What are the skin symptoms indicating poor liver health?
The symptoms of skin caused by poor liver function are numerous. Firstly, the skin will appear dull, dry, and rough. The facial skin may also develop a yellowish, dark, or brownish hue. Additionally, spider nevi are prone to appear on the face and neck, and the skin may exhibit itching. Sometimes, the palmar erythema areas of the hands may present with patchy hyperemia.
When the face appears with melanin pigmentation or chloasma, accompanied by dry, rough, inelastic, and dull skin, it is due to abnormal melanin metabolism caused by poor liver function. Furthermore, the inability to metabolize and excrete bilirubin from the body can lead to its accumulation on the surface of the body, resulting in a dark brownish skin color.
Small, brightly colored red spots often appear on the face and neck, not in the shape of pimples, but resembling the shape of a small spider with a dark red congestion point. This is known as spider nevi, caused by liver pathology.
When the liver has acute or chronic inflammation or lesions that are insufficient in metabolizing hormones, estrogen accumulates in the body, causing dilation of small arteries. This can lead to palmar erythema patches or red spots and patches on the palmar erythema areas of the thumb and little finger, which turn pale when pressed. This condition is known as liver palms.
If the liver cells of a person are severely damaged, it can reduce liver function and cause a large amount of bilirubin to remain in the blood. When excessive amounts of bilirubin accumulate in the blood, it can lead to jaundice on the skin, sometimes accompanied by itching.