If dark elbows. Elbows are rough and dark - causes and methods of treatment. Oils for the treatment of dry rough skin on the elbows

Rough skin on the elbows may seem like a minor issue. For many, this phenomenon does not even cause discomfort, because they do not think about treatment. But changes in the skin can indicate serious internal problems that cannot be corrected by applying moisturizer to the elbow.

The skin on the elbows is thin for everyone, regardless of body size. There are no sebaceous glands in this area, so many people experience dryness and a feeling of roughness of the skin. The reasons may turn out to be commonplace: constantly resting our elbows on a table or other surface while working, we injure the thin epidermis. And if the elbows begin to dry in winter, during the heating season, the reason will be hidden in insufficient humidity in the room.

But there are a number of more serious reasons why the skin in the elbow area becomes rough and dark in color:

  • Deficiency of vitamins A and E in the body.
  • Diabetes.
  • Autoimmune diseases.
  • Dermatological diseases.
  • Diseases of the endocrine system.
  • Anemia.
  • Hormonal disruptions.
  1. Pass a general and biochemical blood test.
  2. Check hormones.
  3. Visit a dermatologist's office.
  4. Check blood sugar levels.

If no internal problems are identified, the cause of darkening of the skin should be sought in external factors.

Treatment for rough skin on the elbows

When deciding what to do about dry and dark skin on your elbows, you can consult a dermatologist. He will prescribe drugs that restore the skin. Depending on the individual situation, such drugs can be:

  • Ointments against peeling: zinc, salicylic, with birch tar.
  • Moisturizing and anti-allergic creams: Gistan, Boro plus, La Cree.
  • Vitamin creams: Aevit, Bepanten.
  • Vitamin complexes: Centrum, Complivit, Duovit.
  • Antihistamines: Suprastinex, Claritin, Zodak.
  • Medicines with iron: Ferrum-lek, Sorbifer.

Carrying out home treatment with medications, it is necessary to take into account all the recommendations of the doctor. If another negative reaction appears on the skin, inform the specialist without canceling the remedy yourself. Dosage adjustments or drug changes may be required.

Folk recipes

Folk remedies will help improve the condition of the skin on the elbows. Prepared from available components, do not require much time, harmless. You can try the following home remedies:

For additional care for the skin of the elbows, use nourishing oils: olive, grape seed, coconut, even simple sunflower. They can lubricate the skin after masks or compresses. Only regular complex treatment will help you get rid of dryness and darkening of the skin in the elbow area.

Folk recipes can be alternated, and not stick to just one. But they will help if the cosmetic defect was caused by an external cause, and not by internal problems. If remedies don't help, see your doctor to understand why dry skin continues to bother you.

So that the skin does not darken and does not peel off in the future, you should follow simple recommendations for prevention.

  • Drink plenty of fluids "for internal hydration". 2 liters is the average norm, but listen to the needs of your body.
  • Install a humidifier during the heating season.
  • Eat foods rich in vitamins A, E and C, as well as periodically drink vitamin complexes in courses.
  • Take warm showers more often than hot baths to avoid aggravating dry skin.
  • Use moisturizing and nourishing creams, exfoliate the skin with scrubs and light peels so that it renews itself faster.
  • Do not apply shower gel or soap to the elbow area when showering or bathing.
  • Avoid using cosmetics with aggressive ingredients, do not allow cleaning products to come into contact with bare skin.
  • Cover your elbows when in the sun.
  • A balanced diet and the rejection of alcohol, strong coffee.

Rough and dark skin on the elbows is a phenomenon that is difficult to surprise anyone. The thin skin is not protected by a fatty layer, it constantly dries up due to insufficient moisture or the habit of sitting, resting your elbows on the surface. Stress and lack of care most often cause darkening and peeling, but serious diseases can also cause such effects.

In different parts of the human body, the skin differs in density, thickness of the epidermal layer, and hence in properties. Elbows and knees suffer from constant friction, the skin in these places becomes coarse, dark, rough, looks untidy and unpleasant to the touch. There are many ways to get rid of black elbows, but they all require patience and an integrated approach to solving the problem.

Why are the elbows dark and rough


The habit of leaning on the elbows while eating, working at the computer, leisure leads to the fact that the skin in these places becomes dense, rough, new cells grow unevenly. Even at a young age, the skin on the elbows can look much older than biological age.

Additional causes of dark sloppy elbows are:

  • Hypovitaminosis. The deficiency of vitamin A, E, C, D has a particularly strong effect on the skin condition;
  • Thyroid dysfunction - lack of hormones;
  • Skin diseases

Before you start looking for recipes that allow you to make the skin on your elbows soft, lighten it and return your elbows to a neat healthy appearance, you should exclude possible pathologies.

Diseases require, first of all, complex treatment, after which unpleasant symptoms will also go away.

How to whiten elbows at home


Before trying recipes that eliminate dark spots on the elbows, you should pay close attention to everyday behavior, the way you sit during work and rest.

If you analyze the load on the skin of the elbows during the day, it becomes obvious that the hands are in the position of resting the elbows on the table, the back of the chair or sofa are quite often. This habit must be fought!

In addition, clothing made of tough coarse fabric rubs the elbows while wearing, injuring the skin. This triggers the mechanism of cell coarsening, their excessive division and the development of hyperkeratosis - thickening of the skin in a certain place. In this case, on the elbows.

Taking vitamin complexes in spring and autumn will not be superfluous; you should give preference to balanced preparations designed to maintain beauty and health ("Cosmetic", "Beauty").

Vitamins enter the body with food, so the diet must contain:

  • Vegetables and fruits rich in carotene (red and orange) - carrots, peppers, apples, pumpkin, beets, sweet potatoes, viburnum;
  • Broccoli, wild garlic, garlic, seaweed, lettuce, spinach, potatoes;
  • Sour cream, cottage cheese, butter, melted cheese and cheese;
  • Vegetable oils;
  • Nuts;
  • Liver, pork (lard and meat), chicken;
  • Salmon, herring, seafood

When a person discovers that he has rough elbows, signs of the disease must be sought in violations of the functions of the internal secretion organs.

They are responsible for the state of the whole organism, and any pathological condition is associated with a malfunction in their work. Violation of metabolic processes leads to an increase in the stratum corneum of the epidermis, which does not have time to exfoliate naturally. If increased dryness of the skin is observed in certain parts of the body, then this phenomenon is called keratosis. If metabolic disorders are observed throughout the body, then this condition is called hyperkeratosis, which should be treated in a dermatological clinic.

To change the condition of the skin, rough elbows are treated to improve the biochemical processes that make the skin softer and more elastic. The problem can be solved only by complex treatment. Then the condition of the layers of the epidermis will improve, and the elbows will take on a normal appearance. If the elbows are rough, then the reasons for this and the necessary treatment should be found out from the doctor.

Why does the skin begin to roughen

In healthy people, the cause of rough skin may be in the mechanical friction that the skin of the hands experiences for a long time. Elbows, rough and dark, are those people who lean on them for a long time, working at the table.

The epidermis is a multi-layered structure with many functions. Chemical and biological pathogenic substances are removed through its layers. In the upper layers that cover the muscles, there are some components that belong to the immune system. If their functions weaken, then various skin diseases develop.

The surface of the skin is represented by a stratum corneum, formed by dead scales, tightly stuck together. The thickness of this layer in any part of the body depends on how much load will fall on this area.

Knowing this feature of the stratum corneum, one can answer the question of why the elbows are dry and rough. The greater the load on the elbows, the more the keratinized layer will be on them, and this leads to the formation of dark rough spots that cannot be removed with a single treatment with hand cream.

Many people, finding that the elbows have become black and rough, begin to intensively take care of them, lubricating them with greasy creams. They periodically clean dead cells with peeling and after a while get a positive result.

  • Hands;
  • feet;
  • neckline;
  • elbows.

These places require gentle and regular care. Only then the skin will constantly become thinner, soften, and there will be no peeling. If, with timely care, the elbows remain rough and dark, the reasons should be sought in violations of the internal secretion organs.

Why are natural processes in the layers of the epidermis disrupted?

Violation of the processes of desquamation and replenishment occurs not only due to mechanical compression, but also due to various diseases. Keratosis is a symptom that accompanies many diseases associated with impaired metabolic processes. The growth of the stratum corneum of the epidermis in these diseases can reach enormous proportions. Rough elbows can become for several reasons. A person can get keratosis:

  • by inheritance;
  • due to exposure to an aggressive environment;
  • with vitamin deficiency;
  • with fungal infections;
  • due to the development of diabetes;
  • with liver diseases;
  • due to thyroid disease;
  • with Cesari's syndrome;
  • when the epidermis is damaged, we deprive.

Periodically, dry, rough elbows are noted due to hypervitaminosis. Deficiency of ascorbic acid and retinol in the body can cause increased keratinization of the skin. A lack of vitamin E and zinc leads to flaky skin. In late winter and early spring, vitamin deficiency is often the reason why rough skin appeared on the elbows.

A decrease in the functions of the epidermis is observed after childbirth and during menopause. During this period, women change the overall level of all hormones, and this begins to affect metabolic processes. Hair, nails and skin, which are made up of keratin, are the first to suffer.

Then a rough spot on the elbow becomes not the only symptom. Women with hormonal disorders experience:

  • drowsiness;
  • increased sweating;
  • decrease in working capacity;
  • state of chronic fatigue;
  • general weakness.

All these symptoms go away after the disappearance of the causes that cause them. Nursing mothers after the end of lactation restore the beauty of the skin within a year with normal nutrition.

After the onset of menopause, a complete restructuring of the body occurs, which permanently closes the reproductive function. Instead of some hormones, an increased production of other biochemical substances is launched, and they compensate for the deficiency that caused the increase in the stratum corneum. Women after the onset of menopause should intensively care for areas of the body that are prone to increased dryness.

How to get rid of dry skin

Why the elbows have become rough for no apparent reason, you need to ask an endocrinologist or dermatologist. These two narrow specialists can find the cause of the pathological condition of the skin.

An endocrinologist will recommend testing for thyroid hormones, and a dermatologist will take scrapings from the affected skin for analysis to determine the causes of peeling. Having found out the cause that caused the pathology of the epidermis, the doctor will explain why the elbows became rough, and what to do in this case.

Treatment may include:

  • hormonal drugs;
  • antifungal agents;
  • vitamin therapy;
  • zinc ointment;
  • emollient creams;
  • exfoliating cosmetics.

For a quick effect, it is recommended to review the diet and add greens, garlic, cold-pressed vegetable oil to the daily menu. All this will help make rough elbows smooth, and dark spots will disappear, because the causes that caused them will disappear during treatment.

If these doctors do not detect pathologies, then the manifestations of keratosis are treated in cosmetology rooms. A beautician can apply different types of peeling to remove a dark dry spot from the skin of the hands. He will give detailed recommendations on how to care for the elbows in order to prevent the growth of the stratum corneum.

Chapped skin on dark elbows does not look very attractive, especially in summer. You can restore the original appearance of the elbows at home with the help of ointments, tinctures and other mixtures that are made from food.

Causes of rough skin on the elbows

The causes of darkening of the skin on the elbows may be associated with problems in the body, for example:

  • Deficiency in the body of vitamins A and E. An indirect confirmation is hair loss, brittle hair, dry skin. You should change your diet.
  • Diseases of the endocrine system, thyroid dysfunction. Accompanied by weight gain, fatigue, chills. Go see a doctor for a consultation.

Removing rough skin with a scrub

The scrub removes rough and dead skin particles. Take a bath, stretch your elbows. Apply the scrub on your elbows, let dry a little. Gently massage with the mixture for 5 minutes, then roll up and remove the cream. A slightly dried cream will also grab rough skin. Do not rub it if your elbows are sore or cracked. At home, you can independently prepare a scrub from those products that are in the kitchen according to one of the following recipes:

  • Pour salt into the dishes in equal parts, add water and liquid soap, mix everything.
  • Mix in equal parts any cereal and honey. Dilute the mixture to a state of thick sour cream or gruel.

Skin lightening

Vegetables and fruits contain many natural ingredients that will help restore the natural color of the elbows.

Lightening with potatoes

Grate raw potatoes on a grater. Spread gruel on the elbow, put a bandage on top. Keep 15-20 minutes. Repeat the procedure for 8-10 days.


Lightening with lemon

Cut a slice from a lemon, attach to your elbow and secure with a clean napkin. After 15 minutes, remove the bandage, rinse the skin and lubricate with vegetable oil. Use lemon throughout the week daily. The spots will disappear and the skin will become silky.


Lemon honey for lightening

Grate half a lemon, add 1 tsp. honey and the same amount of vegetable oil, mix everything thoroughly. Apply the mixture to cheesecloth and wrap around your elbow. Remove after 15 minutes. Moisten a napkin with the same mixture, apply to the problem area and wrap with a film for 10-15 minutes. Repeat daily for 10 days.


Bulb onions

Helps in the presence of cracks and wounds, treats infections. Grind the onion in a meat grinder. Apply the gruel on the elbows, cover with a film and fix with a bandage for 15 minutes. Do the procedure every day until you get the result.


Baths for elbows

Pour 1 liter of water into a bowl. Add 50 g of soda and 100 g of salt, a little baby soap, wait until everything dissolves. Dip your elbows in the water for 20-25 minutes. Salt, soda and soap cleanse the elbows of rough skin, impurities, improve blood circulation in the elbow area. After the procedure, rub the problem areas with a pumice stone and spread with a nourishing cream or olive oil. Good fat sour cream helps.

Coffee pilling

Helps to get rid of peeling skin on the elbows. Ground coffee is used. Mix coffee, honey and sour cream, taken in the same proportion. Apply the mixture on your elbow and rub in circular motions. Use the mass several times a week until you get soft clean elbows.

Most of us do not even think about the fact that such a part of the body as the elbows needs care no less than the face, hair or hands. Why does the need for skin care in this area appear only when we notice dark spots on the elbows? This is fundamentally the wrong approach, because in the pursuit of excellence, every little thing must be taken into account.

Elbows take a lot of stress, as we often lean on them when we sit at a table. On the other hand, the skin in the elbow area is thin and does not contain sweat and sebaceous glands, and therefore has a tendency to dryness. Dark spots can appear on the elbows even under the influence of ultraviolet radiation, as well as for other reasons. Sometimes, along with spots on the elbows, small cracks and peeling appear. Thus, just using a body cream or lotion is not enough, regular skin care activities on the elbows are needed.

Reasons for the appearance

Why is there such an unpleasant phenomenon as dark spots on the elbows? Experts cite the following reasons:

  • Malfunctions of the hormonal system of the body - dysfunction of the adrenal glands and hypothyroidism (disturbances in the thyroid gland). If you suspect that such a serious problem has affected you, be sure to go to an appointment with an endocrinologist who will prescribe all the necessary examinations.
  • Avitaminosis (especially in spring and autumn) - the appearance of dark age spots may be due to a deficiency of vitamins A, B and E. So that your skin does not suffer from a lack of these vitamins, it is recommended to monitor your diet - it should contain cereals, healthy fats and carbohydrates , greens, eggs. Vitamin and mineral complexes can also be bought at any pharmacy.
  • Fungal skin disease - in this case, the doctor will recommend you special antifungal drugs and ointments.
  • Improper care or lack thereof - the elbows need systematic care, and if dark spots have already appeared, then you should try to get rid of them once and for all.

Recipes to get rid of dark spots

When you establish the causes of darkening of the skin, you can begin to eliminate them. Homemade recipes made from natural ingredients will help you with this.

  • Lemon juice is an effective skin whitening agent. Cut the lemon into pieces and rub them on your elbows so that the juice is absorbed. Do the procedure for 15-20 minutes, then rinse your elbows and spread them with cream.
  • When buying a cream or lotion, it is preferable to choose a product that contains natural natural ingredients (for example, shea butter, jojoba or macadamia).
  • Vegetable oil is an excellent and inexpensive remedy for elbow skin care. You can use any - olive, peach, almond.
  • You can get rid of dark spots on your elbows with raw potatoes. Potatoes need to be rubbed and the resulting mass applied to the elbows, then wrapped with a bandage or napkin. It is recommended to keep the potato mask for about half an hour.

  • You can also whiten the problem area with salt baths, baking soda or ammonia. For one glass of water, take 1 small spoon of salt or soda, or 12-15 drops of ammonia. Elbows are kept in this solution for 30 minutes. Do not wipe with a towel, they should dry themselves.
  • A mask of honey, aloe juice and olive oil in equal proportions helps well. Spread this mixture on your elbows and make a compress, leave it for 25 minutes.

After the bath for the elbows, it is advisable to scrub - from sour cream and salt (1: 1) or from lemon juice and soda (1 tbsp. Spoon). Scrub should be rubbed and left for a quarter of an hour. Do not forget to use nourishing creams and pumice when caring for the skin on your elbows.