Rough and dark elbows - causes and methods of treatment

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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Why does the skin on my elbows become dark and dry?

Harmless reasons leading to darkening and roughening of the skin on the elbows:

1. The cause of the formation of scabs, thickening and blackening can be the habit of sitting at the table, leaning on your elbows. Constant thorn and pressure in such a situation leads to a change in the structure of the skin and its color (such inconveniences for the epidermis give a signal that the thickness of the skin should be increased).
2. The skin on the elbow can react to changes in temperature and humidity. Crusts and roughness of the skin often form during the heating season or during the summer holidays, when a person spends a lot of time in the open sun - the skin simply dries out.
3. Lack of vitamins A and E. Against the background of such a deficiency, the condition of the skin significantly worsens and in dense areas it can become dry and darken. Improper and untimely skin care can also serve as an impetus for changes in its condition.

All these reasons can be eliminated by a person at home, so getting your elbows in order is not difficult.

What exactly hurts

The elbow joint is a complex joint consisting of three bones (ulna, radius, humerus) and interconnected joints: radioulnar, humeroulnar and humeroradial. The radial side of the joint is on the outer (lateral) side of the arm, the ulnar side is on the inner (medial). The complex joint is surrounded by a dense capsule that protects it from external influences.

The inner lining of the capsule is called synovial. It secretes synovial fluid, which is the “lubricant” of the joint and supplies nutrients to the cells of the hyaline cartilage that covers the articular surfaces of the bones. Around the joint between the bone and tendon-ligament tissues there are 3 bursae - articular capsules containing synovial fluid (interosseous ulnar, radioulnar and ulnar subcutaneous). They improve the process of sliding of joint tissues during movement and prevent injury.

The joint is strengthened by four ligaments: two lateral (ulnar and radial), annular (fixes the head of the radius) and quadrate (fixes the connection of the radius and ulna). In the area of ​​the elbow, the tendons of the flexor and extensor muscles of the shoulder are attached and the tendons of the forearm, which are involved in the movement of the arm below the elbow joint, originate. Joint movements: flexion-extension, supination-pronation (rotation of the forearm in and out).

The structure of the elbow joint

The elbow is the elbow joint and the soft tissues surrounding it - tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, subcutaneous tissue and skin. Elbow pain can occur due to pathology in any of these structures.

What disease can black elbows be a sign of?

Not all causes of darkening and drying of the skin on the elbows are easily removable and harmless. There are a number of diseases that can cause such symptoms, and they require urgent treatment. The source of gray, cracking and hard skin may lie in the following diagnoses:

• Diabetes . This is a systemic disease that affects the entire body. Due to a lack of insulin production, the normal nutrition of all cells is disrupted, and the skin is no exception. General negative changes lead to the skin becoming dry and thinner, areas with dense skin and folds are especially affected;
• Disorders of the thyroid gland (including hypothyroidism). This also threatens to disrupt the nutrition of cells, metabolic processes slow down, the skin does not normally get rid of dead cells, which is why it becomes covered with dark, rough spots;
• Dermatological diseases . Often darkening of the skin and its peeling are symptoms of dermatitis, neurodermatitis, etc.;
• Iron deficiency anemia and autoimmune diseases cause dirty elbow syndrome.

Vitamin complexes for healthy skin

Vitamin and mineral complex Imedin - Time of perfection (Pfizer, Denmark). A distinctive feature of the drug is the Biomarine Complex and LycoPhence GS complexes, which act directly on skin cells, preventing their dehydration, enriching them with essential elements. The cost of a package of vitamins (60 pcs.) is 3,000 rubles.

Vitamin and mineral complex AlfaVit Cosmetics for beauty and health from the Russian manufacturer Akvion. Contains vitamins, minerals, flavonoids and coenzyme Q10. The VMC is designed so that all the elements are contained in 3 tablets, which must be taken during the day with an interval of 4-5 hours. This separation promotes better absorption of substances. The cost of the complex is 350 rubles.

The vitamin complex Complivit Radiance (Russia) contains 11 vitamins, 8 minerals, lipoic acid and green tea extract. Pack of 30 pcs. designed for a monthly course of use. As a result, the body compensates for the lack of microelements, healing the skin, hair and nails. The cost of vitamins is 300 rubles.

What to do and how to get rid of black spots on elbows?

If the color or condition of the skin on your elbows changes, you should consult a doctor. During the examination, the specialist will check the condition of the thyroid gland, blood sugar levels and the absence of skin diseases.

• If everything is in order, then the reason should be sought either in a lack of vitamins, or in the peculiarities of caring for this area of ​​​​the skin.
• In the case of diseases, it will be possible to cure dryness and dark spots on the elbows only after the root cause has been cured.

An important question remains: how to treat darkening and roughening of the skin? This is where numerous store-bought and homemade formulations will come to the rescue.

Baths will help remove rough spots

Baths help achieve a comprehensive effect on the problem: warm water softens the skin, and the components added to it can more easily penetrate the layers of the dermis and produce their positive effect. You can resort to the following recipes:

Such procedures allow you to comfortably and without aggressive influence cope with the problem of rough, dark elbows.

Scrubs are an effective remedy

A scrub is a cosmetic product that contains solid particles of different sizes that allow you to exfoliate keratinized and blackened skin particles with a selected intensity. Scrubs are effective in the fight against dark and rough elbows.

There are two options: you can resort to purchased products, the choice of which is large in any cosmetic store, or you can prepare the mixture yourself at home. It is worth considering that store-bought body scrubs are developed by specialists, and therefore, in addition to exfoliating properties, they also moisturize and nourish the skin, and when preparing a homemade product, you should rely on the same principle. Let's look at a few popular recipes:

Scrubs and peeling for elbows

The cosmetic industry offers a variety of cleansing and exfoliating products for the skin.

The following scrubs and peels are suitable for the elbow area:

1. Peeling from the company Arabia Organic – fruit peel based on fruit acids. Cleanses the skin without damaging it. Prepares for hydration. The cost of a 150 ml bottle is 1300 rubles.
2. Peeling from Organic Shop – a whole series of products with different components. Allows you to select an individual cleanser based on olfactory preferences, without compromising the quality of the product. Does not contain parabens and silicones. The cost of a 250 ml jar is 235 rubles.

3. Invigorating sugar scrub Coffee, Zeytun - consists of natural ingredients (cane sugar, grape seed oil, nutmeg, etc.) that gently but thoroughly cleanse the skin of dead cells. The cost of a 500 ml can is 1,700 rubles.
4. PhytoCosmetic, grape-sugar intensive care body scrub qualitatively cleanses the upper layer of the epidermis without injuring it. The presence of almond oil and cranberry juice, as well as cane sugar and ground grape seed, has a beneficial effect on the skin. Low price of 50 rubles. for a jar of 155 ml it is very profitable. It will last for a long time if used only on the elbows.
5. Coffee and salt body scrub “Chocolate Paradise” from the Russian company Dushka-Odushka. The composition is completely natural - sea salt, ground coffee, natural silk, coconut, palm, flaxseed, burdock oils, etc. The product cleanses well, while the oils in the composition nourish the skin, preventing it from drying out. A 200 ml jar is estimated at 200-300 rubles.

How to quickly whiten dark elbows on your hands

To whiten skin color on the elbows and other parts of the body, traditional medicine recipes containing acids are used. If the skin on the elbows hurts and there are small wounds and cracks, then the use of such products is contraindicated.

Oil baths for elbows

Oil baths effectively soften rough skin on the elbows, facilitating better penetration of medications or nutrients.

Castor oil bath

Ingredients:

• 160 ml sunflower oil;
• 25 ml castor oil.

Heat vegetable oil in a ceramic bowl, add castor oil to it. Stir, dip elbows in oil for 15-25 minutes. After time, wipe the skin dry and lubricate with cream.

Bath with glycerin

Required components:

• Olive oil – 115 ml;
• Glycerin – 25 ml.

The oil is heated to a temperature of 45-50 degrees. Glycerin is added to it and mixed well. Keep your elbows in the bath for 20 minutes or more. At the end of the procedure, the elbows are not washed, but blotted with a napkin.

To achieve maximum results, oil baths should be done after exfoliation 2-3 times a week.

How to remove dark spots with creams and ointments

The main purpose of the product that will be used to eliminate the roughness of dark elbows should be to moisturize and nourish. Creams and ointments should be the final stage of any scrubbing procedure to protect the skin from drying out and prevent the appearance of cracks. Usually no special compositions are required for this. Apply existing creams either for the hands or for the body in general.

For targeted lightening of the area, Zinc ointment, Hydroquinone, Revitol lightening cream, Clinicians Complex skin cleansing and lightening agent, etc. can be used. If the skin begins to itch and bother you, you can apply a thin layer of Vaseline to it.

Nutrition for healthy elbow skin

You can help rough, flaky skin on your elbows by enriching your daily diet with products useful for restoring the epidermis:

• seeds and nuts (almonds, walnuts, pine);
• fermented milk products (cottage cheese, cheese);
• vegetables – spinach, carrots, sorrel;
• chicken eggs;
• fish liver, beef liver.

To improve the skin of your elbows, you need to give up alcohol (especially strong drinks). It negatively affects not only large blood vessels, but also impairs microcirculation in the upper layers of the dermis.

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 to do at home if your elbow hurts

Elbow pain can appear suddenly in a person or increase gradually. Their causes can also be obvious (trauma, inflammation) or completely unclear (slowly developing chronic inflammatory and degenerative pathological processes).

In any case, if you experience constant pain, you should not:

• treat yourself with folk remedies or medicines that helped a neighbor;
• panic – all this can be treated, but only by specialists; You will be helped in a medical clinic, Moscow - the clinic’s specialists have extensive experience in the treatment of pain syndrome of the elbow joint.

How to treat a sore elbow at home

There is no point in delaying a visit to the doctor. But sometimes circumstances develop in such a way that pain in the elbow needs to be relieved urgently, but there is no way to see a doctor. To temporarily eliminate pain in the elbow, you can use medicinal and non-medicinal means, but you need to remember that this will not cancel a visit to the doctor:

• Painkillers in tablets:
  paracetamol (trade names Efferalgan, Panadol, Paracetamol) – for pain you can take a 500 mg tablet; contraindications: severe liver disease, chronic alcoholism;
• medications from the group of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - ketoprofen (Ketonal, Artrum) has the most powerful analgesic effect; You can take a 100 mg tablet once; contraindications: gastrointestinal ulcers, severe kidney and liver diseases;
• nimesulide (Nise) is a medicine from the NSAID group that does not cause significant side effects from the gastrointestinal tract; for pain, you can take a 100 mg tablet.
• Pain-relieving ointments, creams, gels – applied externally and can be no less effective than tablets; Moreover, they have no side effects (except for allergies) and contraindications:
  ointments with diclofenac : Voltaren emulgel, Diclofenac gel;
• ointments with ketoprofen : Bystrumgel, Artrum gel, Ketonal cream and gel;
• ointments with nimesulide : gels Nise, Nimulid, Nimesulide.
• Injections (injections of medicinal solutions). Many patients do not have a medical education, so it is better to replace injections with rectal (introduced into the rectum) suppositories (suppositories). In terms of absorption rate and effectiveness, this corresponds to intramuscular injections. The following rectal suppositories can be used:
  Diclofenac – at a dose of 100 mg; contraindications: peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum;
• Ketonal – at a dose of 100 mg; contraindications as for Diclofenac;
• Indomethacin – 100 mg; contraindications, like Diclofenac.

Well, if you still know how to give injections, then you can administer 75 mg of Diclofenac intramuscularly (a medicinal solution of 3 ml is produced in ampoules, 25 mg in 1 ml, a total of 75 mg in an ampoule).

Drugs for treating acute pain in the elbows at home

Exercise therapy exercises will also help. If you experience significant pain before training, it is better to consult your doctor. But sometimes you can start doing the simplest light exercises on your own.

The main thing is to continue training every day, but do not overdo it, do not make sudden movements and do not continue training when the pain increases.

Effective exercises:

• bending all the way and straightening the arms at the elbows; repeat 15 times;
• rotational movements with arms bent at the elbows; do first 10 times to the left, then 10 to the right;
• simultaneous squeezing of a tennis ball with the right and left hands; repeat 10 times.

What not to do if you have elbow pain

If you have constant pain in your elbow, then you shouldn’t:

• lift weights;
• constantly perform the same professional movements with a load on the elbow joint; if this is not possible, then you should change your job or give up playing sports such as tennis, basketball;
• supercool;
• constantly expose yourself to stress and overload at work;
• smoking, regularly drinking alcohol;
• self-medicate.

When you need to see a doctor urgently

This must be done if you have pain in your elbow:

• accompanied by swelling and redness of the skin, increased body temperature;
• do not go away, despite eliminating stress and taking painkillers;
• accompanied by impaired movement and numbness of the hand;
• increase during movements in the joint;
• arise against the background of deformation of the elbow area.

If such symptoms appear, you cannot postpone visiting a doctor; this can lead to serious complications.

Causes of elbow pain

Elbow pain can be a consequence of many diseases and injuries:

1. Acute and chronic arthritis (inflammatory processes) of the elbow joint. The reason is infection entering the joint cavity, autoimmune (allergy to one’s own tissues) processes. In acute arthritis, redness, swelling, increased skin temperature over the joint, pain, and sometimes fever and general malaise appear. When arthritis takes a chronic course, the pain becomes moderate and aching, the swelling is insignificant, and there is no redness. You need to start treatment as early as possible; for this, in case of acute arthritis of one joint, you need to consult a surgeon; if several joints are affected at once or the process is erased, then consult a rheumatologist.
2. Bursitis is an inflammation of the periarticular bursa (bursa). The disease develops against the background of microtrauma during constant performance of certain movements. Bursitis most often develops in the subcutaneous ulnar bursa (see Fig.), but can also occur in the radioulnar and interosseous ulnar bursa. It manifests itself as moderate pain and the appearance of a lump of dense elastic consistency in the elbow area. Bursitis is treated by an orthopedist-traumatologist.
3. Epicondylitis, an inflammation of the muscle tendon where it attaches to the bony joint structure, can also cause elbow pain. Ulnar epicondylitis is divided into internal - with damage to the tendons of the flexor muscles attached to the inner surface of the head of the humerus and external - with pathology of the extensor muscles attached to the outer surface of the head of the humerus. Pain in this case appears respectively when flexing and extending the arm in the right or left elbow, as well as when pressing on the outer or inner surface of the head of the humerus. The reason for the development of epicondylitis is microtrauma during regular performance of monotonous work (painters, cooks) and sports activities (tennis, golf). Treatment consists of limiting exercise and anti-inflammatory therapy.
4. Arthrosis is degenerative-dystrophic changes in the elbow that develop after injuries, inflammatory processes and in the second half of life, after the age of 50 years. Painful sensations of an aching nature, it is difficult to bend and straighten the arm at the elbow.
5. Joint dislocation is a complete or partial (subluxation) divergence of articular joints. A dislocation develops when you fall backwards or forwards onto a straight arm, as well as from a direct strong blow to the joint. Symptoms: severe sudden pain, aggravated by moving the hand and clenching it into a fist, increasing tissue swelling. If such symptoms appear, you need to provide emergency assistance to the victim (see above) and call an ambulance. Reducing a dislocation on your own is strictly contraindicated: this can lead to a bone fracture, pinched nerves and blood vessels. In the hospital, diagnostics are first carried out, and then, under local or general anesthesia, the dislocation is reduced with the application of an immobilization bandage.
6. Joint fracture - develops during acute injury, can be open (with a violation of the skin and protrusion of bone fragments onto the surface) and closed. Bone fragments may remain in the same position as normal (undisplaced fracture) or move (displaced fracture). Symptoms: severe sudden pain in the elbow, dry cracking, change in joint configuration and increasing swelling. After emergency assistance is provided, the victim is hospitalized and urgently examined. In case of a non-displaced fracture, an immobilization bandage is applied. A displaced fracture is operated on, the bones are connected, and only after that immobilization is carried out.

Elbow fracture a) without displacement of fragments, b) with displacement