolet rays.

Carotene

This is the name of the yellow pigment dissolved in the dermis of the skin. It is a natural antioxidant that protects the skin from harmful influence oxygen radicals. The same one is found in carrots and some algae, from where, when eaten, it penetrates the skin.

In the Caucasian race, carotene is almost invisible - it is hidden by melanin. But in Mongoloids it is visible and turns their skin yellowish.

Hemoglobin and its types

This pigment is not found in the skin itself, but in the vessels lying in the dermis. Its main task is to transfer oxygen to tissues and take carbon dioxide from them. When it transports oxygen (called oxyhemoglobin), it is pink in color. When hemoglobin is saturated with carbon dioxide, it colors the vessels dark red or bluish. The extent to which the hemoglobin present in the vessels will stain the skin will depend on:

• number of blood vessels in the skin;
• proximity of dermal capillaries to the surface layer of the skin;
• filling of these capillaries, which depends on the pressure in more large arteries. This is regulated by the autonomic nervous system and the hormonal system. For filling small vessels the skin is also affected by the amount of fluid in the vascular bed;
• thickness of the stratum corneum.

Pathological pigments

Skin can be stained not only by those found in physiological conditions pigments, but also those substances that penetrate here during pathology. Sometimes these are pathological substances - such as iodine or silver. But more often these are products formed from hemoglobin:

1. Bilirubin, which is formed during the breakdown of red blood cells. There is a lot of it in the body either when large quantities of red blood cells are destroyed at once, or when hemoglobin metabolism in the liver is disrupted. It turns the skin yellow and the condition it causes is called jaundice. We'll talk more below.
2. Rich dark, almost blue skin cancer occurs when a person’s hemoglobin changes its structure, becoming methemoglobin. Such a substance, containing iron of a different valence, does not tolerate oxygen, and if there is a lot of it in the vessels, it is deadly.
3. Brown color can be caused not only by the accumulation of melanin. The skin acquires this shade as a result genetic disease called “porphyria”, when the hemoglobin contained in the vessels of the skin, which is in the process of transformation, is exposed to sunlight.

Thus, skin color depends on the combination of coloring pigments in different layers of the skin, as well as its thickness. An even complexion is obtained when all parameters - pigment saturation, thickness of the stratum corneum, and distribution of blood vessels - are the same in all areas.

This is influenced by:

• vegetative work nervous system(it is she who regulates the lumen of blood vessels);
• quality of facial skin care;
• human lifestyle: nutrition, bad habits;
• environmental conditions of the place of residence;
• chronic diseases.

Darkening of color

This word can describe the complexion when various diseases.

Adrenal insufficiency

Evenly dark color face, when the skin can be described as bronze or too dark, is characteristic of adrenal insufficiency - usually primary, when the pair itself suffers endocrine organ. In this case, it will not be the face that will darken at first, but not the parts of the body protected by clothing, those that rub against parts of clothing and those that are already pigmented (peripapillary circle, genitals, armpits). In addition, there will be weight loss, digestive disorders, and sometimes changes in the sexual sphere.
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Thyrotoxicosis

When dark coloring does not cover the face evenly, but with blurred brown spots, this indicates hard work thyroid gland. Additional signs factors that speak in its favor will be: skin that is hot to the touch, irritability, increased appetite and at the same time – weight loss.

Liver pathologies

Bacterial endocarditis

The word “dark color” can also describe light brown, which is also called “coffee with milk”. This is the complexion characteristic of protracted septic endocarditis- a disease in which bacteria settle on the heart valves, leading to the development of polyposis and ulcers here.

This pathology is characterized by a slow deterioration of the condition in a person who has long been diagnosed with valvular heart disease. He begins to get tired faster and wants to lie down more often. appear in the heart discomfort or minor pain. The same vague and unexpressed pains are noted in the joints.

Body temperature rises: usually to low levels, with chills and palpitations. Later it rises to 39 degrees, chills appear, and the person sweats profusely. Sometimes the temperature immediately rises to high levels, an attack of heart palpitations develops, and first one thing or another hurts. In some cases, the temperature remains elevated for a long time to 37.8, and against this background, its “jumps” to 39 and above are periodically observed.

Septic endocarditis is a life-threatening disease: masses of endocardium “recycled” by bacteria, which were located here in the form of polyps, “fly off” from the valves. Such emboli can clog the vessels of organs: brain, kidneys, spleen, limbs, skin. Kidney damage is manifested by darkening of the urine, the appearance of blood in it, and a decrease in its amount. With cerebral embolism, clouding of consciousness, dizziness, double vision, muscle twitching or convulsions occur. A sudden loss of consciousness with difficulty breathing may occur, which leads to death if help is not provided urgently.

Hemorrhages occur in the skin, which look like large or smaller areas are soaked in blood (bruises irregular shape), the center of which is whitish. They do not rise above the skin, and often affect only the skin of the legs and the conjunctiva of the lower eyelid. The disease is also characterized by the following symptom: the appearance of red, dense and painful nodules on the palms or soles, which resolve after 2-3 days.

Hemochromatosis

Here, grayish-brown or dark brown spots appear on the skin, merging with each other, which can serve as a reason for making a preliminary diagnosis of chronic adrenal insufficiency. An accurate diagnosis is made by skin biopsy in stained areas, when deposits of hemosiderin and melanin are detected.

Early systemic scleroderma

Here, numbness and coldness of the hands first appear, accompanied by the feeling of crawling “goosebumps”. These symptoms bother the patient for several years without being supplemented by anything else. Then they appear on the hands, face and feet, or only in a separate location. dark spots. They are dense, seem to consist of thick skin, spread to free areas, and hinder movements of the facial muscles. The diagnosis is made by detecting antibodies to RNA polymerase, topoisomerase I or histone in the blood (one type of antibody is detected in each patient), as well as antinuclear factor (it is detected in 90-95%).

Porphyria cutanea tarda

When this disease develops after exposure to the sun, as well as when drinking alcohol, blisters appear on exposed areas of the body, the skin becomes brittle and fragile, darkens, but may also lighten. After the slightest injury to the skin, the same thing happens. The conjunctiva of the eyes swells and turns red, while the throat does not turn red, and other cold symptoms do not occur. Ultrasound shows liver damage.

Variegated porphyria manifests itself in a similar way. Only doctors distinguish them.

Recklinghausen's neurofibromatosis

In this case, different diameters appear on the body brown spot(coffee with milk colors) – one or many. The disease debuts in childhood. It is also characterized by premature puberty, increased blood pressure.

Similar symptoms are characteristic of two other diseases that appear in childhood - Watson's syndrome and Albright's syndrome. Only doctors can distinguish them.

Dysplastic nevus syndrome

Dark brown spots with a clear border appear on the skin. Papules raised above the skin and variegated in color may also develop. There are usually no other complaints.

Leopard syndrome

Spots are found everywhere on the skin that have dark brown color. And although other symptoms are not subjectively disturbing, when conducting an ECG note various types changes. Ultrasound of the heart reveals a decrease in the lumen (stenosis) pulmonary artery.

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

Multiple dark brown spots appear on the lips and fingers. In addition, periodic pain in the abdomen (closer to the navel) is bothersome. During examination by a gastroenterologist or during x-ray examination intestines with preliminary administration of contrast (barium), polyposis of the small intestine is detected.

Blackening of the face

If the skin turns black, this is a sign that you need to urgently consult a doctor, as it is dangerous. This coloring may appear due to the following diseases.

Meningococcal infection

This life-threatening disease most often affects children: in adults, the meningococcus bacterium most often does not cause illness, but forms a carrier state, settling in the nose (such people are infectious to their loved ones without knowing it).

The disease occurs acutely: body temperature rises, spots appear on the skin. At first they may be red, then they become purple, brown or black, and merge. Without emergency medical care the rash merges, forming large areas of black color, while the person becomes lethargic, drowsy, there may be vomiting, after which it does not get better. An ambulance should be called as soon as possible.

Kidney diseases

If a person develops an infectious disease of the kidneys or bladder, he may develop a black discoloration of the skin of the face - mainly in the area of ​​the cheekbones and the root of the nose. Additional symptoms there is a change in the color of urine, lower back pain, nausea, fever, painful urination.

Pellagra

This is a disease when the body lacks B vitamins, especially vitamin PP ( nicotinic acid). It usually occurs after a history of intestinal infection, against the background of chronic alcohol consumption, with frequent exposure to ultraviolet rays sun or solarium, as well as if a person experiences increased loss of this vitamin during pregnancy, lactation or hard work against the background of chronic malnutrition.

The main symptoms of the disease will be: general weakness, burning sensation in the mouth, constant diarrhea and abdominal pain. Red spots or blisters with cloudy liquid first appear on the skin of the face and open parts of the body, then a dark color appears here. The skin in these places peels off.

Except skin manifestations person notes violations mental status: fatigue, depressive state, sometimes – psychosis with hallucinations.

Xeroderma pigmentosum

This hereditary disease, in which the integumentary tissue is hypersensitive to ultraviolet rays. When exposed to this radiation, areas of redness appear on the skin of exposed areas, including the face, spider veins and large ones merging with each other age spots dark, almost black color.

Excessive melanoblastosis

It appears in newborns. At the same time, damage to the nervous system comes to the fore: drowsiness, vomiting not associated with food, strabismus, low tone of the hands and some others. This occurs due to the deposition of melanin in the nuclei of the cranial nerves. The same pigment is deposited in the skin, which turns it black.

Occupational melasma

If a person works with petroleum distillation products (tar, pitches) for a long time, substances are absorbed into the skin that enhance the effect of ultraviolet radiation on it.

Blue face

The blue color accompanies life-threatening heart or lung diseases, or covers the face when taking certain medications.

Blue face as a result of treatment

A drug such as Cordarone can turn the face blue. In this case, you need to consult a cardiologist about reducing the dosage of the medication.

The second cause of ceruloderm (as doctors call blue skin) is the use of silver preparations, mainly for antiseptic purposes, for example, for a runny nose. People involved in silver processing also get sick. This condition is called argyria and usually results in lesions bone marrow, eye, renal failure and damage to the nervous system - silver salts accumulate not only in the skin, but also in all internal organs, vessel walls, mucous membranes, sclera of the eyes, and remain there for life.

If a person stops using medications containing silver salts, the symptoms of damage to internal organs will go away, but the blue coloration of the skin will remain.

Methemoglobinemia

This is the name of the state when normal hemoglobin is replaced by a modified one - methemoglobin, in which iron is not divalent, but trivalent, and cannot carry oxygen. This disease most often appears during poisoning with hemolytic poisons. For example, it occurs with an overdose of Paracetamol, the use of long-stored Phenacetin and sulfonamides, as well as in cases where large number nitrates and nitrites (they are contained in well and tap water, in canned meat, in fruits and vegetables fertilized with nitrate-nitrite fertilizers). There are also hereditary forms of pathology.

For any form of the disease, the symptoms will be as follows:

• the skin acquires a gray-blue tint;
• nail phalanges do not change their shape (if the heart or lungs are affected, the nail-bearing phalanges expand, taking on the appearance of “drumsticks”);
• physical activity is accompanied by shortness of breath and fatigue;
• headaches are frequent and severe.

Cardiopulmonary diseases

These pathologies cause both generalized cyanosis, when the whole body acquires a bluish tint, and regional cyanosis, manifested by blueness of the skin under the nails, the tip of the nose, lips and nasolabial triangle.

This condition develops in various diseases:

• Heart failure. In this case, there is pain in the heart during physical activity, shortness of breath at rest, which increases with physical activity, and swelling, localized mainly in the legs. An ECG or ultrasound of the heart can determine the disease that caused this pathology.
• Asthma attack. Here, the appearance of an attack can be associated with an encounter with an allergen (for example, plant pollen or household chemicals), there is a dry cough, it becomes difficult to exhale, and sometimes wheezing can be heard from afar.
• Pneumonia. It is not always, but often manifested by cough and fever. In addition, there is shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, weakness, and nausea.
• Cyanotic variant of erythrocytosis.
• Tuberculosis. In this case, a cough is noted: it is dry, sometimes during a cough attack a certain amount of mucous sputum is released. The temperature rises to low levels (up to 38 degrees), weakness and increased fatigue are noted.
• Pulmonary embolism: when in one or more branches of the vessel going from the heart to the lungs, a “congestion” or blockage forms with a blood clot, fat, gas, or masses detached from the inflamed heart valves. The disease develops abruptly: often after straining or performing heavy physical work a person with varicose veins, heart defects or an aneurysm suddenly experiences weakness, shortness of breath with a feeling of lack of air. A little later, a cough and pain in one of the halves of the chest develop.
• Any kind of shock, manifesting sharp decline blood pressure. Shock can develop with significant dehydration, large amounts of bacteria entering the body, blood loss, severe pain due to injury, or anaphylaxis.
• Heart defects. Often it is subjectively felt only fatigue, there may be rhythm disturbances and headaches. The upper half of the body may differ in color from the lower.
• Chronic bronchitis. It manifests itself as a cough, fever, and sometimes a feeling of shortness of breath. If a person has had this disease for a long time, his fingers change: the nail phalanges thicken, becoming similar to “ drumsticks" Nails also change: they become dull, they are covered with grooves (such nails are called “watch glasses”).
• Pleurisy. This condition develops after pneumonia. It is characterized not only by the development of a bluish coloration of the skin, but also by a repeated increase in body temperature that has already returned to normal, chest pain when breathing, chills, weakness, and night sweats.
• Pneumothorax. This term characterizes a condition when, due to injury, lung air penetrates into the cavity surrounding it. If the amount of air increases, it compresses the lung itself and the heart lying nearby. It's dangerous. The pathology develops acutely, usually after physical effort or a coughing fit. Appears on the side of the damaged lung severe pain, which intensifies with deep breaths, coughing and movement. Shortness of breath and a feeling of lack of air also appears.

Redness of the skin

A red complexion is not always a sign of alcohol abuse, as previously thought. This is a sign of the following diseases:

• Arterial hypertension(increased blood pressure), which may accompany hypertension, develop due to diseases of the kidneys or adrenal glands. Redness of the face develops against the background of a headache, spots before the eyes, and pain in the heart.
• Poisoning carbon monoxide . This happens to people with stove heating who are in an unventilated room.
• Erythrocytosis and, in which there is too much hemoglobin and red blood cells, which does not improve the transport of oxygen, but poses a danger in terms of increased thrombus formation. Here the face and shoulders are bright red. This intensifies after taking a bath, and with this comes skin itching.
• Allergic reaction: for medicines, food, household chemicals, introduction of worms into the intestines and other things. In addition to redness, a dry cough, sneezing, and possibly diarrhea often appear. Improvement is observed if the allergen is eliminated.
• Rosacea. At first, the skin turns red only when exposed to heat or cold, but gradually the face ceases to return to its normal color. Typically, pathology develops in women during menopause. It must be distinguished from the redness of the face characteristic of this period, which accompanies the sensation of “hot flashes”.
• Tuberculosis. Here the cheeks are constantly red, but this color is not bright. In addition, the nasolabial triangle has a bluish tint, there is also a cough, constantly elevated temperature; the person sweats heavily.
• Scarlet fever: the face turns red and nasolabial triangle becomes pale. In addition, the temperature rises, and a red rash spreads throughout the body.
• Pneumonia when one cheek turns red. There is also a feeling of difficulty breathing, cough, weakness, and increased body temperature.
• Sinusitis. Here one cheek is also painted - on the affected side. At the same time, there is a headache, a fever, a stuffy nose, and when instilled, a large amount of secretion is released, often mucopurulent.
• Both cheeks and the back of the nose turn red with a disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus.
• Redness of the cheeks against the background of an intestinal infection or acute respiratory infection in a child is a sign that his underlying disease has been complicated by the development of acetonemic syndrome. This is a condition when the body uses fats rather than glucose as energy substrates, the breakdown products of which have a toxic effect on the brain.
• A large dose of atropine or scopolamine for a given person.
• Poisoning with hallucinogens.

Also, the face - especially if a person suffers from vegetative-vascular dystonia - changes its color to red with any illness that is accompanied by an increase in temperature.

Earthy color

If your face suddenly acquires an unhealthy, sallow color, this may indicate chronic lack of sleep, lack fresh air, unbalanced diet, excessive tanning and smoking. But most often this shade indicates pathology. For example:

• Poor thyroid function. At the same time, the face becomes not only dull, but also puffy. The skin is dry, and the hair is brittle, splits and falls out. It is also noted overweight with decreased appetite and poor nutrition.
• Oncological disease(cancer) of any localization, including leukemia.
• HIV infection. At the same time, the disease is staged: at first, a slightly elevated temperature lasts for several months, then it increases and a large number of lymph nodes begin to be felt. Only then does the color of the skin fade, a person begins to often suffer from pneumonia, every small violation of the integrity of the skin takes a long time to heal, and long-term diseases develop, the cause of which cannot be immediately found.
• Sepsis(blood poisoning). In this case, at first there are symptoms of some kind of bacterial disease: inflammation of the kidneys, lungs, festering wound, abscess, sinusitis, and so on. Then, after a short-term improvement, the temperature rises again, weakness appears, headache and nausea. This is complemented by symptoms of kidney or liver damage.

Pallor

Pale or unhealthy white color indicates various diseases, in which:

a) there is acute or chronic blood loss:

• endometriosis;
• ectopic pregnancy;
• peptic ulcer;
• internal bleeding;

b) the blood vessels of the skin spasmed so that there was enough blood for the central organs:

• angina pectoris;
• oncological diseases of any localization;
• heart defects;
• aortic aneurysm;
• fat embolism;

c) diseases that occur with intoxication, due to which vasospasm occurs: ARVI (especially influenza), asthma attack, tuberculosis and other infectious diseases;

d) there is not enough melanin, which causes the skin to become more “transparent”. If this occurs throughout the skin, and there is also a lack of melanin in the iris of the eye, then this is albinism or phenylketonuria. When individual white spots appear on the skin, we can talk about vitiligo, a disease that has many causes;

e) deficiency of substances from which hemoglobin is formed: iron, folic acid, vitamin B12, proteins, glutathione, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase. This various types anemia – deficient and hypoplastic. The latter may occur due to kidney disease;

f) autonomic regulation of blood vessels is impaired (vegetative-vascular dystonia). This can be said if pale color occurs during stress, fear, nervous experiences;

g) violated hormonal regulation vascular tone: diabetes mellitus, hypothyroidism;

h) edema, due to which skin vessels are poorly visible: hypothyroidism, kidney disease, loss of proteins due to exudative enteropathy, burns, malabsorption syndrome.

Gray face

Gray color is described in the following conditions:

• Leukemia. These pathologies are very insidious, masquerading as ARVI: weakness, drowsiness appear, and body temperature rises. Most often they are discovered when they are prescribed general analysis blood.
• Diseases digestive system : pancreatitis, cholecystitis. In this case, nausea, bloating, stool disturbances, pain in the upper abdomen are noted when consuming spicy, smoked or fatty foods, alcohol.
• Smoking and stress.
• After suffering serious illnesses.

Green or olive skin color

Olive or green complexion is characteristic of:

• severe intoxication, especially in acute respiratory infections and poisoning;
• oncological diseases;
• (but it can also be earthy and the color of wet asphalt, and in case of exacerbation it can also be lemon yellow);
• kidney diseases.

Jaundice

Diseases in which a yellow complexion is observed have a common name - jaundice. This color is sometimes given by carotene if a person has eaten too many carrots. In this case, only the palms and soles are painted. In other cases, yellowness occurs when too much bilirubin is formed - a product that is formed from hemoglobin in red blood cells and then metabolized in the liver. A lot of bilirubin is produced either when a lot of red blood cells break down, or when liver function is disrupted.

Red blood cells disintegrate either due to the weakness of their own membrane, or when a substance enters the blood (for example, anti-Rh antibodies or poisons) that destroys the blood cells. Conditions caused by membrane disruption have a common name - hemolytic jaundice. There are many types of them, which only a hematologist can distinguish. Poisoning with hemolytic poisons is dealt with by toxicologists who have an apparatus in their arsenal artificial kidney. When red blood cells are destroyed due to burns, treatment takes place in the Combustiology Departments.

There is another type of jaundice - caused by diseases of the liver and biliary tract:

• blockage of the bile ducts by tumors, stones or inflammation;
• hepatitis: viral, toxic (including medicinal), alcoholic;
• cirrhosis.

Jaundice will also manifest itself as inflammation of the pancreas, directly connected to the liver and gall bladder.

Bilirubin – dangerous substance, which can destroy the brain. Therefore, if yellowing of the skin appears, you should urgently call “ Ambulance" With his own strength, a person can only drink " Activated carbon"or other sorbent preparation. It is also important to tell doctors what you ate or drank. In this case, the person’s future health depends on the urgency of the assistance provided by toxicologists.

Diagnostics

A therapist will tell you how to determine what causes a change in complexion. When prescribing your tests or recommending a consultation with a more specialized specialist, he will proceed from the new shade of your skin.

So, if your face is pale, you will be prescribed:

• general blood test with mandatory definition reticulocytes - the ancestors of red blood cells;
• osmotic resistance of erythrocytes;
• coagulogram;
• liver tests.

If you are concerned about yellowness, the therapist will refer you to an infectious disease specialist, and he, focusing on the history of your life and this disease, as well as ultrasound of the liver, gallbladder and pancreas, liver tests and markers on viral hepatitis, decides whether he, a gastroenterologist or a hematologist, should treat you.

Olive complexion requires the attention of a gastroenterologist, who will examine, palpate and listen to your stomach and prescribe an ultrasound abdominal cavity(it is performed after preparation) and FEGDS (here you have to swallow the probe).

Black or blue shades that appear overnight, especially if there is a feeling of lack of air, require calling an ambulance. These specialists will figure out who should consult or treat you. If black spots are bothering you, but there are no other symptoms, it is advisable to consult the staff of the Department of Dermatology.

Cardiologists will help determine the reasons for the red color. These doctors will come to the aid of a tonometer for measuring blood pressure and an ECG. They will probably also need an ultrasound of your kidneys and adrenal glands - to find out the cause high blood pressure, as well as ultrasound of the heart.

How to restore color to your face

You will have a healthy color if you follow the rules of maintaining the requirements of your physical body:

• No smoking.
• Get enough sleep.
• Don't eat junk food: many diseases occur precisely from careless nutrition and harmful foods.
• Eat more vegetables, berries and fruits.
• Drink at least 30 ml/kg body weight. Water is needed for the normal functioning of enzymes, on which all processes in the body depend.
• In spring and autumn, consult a therapist about the advisability of taking tablet vitamins.

If your complexion has changed, you should not trust cosmetology websites that tell you how miracle masks or procedures can help improve your complexion. The fact is that a change in the color of the integumentary tissue is a distress signal sent by our self-renewing body. If he could speak, he would say the following: “Start helping me, remove the interfering factor - and I will recover on my own.

Then, if you wish, go to a cosmetologist or do homemade mask, but first, take measures to eliminate the disease.” You should not postpone a visit to a specialist until the most extreme case: doctors are not magicians, and if the disease has already affected several organs, then it becomes increasingly difficult to save them.

Treatment for discolored facial skin depends on the cause of the condition. It is completely different, and without looking at the person and without listening to his complaints, it is difficult for even the most venerable professor to say anything about his treatment.

Everyone's skin is different. The color and condition of the skin is influenced by many factors: profession, nutrition, bad habits, lack of sleep, stress, exercise, environment and even heredity. But the main factor is acute and chronic diseases.

On appearance skin reflects diseases endocrine system, gastro- intestinal tract and heartily vascular diseases. Sometimes these diseases are reflected on the skin at the beginning of the disease, and in other cases - before its appearance, and then the necessary measures can be taken in time.

To recognize some of these signals you don’t even need special knowledge, you just need to look closely at the suffering person. Sometimes the mother senses problems with the child's health even before he begins to act up or has a fever. If the person sitting next to you on the plane suddenly turns green in the face, this means that he will soon have an attack of “air sickness,” despite the fact that he himself is not yet sick. In more cases, you cannot do without the help of a doctor.

What can you tell by the color of your skin? There are general patterns. IN Chinese medicine, for example, among the “unhealthy colors” of the face there are indicators of pain (white, green and black), absence (white) and fullness (yellow and red). A person who suddenly turns pale is usually said to have no face. Each of these five colors refers to some organ and season of the year: the heart and the beginning of summer - red, the lungs and autumn - white, the kidneys and winter - black, the end of summer and the spleen - yellow, spring and liver - green.

Modern medicine considers diagnostics yellow, white, red, green and blue colors.

RED the color indicates overheating of the body as a result of fever and associated infectious diseases. It may also indicate carbon monoxide poisoning. Signals about heart and vascular disease.

WHITE, aka PALE, color warns of lung pathology, anemia, stroke or heart attack.

BLUE color results from oxygen starvation, lung diseases. A face with an earthy gray color indicates gastrointestinal tract. intestinal diseases, in particular, constipation, and the dark one - about kidney disease or bladder infection.

The most dangerous is GREEN complexion, it signals complications of gallstone disease and may even indicate liver cirrhosis or cancer.

Those with a face YELLOW color, suffer from diseases of the spleen, pancreas, liver, stomach, gall bladder.

Facial skin tones are also of great importance.

If yellow, orange or lemon-colored skin, pay attention to the adrenal glands. The skin acquires this shade due to a lack of adrenal hormones. Seek help from an endocrinologist.

At white or pale skin tone you need to pay attention to metabolism, nutrition, blood composition, digestion, lungs, thyroid gland, cardiovascular system. The cause of pallor can be anemia (lack of hemoglobin in the blood), metabolic disorders, and digestive disorders when iron is poorly absorbed. Pallor can also result from a lack of thyroid hormones, low blood pressure, lung disease, inflammation of the heart muscle, aortic stenosis or left ventricular failure. Paleness can also appear from cold, fear, pain or swelling.

If red face, pay attention to body temperature, blood, cardiovascular system.

In case everything face turned red, need to:

- First of all, check the cardiovascular system, and also do a blood test. Redness on the face may occur due to problems with the heart, an increase in the number of red blood cells in the blood, or increased blood pressure;

- possible carbon monoxide poisoning, increased temperature due to infectious disease, poisoning with alcohol, atropine, acetone or hallucinogenic drugs.

At bluish tint of facial skin pay attention to cardiovascular and respiratory system. Consult a cardiologist. This color indicates that there is not enough oxygen in the blood due to problems with the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. Diseases may include heart disease, pneumothorax, emphysema, and thromboembolism. The face may turn blue healthy person located high in the mountains.

Dark skin tone with a black tint talks about problems with genitourinary system. Visit a urologist to check bladder and kidneys.

Gray complexion usually indicates digestive problems. Gastritis, constipation, problems with the stomach or intestines give earthy - gray shade skin face. Because of poor nutrition complexion also deteriorates. A gastroenterologist will help you solve all these problems. Smoking and stress can also cause your skin to become gray.

If skin has a greenish tint, pay attention to the liver, gallbladder, oncology. Green no less dangerous than blue. It often indicates complications of gallstone disease, cirrhosis of the liver and even cancer. But you don’t need to be scared in advance; it’s better to hurry up and get examined by a doctor. By the way, a greenish tint to the skin of a healthy person is caused by illumination with fluorescent lamps.

It's vacation time. On the coast or in the lap of nature there is a desire to simply sunbathe. But often the consequence of such rest is white spots from exposure to sunlight. This significantly worsens the appearance. The first thing to do in this case is to consult a dermatologist. Only a qualified specialist can determine the cause and prescribe proper treatment.

Causes of pale skin

The reasons for its appearance can be different, which is why treatment methods also differ. Let's consider them separately.

• The first reason for the appearance of white spots is a violation of the pigmentation of the skin, which inevitably appears with prolonged exposure to straight lines. sun rays in a certain category of people. The fact is that they have a congenital lack of the body to produce melanin, the pigment responsible for the color of our skin. But there are also cases when the disease occurs as a result of increased sun exposure in childhood. The phenomenon that occurs when spots darken after exposure to the sun is called idiopathic guttate hypomenalosis. This kind of disease cannot be cured. The only recommendation is to reduce the time spent under the influence of UV rays.
• Few people know that as a result of tanning in the so-called “tunnel” solarium, white spots can also appear on the skin. This is explained by the fact that during the procedure, blood flows poorly to some parts of the body (elbows, shoulder blades, buttocks). The solution to this problem is to change your posture during this procedure.
• The next reason for the appearance of this phenomenon on the skin is certain diseases: shingles or skin fungus. The fact is that they do not allow UV rays to penetrate the skin, as a result of which white spots appear. Increased sweating stimulates the appearance of these diseases, so it is necessary to keep the skin dry. To treat diseases, drugs are prescribed that destroy the fungus, ointments and creams that are applied externally.
• Another reason for this phenomenon may be the reaction human body for use medicines. These are antibiotics of the tetracycline group, contraceptives. If their relationship is established, it is necessary to interrupt the use of these drugs.

Correcting pale complexion

An attractive complexion gives us confidence. This is understandable: after all, the beauty of the skin is identified with health and speaks of the well-being of the body. What to do when your face turns gray? In most cases, pallor indicates hypovitaminosis. This phenomenon is observed in the spring, when after a long winter the body lacks vitamins A, C, E. Fresh vegetables and fruits can come to the rescue: kiwi, pomegranates, various varieties of apples, pineapple, carrots.

Pale facial skin may also be a sign iron deficiency anemia. The “blow” takes over the face. In order to help the body, eat iron-rich foods: primarily calf meat and liver. There is also a lot of Fe in dried fruits, pomegranates, various varieties of apples, and tomatoes. Pharmacy drugs should be taken only as prescribed by a doctor.

Multivitamins that are designed to restore lost elasticity will also help. skin. You can also use nourishing masks from available products: sour cream, eggs, cream, honey, yeast. The juice of many people’s favorite carrots gives an excellent effect. It must be applied to the skin of the face and left for ¼ hour. This mask will create the feeling of tanned skin.

Shortage healthy sleep is certainly reflected in the complexion. If you don't get enough sleep, bruises, dark circles in the eye area, constant pallor will become your companions. You need to sleep in a well-ventilated room, at least 8 hours a day.

Ice cubes that are frozen with an “herbal filling” of chamomile or calendula will help. Instead of regular washing, it is necessary to massage your face with an ice cube with the mentioned herbs. Contrasting temperature improves blood flow and gives elasticity.
One more thing effective remedy for pallor of the skin of the face - this is massaging with saturated cosmetic oils almond, peach, olive. They help make the skin beautiful and healthy.

If there are pathologies in the human body, this can affect the quality of blood microcirculation in the skin. It begins to enter the skin at insufficient quantities and because of this, the complexion changes - it becomes pale. What does a pale face mean? And does it happen that such a skin tone is normal reaction person to external stimuli?

Why does my face turn pale?

If you have a pale face, there may be various reasons. Very often, such a symptom indicates. In this case, the patient’s blood pressure also drops significantly, fatigue and irritability appear.

Facial pallor can occur when:

• low hemoglobin level;
• kidney diseases (especially chronic);
• glomerulonephritis;

A person also turns very pale during an attack of angina. At this time he is worried painful sensations, which is sent to the neck, arm and even back. The causes of facial pallor in women and men are severe stomach diseases or duodenum, since these diseases are often accompanied by severe internal bleeding. The condition of the skin can be negatively affected by hormonal disorders. In addition, pallor can occur due to an infectious disease.

Non-dangerous causes of facial pallor

Of course, the causes of pale facial skin are not always serious illnesses or pathology. It happens that a person looks very pale after being outside for a long time in sub-zero temperature or while following a strict diet.

Skin color is influenced by physical activity. People who move little and rarely exercise look pale, because their heart muscle works with less intensity. Sudden Appearance pallor is observed in many people when severe stress and nervous diseases.

There are no malfunctions in the body’s functioning, but it still worries me pale face? The reasons may lie in external factors. For example, pallor can be caused by heat stroke or hypothermia. After all, when heatstroke there is an outflow of blood from the surface of the skin. Overheating is usually accompanied by weakness and increased sweating. When hypothermia occurs, the blood vessels narrow noticeably, blood flows to the most important organs, without delivering nutrition and warmth to the skin.

Short-term and age-related pallor

Paleness can appear for just a few minutes due to stress, fear, severe shock or pain. In addition, complexion changes after sixty years. This occurs due to skin dehydration, lack of nutrition and moisture. The structure of the skin changes, the work of blood vessels slows down.

A child has pale facial skin: reasons

Often mothers are concerned about the pallor of the baby’s skin. If you have any suspicions, you should consult a doctor. Doctor examining oral cavity, eyes, nails, will be able to draw conclusions about the baby’s health condition. If the child is active, eats well and sleeps well, the cause of pallor may be heredity and a lack of “sun” vitamin D.

If the baby gets tired quickly or gets irritated, it is worth checking to see if he is developing anemia. You should also start to worry if your child has dark circles under his eyes: this can be a symptom of several diseases, for example allergies. In addition, this may indicate illness urinary tract. Bruises that appear on the baby’s body for no reason should also cause concern. Together with pale skin, they are a sign of diseases of the circulatory system.

It is worth remembering that when any alarming symptom It is necessary to contact a pediatrician, and not draw conclusions and “prescribe” treatment yourself. Only a specialist should conduct an examination, select treatment and prescribe the necessary medications.

How to get rid of pallor

Healthy skin color is an indicator of the health of the whole body. Cosmetics can only disguise a pale complexion, but this will not solve the problem of physical condition. If medical examination did not reveal any ailments, can be returned healthy color faces on their own. Playing sports will help with this. Physical exercise improves blood circulation and restores the functioning of the cardiovascular system. This means that in a couple of weeks your complexion will return to normal. If you are worried about a pale face, the reasons for which are a heavy lunch and slight dizziness, try to lie down. In this case, the head should be lower than the level of the heart.

Simple rules

In order for the reflection in the mirror to please you, you must follow simple rules. After all, the way your skin looks depends not only on your physical condition, but also on your mood.

To keep your complexion natural, make it a habit to include citrus fruits, carrots or apricots in your breakfast.

Spend as much time as possible outside.

In order for skin microcirculation to return to normal, it is necessary to massage daily. Its main feature is the use of ice cubes. You can freeze water or herbal decoction.

Avoid conflicts, do not show aggression.

Masks for pale skin

A mask made from carrots and apples, taken in equal quantities and grated on a fine grater, will help restore a healthy color to the skin. Apply to a cleansed face thin layer mask and leave it for 15 minutes. Then the mixture must be washed off cool water and apply nourishing cream to the skin.

Masks with the addition of essential oils will help restore healthy color. Eucalyptus, lemon, rosemary and lavender are suitable. Any base oil is suitable as a base - coconut, olive, jojoba or almond. You can add one or two drops of essential oil to any homemade masks, such as clay ones. In order to improve your complexion, you need to take two tablespoons of pink or white clay and dilute it with milk. After thorough mixing, add essential oils from the list. It is not recommended to keep this composition on your face for more than 15 minutes!

Pale skin and solarium

If you have a pale face, it is better to avoid visiting a solarium. However, if the desire to sunbathe is too strong, you need to remember about safety! The first sessions should not be more than twice a week, and their duration should not exceed three minutes. Don't neglect special cosmetics. The oils and vitamins that make up tanning creams moisturize the skin and do not dry it out.