The Causes of Skin Discoloration and How to Cure It

Having brown or reddish skin on your legs, hands, face, feet, or ankle often indicates skin discoloration. This might not always be caused by a dermatological condition and can indicate vein disease in some cases. Therefore, knowing its root causes can help you choose the right treatment.

What Is Skin Discoloration?

Skin discoloration causes discolored patches on your legs, hands, face, feet, or ankle. Melanin pigment in the skin is responsible for its color, and an over-production of it makes the skin darker. However, skin discoloration can be caused by several factors.

Causes of Skin Discoloration

The common causes of skin discoloration include:

• Cancer treatment
• Vitiligo
• Eczema
• Sunburn 
• Physical trauma 
• Contact dermatitis
• Tinea Versicolor
• Rosacea 
• Certain kinds of medication 
• Age spots
• Spider veins
• Psoriasis 
• Shingles

Symptoms of Skin Discoloration

Common signs of skin discoloration are:

• The hair on your eyelashes, scalp, eyebrows, or beard starts graying or whitening prematurely
• Patches of lighter or darker colored skin being noticeable in various parts of your body
• Loss of color in the mucous membranes (tissues inside the mouth and nose)

If you are facing any of these symptoms, seek medical help as soon as you can, as this might be an indication of an underlying medical condition. 

Can Vein Disease Cause Skin Discoloration?

Yes, venous insufficiency can cause skin discoloration. Venous insufficiency occurs when certain veins in your legs are damaged or broken, causing blood to pool and pressure to build up in them. As a result, blood may leak from the veins into the skin, making it red, itchy, dry, and irritated. This condition (skin discoloration caused by venous insufficiency) is called venous stasis dermatitis. 

Besides dermatitis, blood pooling in the legs can make iron in the red blood cells accumulates in the skin. The iron can break down into hemosiderin, appearing brown or purple. 

Treatment Options for Skin Discoloration

Here are some treatment options for venous insufficiency-induced skin discoloration:

• Sclerotherapy 

This treats small and medium leg vein issues, such as spider and varicose veins. Your doctor will inject a liquid into the damaged vein that will cause the vein to shrink and collapse.

• VenaSeal or Endovenous Adhesive Ablation

A varicose veins treatment, in which your doctor will insert a small catheter tube into the damaged vein and put medical adhesive through it to close it. This redirects blood to healthy veins. 

• Endovenous Laser Treatment 

This treats large vein disease and varicose veins in your legs which are below the skin surface and may not be visible. Your doctor will insert a small catheter tube into your damaged vein and send heat energy from the laser through the tube to close it. 

• Phlebectomy 

Performed to treat varicose veins near your skin. Your doctor will make several small punctures in your skin to remove damaged veins through them. 

• Radiofrequency Ablation 

Similar to endovenous laser treatment, your doctor will insert a catheter into your damaged vein and send heat energy from the RF (radio frequency) generator via the tube to close the vein. This treatment is generally used to treat large varicose veins on your legs and large vein diseases, which are generally below the surface and are only visible with an ultrasound.

If you are looking for a reputable vein clinic in Suwanee for treating venous stasis dermatitis or other vein diseases, contact North Atlanta Vascular Clinic and Vein Center today to schedule an appointment. We provide a wide range of treatment options, including sclerotherapy and radiofrequency ablation, and can effectively treat most vein diseases.