Yellow spots on the skin are an extremely unpleasant phenomenon that most often does not cause physical discomfort. At the same time, the occurrence of such formations interferes with a normal life, making a person nervous.
In most cases, getting rid of such manifestations is quite difficult. Let’s try to find out from what spots can appear? Yellow skin should be given due attention, since reluctance to identify the root cause of the phenomenon can result in the most unforeseen consequences.
What is yellow pigmentation on the skin?
The skin tone gives the pigment melanin. Its amount in the upper layers affects the formation of a person’s phototype, hair color, and eyes. However, giving the skin a certain shade is far from the main function of melanin. The main objective of the substance is to protect the underlying tissues from ultraviolet radiation. Brown pigment is called eumelanin, respectively, yellow - feomelaline.
If a representative of the Caucasian phototype tans in the sun, his skin acquires a soft, chocolate tint. At the same time, vitiligo disease can cover with yellow and whitish spots any, even the most pale by nature person.
When yellow spots appear on the skin, this phenomenon is called an optional change in the structure of the tissue. Such manifestations include the appearance of freckles, a violation of the uniform coloring of surface tissues.
Yellow spots on the skin: types
Depending on the etymology, several varieties of
yellow spots on the skin are distinguished:
- Flat - are small neoplasms that have a rounded shape. Occur on the soles and palms. Often formed in older people due to excessive accumulation of cholesterol in the body, the development of atherosclerosis.
- Diffuse - yellow spots on the skin in the form of a massive accumulation of papules. In most cases, they become a side effect in diseases such as myeloma and leukemia.
- Intertriginous - are a hereditary disease. Often appear on the skin in people whose parents suffered from an excess of cholesterol in the body.
- Palmar - as in the previous case, such yellow spots on the skin are genetically determined. Characteristic for people in whose body lipoprotein metabolism disorders are observed.
- Eruptive - arise as a result of unhealthy lipid metabolism. Most often they are concentrated in the area around the eyes, on the eyelids, near the nostrils.
Causes of occurrence
If a yellow spot appears on the skin, the following can cause it:
- minor subcutaneous hemorrhages;
- dermatological diseases;
- shock, other mechanical effects on the tissue;
- lipid metabolism disorders in the body;
- systemic ailments.
What can cause pale yellow spots? Skin tends to acquire a similar shade with the development of multi-colored lichen, pigmented urticaria. It is these diseases that at first are not accompanied by absolutely no other symptoms. A person for a long time feels absolutely healthy until the ailment begins to progress. Therefore, if yellow spots appear on the skin, you should immediately seek the advice of an experienced dermatologist.
As for hemorrhages, which can cause yellow-brown spots on the skin, the cause of their occurrence is often damage to the smallest vessels. At first, spots can have a red tint, which eventually changes to blue, and later to yellow. Often, traces that have arisen as a result of mechanical action on tissues naturally disappear after a week as a result of resorption of foci of stagnant blood.
Systemic diseases such as lupus, Addison's disease, diabetes mellitus, and oncology can also lead to the appearance of yellow spots on the skin.
Yellow spots often signal the malfunction of internal organs: kidneys, liver, gall bladder. There are manifestations of this plan and with sexually transmitted diseases. Constant stresses, lack of sleep can also cause them. Among other things, a common cause of yellow spots is the wrong approach to skin care.
Treatment
Effective help in the fight against yellow age spots on the skin can serve as a medical bleaching agent. A good effect is given by preparations containing zinc lactate and hydroquinone. However, they should be used carefully, since these substances not only inhibit the production of melanin in body tissues, but also have a list of side effects.
If it is necessary to eliminate yellow spots on the skin, specialists often prescribe creams and solutions that contain a component called retin-A. The latter is an effective stimulator of cell regeneration. In addition, the substance reduces the damage that ultraviolet rays cause to healthy tissues.
If drug treatment does not give the expected results, it is worth using cosmetic methods. For starters, you can try to eliminate yellow spots by resorting to deep chemical peeling. Laser correction, which painlessly removes pigmented manifestations from the skin and evenly brightens the affected areas, allows you to complete what you started.
Prevention
As you know, any disease is easier to prevent than to deal with its consequences. When identifying the root cause of the formation of yellow spots, it is far from always possible to eliminate them by the methods of modern medicine.
For prevention, it is imperative to protect the skin from prolonged exposure to harmful solar radiation. Simply covering the delicate areas of the skin is not enough. In the summer, it is recommended to use effective products with a high level of protection against ultraviolet radiation. Moreover, they must be applied evenly over the entire surface of unprotected skin.
In case of yellow spots, it is worth restricting yourself in the use of fatty foods, dishes based on ingredients of animal origin. It is advisable to give up alcohol and smoking tobacco.
Finally
The appearance of yellow spots on the skin should not be regarded as a sign of a serious illness. However, it is not recommended to ignore the problem, even if at the same time no changes in well-being are felt. Ultimately, yellow spots do not look very attractive from an aesthetic point of view, especially if they are on the face, other exposed areas of the skin.
When resorting to a particular method of therapy, it is necessary to consider its features, as well as the existing contraindications. You should not make a final decision without consulting a specialist, and also weighing the pros and cons.