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.
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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.
How to get rid of dark spots on elbows yourself
If your health is fine, black elbows can be cured at home . To do this, they use various means, ranging from natural products to cheap pharmaceutical drugs.
Baths for rough spots
Warm baths have a comprehensive effect on the problem, soften the skin, enrich it with nutritional components, allowing them to penetrate into the deep layers of the dermis. The following recipes are most effective :
- 50 g of baking soda, 100 g of table salt , pour in 2 liters of water/potato broth and immerse problem areas in the resulting solution for 15 minutes. Afterwards, rub the skin with a waffle towel and apply a moisturizing cream/lotion.
- A small spoonful of liquid toilet soap and ammonia is diluted in 1 liter of water. Place your elbows in the resulting mixture for 30 minutes. The procedure is performed daily for 2 weeks.
- 300 g of dry leaves of stinging nettle are poured into 1 liter of boiling water and left for half an hour. The infusion is poured into a container without straining, and the elbows are lowered for 15 minutes, after which a moisturizer is applied.
- 6 large spoons of olive oil are heated in a water bath, poured into two containers and the elbows are dipped in them for 10-15 minutes. The softened epidermis is rubbed with pumice, washed with water and lubricated with baby cream.
Baths quickly, painlessly, and effectively eliminate roughness and darkening of the skin. Products in the form of peeling scrubs will help enhance their effect.
Skin cleansing scrubs
If mechanical cleaning procedures are not carried out, the condition of the integument will gradually deteriorate. To cleanse, you can use scrubs :
- Coffee grounds are mixed with candied honey in equal proportions. Apply the mixture with light movements, leave for 10 minutes and rinse with warm water.
- High-fat sour cream with coarse salt and rubbed into the problem area.
If dark elbows are peeling, the reason may be hidden in a deficiency of nutrients. Treatment at home is supplemented with masks, compresses, and lotions.
Nourishing masks, compresses, lotions
You can saturate the epidermis with vitamins and minerals, get rid of dermatitis, make the skin soft, elastic, velvety even on the elbows, using this mask:
- grate raw carrots on a fine grater;
- add 1 large spoon of olive oil;
- spread the resulting mass onto two cotton sponges and press it to your elbows;
- fixed with a plaster or bandage;
- After half an hour, wash off with warm water.
If the skin on your elbows is severely peeling, peeling and darkening, a recipe for a fortified whitening compress will come in handy: cut the lemon into slices, tie it to your elbows for half an hour, wash it off with warm water, and treat it with a nourishing cream. Or dilute 5 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with 3 tablespoons of water. Soak cotton swabs with the resulting solution and apply to the desired area of the body for 30-40 minutes. It is not recommended to keep the product for longer, as the acid can cause burns.
You can make a compress from onions . The root vegetable is crushed into a paste, applied to problem areas, covered with cling film and a bandage. After 20 minutes, wash off. A mask made from oatmeal is also effective: the product is soaked in boiling water and applied to the elbows under plastic for 20 minutes.
Pharmacy products, creams, ointments
Special products help get rid of age spots and rough areas. They must be applied after baths, scrubbing, and compresses. The most popular are:
- Zinc ointment;
- Desitin;
- Baby cream;
- Hydroquinone;
- Melantiv;
- Clearwin;
- Revitol.
Ascorbic acid has a whitening effect . The powder is purchased at the pharmacy, mixed with a small spoon of heated olive oil, the same amount of orange juice and rubbed with massage movements into problem areas. After 5 minutes, wash off.
Another popular emollient is glycerin. 2 large spoons of the solution are mixed with chicken yolk and applied to black areas. After washing off, the skin is treated with a rich cream.
You should not use hydrogen peroxide for whitening. The drug dries out the skin, leading to the formation of cracks and wounds.
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.
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Pharmacy ointments and creams
If the skin of the elbows is affected by psoriasis, it is recommended to add non-hormonal ointments to the main treatment, since they can be used for an unlimited time. Such a remedy is Videstim ointment (Russia) based on vitamin A, which effectively affects the affected areas, helping to speed up healing. Cost 100 rub.
Cream emollient "Emolium" from the Polish manufacturer Sanofi-Aventi. Thanks to its composition, it covers the skin with a thin film that prevents moisture evaporation and drying of the skin.
Contains macadamia and shea butter, which additionally moisturizes and restores epidermal cells. Recommended for atopic dermatitis, excessive dryness and flaking of the skin. The cost of a 75 ml tube is 500 rubles.
Bepanten ointment or cream from the manufacturer Bayer JSC (Russia) contains dexpanthenol, which enhances regeneration at the cellular level. The products are well absorbed and immediately begin to act on damaged areas of the skin. Use up to 3 times a day. The cost of a tube of ointment and cream (30 g) is almost the same: 450-500 rubles.
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.
Harmless causes of darkening of the elbows
When working with your elbows resting on the table, your elbows become rough and dark.
Rough, dark elbows are often found in people who work in an office or at home using a computer . The habit of leaning your elbows on the table leads to squeezing of the delicate skin, chafing, and the appearance of growths. Another reason why elbows are dark and even black is changes in temperature and humidity . During the heating season or during hot weather, the skin dries out due to lack of moisture in the body.
Elbows may be rough and dark due to vitamin deficiency. Due to a deficiency of retinol and tocopherol, the skin on dense areas of the body darkens and dries out. If you do not take care of the epidermis in time and do not take a course of multivitamins, it will change its condition for a long time.
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?
Treatment of peeling elbows with medications
Depending on the etiology of peeling of the elbows, the following groups of drugs are used:
- Antihistamines (Tavegil, Fenkarol, Suprastin, Zyrtec, etc.) - if it is dermatitis, eczema and other allergic skin manifestations.
- Medicines that replenish iron deficiency in the body (sorbifer, ferrum-lek, etc.) – when anemia is detected.
- Vitamin-mineral complexes (duovit, complivit, supradin, etc.) - for long-term lack of vitamins.
- Creams and ointments aimed at eliminating dryness, peeling and cracking of the skin of the elbows (rescuer, bepanten, foretal, zinc ointment, etc.)
- Hormonal drugs - for disorders of the endocrine system.
Reviews
Leah: I really liked rubbing my elbows with lemon juice - natural and effective! The most important thing is not to forget to apply cream afterwards!
Karina: Baths seemed like too much of a hassle to me. At one time the result is minimal, but I don’t want to do this for two weeks.
Sveta: Dark skin on the elbows is simply poorly exfoliated, so the best solution is a scrub. The honey-coffee mixture gives simply excellent results.
Olya: My elbows turned black due to vitamin deficiency, I started taking vitamins and everything gradually went away by itself. I didn’t take any additional measures, although I systematically scrub my entire body, maybe this had some significance.
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.
