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If you suffer from darkness on your elbows and knees, summertime can be your least favorite season. Especially because at this time of year, short sleeves and pants are the outfit of choice. So you may ask yourself, what therapies are available to treat dark elbows and knees?
“The reason many patients have dark elbows and knees is due to a thickening of the skin in these areas,” says Dr. Miriam Hanson, board certified dermatologist in Austin, Texas. In fact, dead skin cells can accumulate around these joints and get trapped in the natural wrinkles and folds in the skin, forming a thick layer of dark skin. This skin can be dry, rough, and make you self-conscious about your appearance.
Depending on how dark the skin is, you have several options for treatment. The first step is to exfoliate, which can help to remove the buildup of the dead skin cells. “Using specific skin care products and other exfoliating techniques like a Clarisonic body brush can help,” says Dr. Hanson. But skin care and moisturizing may not be enough to combat the darkness. In that case, there are other options you can utilize.
For example, your doctor might recommend a prescription medication such as a retinoid or bleaching cream to decrease the appearance of the dark skin. “Some chemical peels are extremely effective in reducing the darkness of these areas,” says Dr. Hanson. “These peels possess ingredients that are able to improve the texture and tone of the skin, as well as possess lightening properties.” In either case, you should always seek the help of a dermatologist to make sure that your dark elbows and knees aren’t a sign of a more serious condition that needs to be addressed.
Dark spots on the skin do not have to be permanent. To schedule an appointment today at Sanova Dermatology to help treat your dark elbows and knees, please contact us.