What your skin says about your health

Be a Skin Sleuth

Your skin is a barrier between you and a variety of health threats, from annoying irritants to bacteria that could cause serious infection. Your skin — the largest organ in your body mdash; bears the brunt of exposure to UV rays from the sun and maintains a healthy temperature despite changing temperatures around you. Just as healthy skin contributes to your overall health, a key skin benefit is its ability to raise the red flag when your body becomes sick through changes in texture and color and through itching. "Dry skin is the most common cause of itching skin," said dermatologist Shasa Hu, MD, assistant professor of dermatology and cutaneous surgery at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. "But itching skin can reflect internal problems." That's why your dermatologist might do more to assess your health than hand you a moisturizer and send you on your way.

Skin Health Signals: Liver Diseases

Itchy skin could be an early symptom of cirrhosis or hepatitis, said Hu. With hepatitis C, you might notice raised red areas on your legs. In fact, according to a German study of nearly 1,200 adults that looked at the causes of chronic itchy skin lasting more than six weeks, researchers found that liver disease strongly correlated with an ongoing itch, as did asthma, allergies, and eczema — all threats to healthy skin.

Skin Health Signals: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

If you're a woman whose skin health is affected by male-pattern facial hair and cystic acne that resists traditional acne treatment, your skin might be signaling that you have PCOS. To make the diagnosis, Dr. Hu said, "We will screen for an irregular menstrual cycle and a family history of PCOS as well as order blood work." Treating this hormonal imbalance as well as any insulin resistance can control the condition and bring back healthy skin.

Skin Health Signals: Hypothyroidism

"In addition to fatigue, anxiety, and cold or heat intolerance, women with low thyroid complain of brittle hair and nails as well as dry, dull, ashy skin," says Hu. Hair and nail health is part of skin health. In advanced cases, people with hypothyroidism might notice a thickening of the skin on their calves. Fortunately, most of these symptoms will go away after the low thyroid levels are treated.

Skin Health Signals: Cutaneous Lupus

For some people, round lesions on the skin are the first signs of the type of cutaneous lupus known as discoid lupus. Up to two-thirds of those with lupus will have skin involvement at some point in their lives, often on areas exposed to the sun. What's more, once you have lupus, sun exposure can make it worse, so protecting skin health with sunscreen becomes even more important. Seek care from a dermatologist experienced in treating lupus.