When Good Skin Goes Bad: Why It's Tough, Hardened, and Sore Might Surprise You.
You’ve nurtured it. Lathered it lovingly. Showered expensive oils on it. Made trip after trip to the dermatologist and doctor for creams and wraps to keep the itchiness, dryness, irritation at bay. And it still has toughened and hardened up on you. Nothing is working and the symptoms keep getting worse. Much worse. Why has your skin turned on you like this?
What causes the skin to become thick and hardened in the lower legs and ankle area?
More than likely it is vein disease that’s the cause of is your skin troubles. An no one has mentioned it to you because your symptoms appear to be “just a bad skin problem” and vein disease is not “on the radar” of many doctors. Which is why so many people can go years without a proper diagnosis and treatment.
When skin hardens in this area it is due to fibrosis or scarring due to low oxygen levels and chronic inflammation. We’re talking years’ worth of built up venous pressure. This advanced condition of vein disease is called lipodermatosclerosis. People who develop this have also probably suffered with venous dermatitis. Lipodermatosclerosis can be very painful but not always. The tissues actually tighten and shrink down, so people with this often have lower legs that are quite narrowed when one might expect edema or swelling. Hyperpigmentation of the lower leg is common at this stage as well.
What causes leg ulcers to form?
The culmination of all vein-related skin problems (discoloration, itchiness, dryness, hardening) is venous ulceration — the most advanced form of vein disease. This happens when chronic inflammation, irritation and dryness causes the skin to deteriorate to a point where open sores appear. This can become a very dangerous situation when infection sets in. These sores take years to develop and take a long time to heal – but they ARE TREATABLE with minimally invasive vein treatments under the care of a vein specialist.
Relief for debilitating, irritating skin conditions caused by vein disease is not available in a cream or another round of medication. It’s found at Hamilton Vein Center – a leader among vein treatment clinics in Texas. Give us a call today at 281-565-0033 to schedule your vein consultation and screening. We can help.