What is Pale Skin?
Pale skin, often characterized by its light complexion, is a common skin type that many individuals possess. While some people naturally have pale skin due to genetic factors, others may develop it due to environmental influences or health conditions. Regardless of its origin, pale skin can have both advantages and challenges.
What are the symptoms of pale skin?
- Skin appears noticeably lighter in color than usual
- Lack of rosy or flushed complexion
- Paleness may be more pronounced in areas with less melanin, such as the face, lips, inner mouth, palms, and soles of feet.
- The skin may feel cooler to the touch than usual.
- Fatigue and weakness, often due to anemia or poor circulation, can accompany pale skin.
- Dizziness or lightheadedness, especially when standing up quickly
- Shortness of breath or rapid heart rate, indicating possible cardiovascular issues
- Cold hands and feet, a sign of poor circulation
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Get A Second OpinionWhat causes pale skin?
- Lack of sunlight exposure: Insufficient sunlight exposure can lead to decreased production of melanin, the pigment responsible for skin color, resulting in paler skin.
- Anemia: Low levels of red blood cells or hemoglobin in the blood can cause pale skin due to reduced oxygen delivery to the skin tissues.
- Genetics: Some individuals naturally have paler skin due to genetic factors, such as having less melanin production or a lighter skin tone inherited from their parents.
- Low Blood Pressure A drop in blood pressure can also cause the skin to turn pale, this is accompanied by other symptoms such as dizziness, weakness, and fatigue.
- Illness or medical conditions: Certain medical conditions like hypothyroidism, vitiligo, or albinism can cause pale skin as a symptom.
- Shock or fear: Extreme emotions like shock or fear can cause temporary paleness due to the body's stress response, which triggers the diversion of blood away from the skin.
- Cold temperature: Exposure to cold temperatures can cause vasoconstriction, narrowing blood vessels near the skin's surface, resulting in paler skin as blood flow decreases.
How is pale skin diagnosed?
Low blood pressure and fast, weak pulse are signs you are seriously ill. Abdominal pain and tenderness may mean that internal bleeding is causing your paleness. If you experience any of these symptoms, your doctor may need to order additional tests immediately to identify the underlying cause of your condition. Your doctor will review your symptoms and medical history, perform a physical exam, and monitor your heart rate and blood pressure. Paleness can often be diagnosed with the naked eye, but it's difficult to detect on dark complexions. If you have a darker complexion, your doctor can look for color loss in your inner eyelids and mucous membranes.
To determine the causes of paleness, the following measures are used:
- Complete blood count (CBC): This blood test helps evaluate if you have anemia or infection.
- Reticulocyte count: This blood test helps your doctor see how well your bone marrow is working.
- Stool culture: This test checks the stool for blood, which may show internal intestinal bleeding.
- Serum pregnancy test: This test rules out pregnancy. Anemia, which can cause paleness, is common during pregnancy.
- Thyroid function tests: This series of tests check your thyroid hormone levels. An under-functioning thyroid can cause anemia.
- Kidney function tests : Because kidney failure can cause anemia, your doctor may order a BUN or creatinine blood test to check how well your kidneys are working.
- Vitamin deficiency screenings: Your doctor may order a serum iron, vitamin B-12, or folate level test to see if a nutritional deficiency is causing the anemia.
- Abdominal X-ray: This is a non-invasive test that uses X-rays to examine your abdominal organs.
- Abdominal ultrasound: This non-invasive test uses sound waves to detect problems in your body.
- Abdominal CT Scan: This test uses x-rays to form high-definition images of the organs and blood vessels in your abdomen.
- Arteriography of the limb: This x-ray test involves injecting a dye into an artery in a limb to help your doctor to see if there is a blockage.
First, the doctor will examine the affected area. Then they can ask general health and lifestyle questions to establish a cause. Depending on the suspected cause, the doctor can perform a series of tests.
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Book an AppointmentWhat treatments are available for pale skin?
Treatment depends on the cause of your paleness. Options can include:
- Eat a balanced diet.
- Take iron, vitamin B-12, or folate supplements
- Take medication or receive treatment to control ongoing medical problems
- Surgery, usually only in severe cases of acute bleeding or to treat an arterial blockage
When to see a Doctor?
When paleness is the only symptom a person has, an urgent trip to the doctor is usually not necessary. If the paleness does not go away or worsens, see a doctor within a few days. Contact a physician when paleness occurs with:
- High fever
- Any fever in a newborn or baby
- Symptoms of an infection, such as swollen lymph nodes or a swollen lesion
- Stomach pain
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes
Are there any home remedies for pale skin?
Sandalwood
Sandalwood has soothing and healing properties for the skin, it is used as a mask to combat skin problems such as acne and dull skin. However, this natural ingredient can also be used for pale skin.
Milk
Milk has mild exfoliating properties due to lactic acid, honey has nourishing and skin-repairing properties, and the combination of the two can have a positive effect on pale skin.
Aloe vera
Aloe vera can regulate the activity of tyrosinase in the skin that handles the production of melanin. It also has skin repairing properties due to antioxidants that give it brighter and smoother skin.
Exfoliation
A gentle exfoliator, tomato removes dead skin cells and brightens skin tone. The presence of vitamin C in tomatoes also solves other problems and helps you preserve the natural color of your skin.
