^

Health

A
A
A

Pale skin

 
, medical expert
Last reviewed: 04.07.2025
 
Fact-checked
х

All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.

We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.

If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.

Pale skin is a light complexion caused by a number of reasons.

Generally, pink is considered a healthy skin tone.

This complexion indicates that blood microcirculation in the skin is normal, without any disturbances.

trusted-source[ 1 ]

Causes pale skin

The causes of pale skin in humans are most often found in a violation of a healthy lifestyle. Factors that cause pale skin include:

  1. Poor, inadequate, monotonous nutrition, which lacks sufficient quantities of useful components to support the function of hematopoiesis, as well as the optimal functioning of the entire organism.
  2. Smoking tobacco.
  3. Abuse of alcoholic beverages.
  4. Unfavorable environmental conditions in the place of human residence, poor quality of air, water and soil.
  5. Constantly staying indoors, especially in stale and smoky air. Lack of regular walks in the fresh air, especially in parks and squares, for a long time.
  6. Constant and long-term stress that destabilizes the entire human body and causes various psychosomatic diseases.
  7. A once-in-a-lifetime, intense emotional shock.

Pale skin is also a symptom of existing diseases. Most often, pale skin is caused by iron deficiency anemia, which is accompanied by constant weakness, fatigue, and a feeling of shortness of breath. Anemia in women is most often caused by prolonged and heavy menstrual bleeding, which affects the color of the skin. Iron deficiency anemia also accompanies diseases such as gastric ulcer and duodenal ulcer, hemorrhoids, and intestinal tumors.

Pale skin is observed in the following conditions:

  • Sometimes, with fever, due to generalized spasm of skin vessels, the skin may turn pale (so-called pale fever). With pale fever, physical cooling methods are unacceptable.
  • In people with a labile autonomic nervous system, reddening and blanching of the skin may alternate due to fluctuations in tone and, consequently, blood filling of small arteries and arterioles of the skin.
  • Constant and most often increasing pallor of the skin occurs when the hemoglobin content in the blood decreases (anemia), for example, during acute blood loss or various blood diseases.
  • Whitening of the skin of the fingertips, caused by vascular spasm, provoked by cold or negative emotions and accompanied by a feeling of numbness (the “dead fingers” symptom), is observed in Raynaud’s syndrome.

Taking a large amount of aspirin as a medicine can also cause skin discoloration, lightening. Ascorbic acid deficiency in the body also causes skin pallor.

In some cases, pale skin is caused by heredity, which is a distinctive individual feature of a person and is not associated with any diseases. To ensure that there are no dysfunctions of the body, you need to evaluate the color of the mucous membranes and nails. If, with pronounced paleness of the skin, the mucous membranes and nails have a normal color, then this indicates a healthy state of the human body.

trusted-source[ 2 ], [ 3 ]

Pathogenesis

If certain dysfunctions are observed in the human body, this affects the quality of blood microcirculation in the skin. Blood begins to flow into the skin in insufficient quantities, which leads to a change in the color of the face and body - it becomes pale.

Read also:

It can be said that, with the exception of genetic characteristics that cause pale skin without affecting a person's health, very light skin color is the result of complex disorders in the individual's body.

A feature of pale skin is its intolerance to tanning procedures, since it is very delicate and does not tolerate harmful environmental factors well. Representatives of light skin are wary of being under the scorching rays of the summer sun for a long time, and are also the main consumers of sun protection and burns in the summer.

Pale skin can be made more attractive by emphasizing it with a certain hair color and makeup, as well as appropriate clothing shades. If fair skin causes a lot of grief for beautiful ladies, it can always be made darker with the help of a solarium, as well as special homemade masks and industrial cosmetics.

trusted-source[ 4 ], [ 5 ], [ 6 ], [ 7 ]

Symptoms pale skin

In some cases, the presence of very light skin indicates existing diseases in the body.

With pale skin, the tone of the blood vessels that permeate the skin changes. As a result, blood microcirculation is disrupted, which causes skin lightening. A decrease in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood is also the cause of a lighter tone in certain diseases. A low content of red blood cells in the peripheral blood in certain diseases also manifests itself in an increase in the pallor of the skin.

Pale skin, as a sign of illness, appears in the case of many ailments, namely:

  • Iron deficiency anemia.
  • Leukemia.
  • Angina pectoris.
  • Congenital heart defect.
  • Arrhythmias.
  • Heart failure.
  • Myocardial infarction.
  • Hypertensive heart disease.
  • Paroxysmal tachycardia.
  • Candidal endocarditis.
  • Celiac.
  • Epilepsy.
  • Multiple myeloma.
  • Diphtheria.
  • Hodgkin's disease (lymphogranulomatosis).
  • Crohn's disease of the colon.
  • Crohn's disease of the small intestine.
  • Disturbances of intestinal absorption function.
  • Ulcerative colitis.
  • Acute hemorrhagic gastritis.
  • Stomach ulcer.
  • Ulcer of the duodenum.
  • Perforation of the esophagus.
  • Acute pancreatitis.
  • Diaphragmatic hernia.
  • Hypopituitarism.
  • Acute amoebic dysentery.
  • Ankylostomiasis.
  • Bronchitis.
  • Pneumonia.
  • Amoebic lung abscess.
  • Pleurisy.
  • Asthma.
  • Tuberculosis of the lungs.
  • Diffuse membranous glomerulonephritis.
  • Nephrotic syndrome.
  • Pemphigus.

trusted-source[ 8 ]

Pale skin and dark circles under the eyes

Pale skin and dark circles under the eyes are a sign of ill health and dysfunction of the body.

What could cause such a combination?

  1. First of all, such phenomena can be caused by overwork. Owners of such defects most likely sleep little, sit up late at work or have fun on the computer, are burdened with caring for young children and countless household chores. All this disrupts the natural health cycle of sleep, does not allow you to get enough sleep and restore the body. A large amount of work and a tense, without the opportunity to relax, rhythm of life provokes a change in appearance not for the better.
  2. Pale skin combined with dark circles under the eyes can be caused by constant indoor stays, without the possibility of regular walks in the fresh air. This lifestyle develops in cases where women have dedicated their lives to work or simply lead a sedentary lifestyle at home. The lack of sufficient oxygen leads to a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood, which negatively affects the appearance.
  3. Improper nutrition, poor in nutrients, provokes the appearance of dark circles under the eyes. Fast foods and large amounts of table salt, abuse of seasonings and spices cause digestive problems. Disruptions in the digestive tract lead to disruption of the functioning of internal organs and tissues.
  4. Alcohol abuse and smoking also have a negative impact on the appearance and health of the fair sex.
  5. Dark circles under the eyes appear with certain diseases of internal organs. These include diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary systems:
    • vegetative-vascular dystonia, arterial hypertension, congenital and acquired heart defects, chronic and acute heart failure;
    • pyelonephritis, autoimmune kidney diseases, glomerulonephritis.

The stagnation of fluid in the body, which is observed in such diseases, provokes its accumulation mainly in the subcutaneous fat tissues of the eyelids. At the same time, the correct blood circulation in the vessels is disrupted, which leads to the appearance of dark circles under the eyes.

  1. Constant colds provoke the appearance of puffiness under the eyes due to constant intoxication of the body. If this symptom is accompanied by headache, high temperature, dark circles under the eyes, then we can say with confidence that the sinuses are inflamed with sinusitis, frontal sinusitis and polysinusitis.
  2. One of the reasons for the appearance of permanent dark circles under the eyes is hereditary factors. With thin and pale skin around the eyes, the vessels located close to the skin create the impression of dark circles under the eyes. Such features of appearance are most often transmitted genetically.

trusted-source[ 9 ], [ 10 ]

Pale skin in a child

Sometimes mothers start to worry that their child has pale skin. The easiest way to find out whether the baby is sick or not is to consult a doctor. The specialist will examine the condition of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes of the child, pay attention to the color of his nails. If all the examined covers are of normal color, and the child does not show lethargy and weakness, eats and sleeps well, then the baby is considered quite healthy. Perhaps pale skin was caused by hereditary factors or lack of sufficient sun in the winter.

The presence of other alarming symptoms, in addition to severe pallor, can serve as a signal for the detection of certain diseases.

  • If the baby is one and a half to two years old, and in addition to pale skin, the child worries parents with irritability and rapid fatigue, then in this case one can suspect anemia.
  • The presence of dark circles under the eyes along with light skin may indicate allergies, diseases of the urinary and cardiovascular systems.
  • If, along with pale skin, the baby has bruises in various parts of the body, then this strangeness may indicate blood diseases.

If you experience any alarming symptoms, you should consult a pediatrician who will be able to prescribe the necessary examination and appropriate treatment.

trusted-source[ 11 ], [ 12 ]

Pale skin in infants

Pale skin in infants can be in the form of a bluish tint with veins of blood vessels in the form of spots or a mesh-like pattern. Such skin is called marbled. And it appears most often on the arms and legs of the baby.

The cause of marble skin is considered to be the insufficient maturity of the baby's vegetative-vascular system. Temperature changes cause such a reaction in the baby, since his body has not yet adapted to changes in the environment. The vessels and capillaries that are close to the skin actively expand and contract, which gives the skin such a strange marble coloring. In this case, the mother should not worry, but wait until the age of six months, when such manifestations completely disappear.

Physiological, that is, natural marbling of the skin occurs in premature babies. This is an absolutely normal phenomenon that will disappear by a certain time.

In some cases, marbled skin indicates the presence of certain diseases in the child, namely congenital heart defects, rickets, anemia, intracranial hypertension, perinatal encephalopathy and genetic diseases of various spectrums.

In any case, if the baby has pale or mottled skin, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician who will be able to correctly identify the causes of such skin manifestations.

What's bothering you?

What do need to examine?

Treatment pale skin

First of all, if the owner of pale skin is not satisfied with its color, it is worth asking relatives whether such a skin tone is hereditary. If some or many representatives of the family tree had light skin, you should not worry about your health, but simply use decorative cosmetics, special masks and a solarium to make the skin darker.

If the porcelain skin color is the privilege of one lady, and not many relatives, it is worth making an appointment with a doctor and undergoing a special examination. Since very light skin color can be the cause of a large number of diseases. After this, it is necessary to undergo a course of therapy for the identified dysfunctions of the body.

It happens that pale skin is a consequence of an unhealthy lifestyle. What to do in this case, if pale skin does not suit its owner? There are several ways to improve the complexion, and at the same time, your own health:

  1. Every day you need to set aside time for walks in the fresh air. It is best to walk during daylight hours to saturate your skin with ultraviolet light and give it a natural swarthiness. It is also recommended to take walks in oxygen-rich places - parks and squares, in nature, near rivers. Hemoglobin, which is responsible for a healthy complexion, is called "oxygen" iron, that is, for its synthesis in the body it needs a sufficient supply of oxygen.
  2. It is necessary to make the diet more complete. For these purposes, fresh vegetables and greens, fruits and vegetables should be included in the daily diet. The gifts of nature contain most of the vitamins and microelements that the body needs to maintain health.
  3. You can increase your hemoglobin levels, which affect skin color, with the help of certain foods:
    • Take equal parts of dried apricots, raisins, prunes, figs, walnuts, lemon and honey. Grind everything thoroughly and mix. Transfer the resulting mixture to a glass jar with a lid and store in the refrigerator. The "medicine" is used twice a day, in the morning and in the evening, twenty to thirty minutes before meals, two tablespoons at a time.
    • Beetroot-apple juice is a tasty and healthy drink. Take one part beetroot and three parts apples, put everything through a juicer and drink it immediately. Drink one glass of the drink twice a day fifteen minutes before meals. You can also use carrot-beetroot-apple juice, then the ratio of the fruits is as follows: two parts carrots, one part beetroot and two parts apples.
  4. Healthy sleep is the best cosmetic for women. It is necessary to go to bed every night before eleven o'clock, and even better - at ten. Since the time from ten o'clock in the evening to two in the morning is considered the most useful for restoring the body. It is necessary to sleep at least eight hours a day, and young women need even nine to ten hours of sleep.
  5. It is necessary to give up the habit of being in smoky rooms, as well as in rooms with stale air. It is recommended to air out the workplace and home at least twice a day.
  6. Smoking is an unhealthy habit that disrupts proper blood circulation. As a result, the smoker acquires a whole bunch of diseases, including unhealthy or pale skin color. In order to acquire a healthy appearance, it is necessary to part with this harmful habit forever.

How to get rid of pale skin?

Many owners of light skin are tormented by the question: how to get rid of pale skin? There are means with which you can achieve an improvement in the color of your face and body. Here are some of them:

  1. A time-tested and well-proven remedy is the use of carrots. For these purposes, carrot juice is used, with which the skin of the face should be wiped twice a day.
  2. If you want to give your skin a tanned effect, you can apply compresses of grated carrots wrapped in gauze to your face. This should be done three times a week, twice a day.
  3. A tanned shade for pale skin is given by using a mixture of carrot juice and glycerin. You need to take two tablespoons of carrot juice and one teaspoon of glycerin. Wipe your face with the resulting mixture every day in the morning and evening.
  4. You can use a mask of apple and carrot to improve your complexion. To do this, take equal parts of apple and carrot, grate them and mix them. The resulting mass is applied to the face in an even layer, and after fifteen minutes, washed off with cold water. After that, the skin of the face is moisturized with a suitable cream. Regular use of the mask will provide the skin with a healthy look and a light blush.
  5. It is good to use frozen green tea cubes. They need to be wiped on the face every morning after washing. You can also just wash your face every morning with an infusion of green tea.

trusted-source[ 13 ]

Solarium for pale skin

It is known that fair skin is sensitive to the effects of ultraviolet radiation. Therefore, owners of pale skin should use a solarium with caution.

There are several rules that will help make a solarium safe for pale skin:

  1. During the first sessions, you need to visit the solarium once or twice a week for three minutes.
  2. After the skin has acquired a slight darkening, the duration of the procedures can be increased to five minutes. However, if discomfort occurs, the time spent under ultraviolet rays should be reduced to three minutes, as before.
  3. When visiting a solarium, it is necessary to use special cosmetics for light skin. They contain special moisturizing substances, such as oils and vitamins. The addition of amino acids allows you to achieve a dark skin tone in a shorter period of time.
  4. You should not use tanning cosmetics with bronzers, they can leave streaks on very light skin. In addition, cosmetics without bronzers allow people with light skin to tan faster.

trusted-source[ 14 ], [ 15 ]

Masks for pale skin

One part milk is mixed with two parts flour and applied to the face. After this, the mask is left on the skin of the face until it dries completely, and then washed off with warm water. After which, a moisturizer must be applied to the skin.

  1. Potato masks are a great skin lightening agent. Peeled and sliced potatoes should be placed on the face, covering all areas of the skin. If time allows, you can grate the potatoes and make a paste out of it for application to the skin of the face. Keep the mask on for fifteen minutes, then wash off with warm water and apply a moisturizing face cream.
  2. Tomato is considered a good bleaching agent. To prepare a bleaching mixture, you need to grind several tomatoes into a pulp, add ten drops of lemon juice to them and mix everything thoroughly. The resulting mass is applied to the face and kept for fifteen minutes. In order for the effect of the mask to be noticeable, it must be used for fifteen days in a row without a break.
  3. An almond mask is also good for lightening procedures. It is prepared as follows. A handful of almonds is soaked in water overnight, after which in the morning the almonds are ground into a paste and mixed with honey or milk. The resulting mass is applied to the face and neck and kept until dry. After which the hardened gruel should be scraped off and washed with cold water. At the very end of the procedure, a moisturizer should be applied to the skin of the face and neck.
  4. Using a mint paste will also help you achieve the desired light skin tone. It is prepared as follows: fresh mint leaves are crushed into a fine mass and applied to the face. After twenty minutes, the mask is washed off with cold water, after which a moisturizer is applied to the face.
  5. A whitening mask can also be made with cucumber. To do this, take one cucumber, cut it into slices, some of which are left for the mask, and the juice is squeezed out of the others. The cucumber slices are rubbed into the skin, and then the cucumber juice is applied to the face. The resulting mask is left overnight, and then washed off with water in the morning. Cucumber juice evens out the skin tone well, and also makes it more natural.
  6. A lemon-cucumber mask has a good effect. To prepare it, you will need one lemon and one cucumber. You need to squeeze the juice out of the fruits, then mix and apply to the face. After fifteen minutes, the face should be washed with water and moisturizer applied. If necessary, this mask can also be applied to the body.
  7. For whitening, you can prepare a "delicious" mask. Take one tablespoon of cooked oatmeal, one tablespoon of natural yogurt and one tablespoon of tomato pulp. Mix all the ingredients, then apply to the face and keep for fifteen minutes. Then wash off the mask with cold water, and at the end of the procedure apply a moisturizer to the face. In addition to lightening, the mask makes the skin velvety and smooth.

trusted-source[ 16 ]

Celebrities with pale skin

The worship of movie stars and the show industry has introduced the fashion for porcelain skin. In the modeling business, models with pale complexions and bodies have become especially popular. Ladies from high circles are also beginning to pay more attention to skin lightening than to spending time in a solarium.

Pale-skinned stars are mostly represented by Hollywood, although European divas also influence the world's passion for paleness. So, the most popular porcelain-skinned ladies are Michelle Trachtenberg, Emily Blunt, Isla Fisher, Amy Adams, Anne Hathaway, Dita Von Teese, Cate Blanchett, Nicole Kidman, Christina Hendricks, Julianne Moore, Diane Kruger.

Pale skin, no matter what the reasons for its appearance, is always a difference from the usual appearance. Therefore, many ladies who do not have such a complexion and body, resort to a lot of tricks to imitate their idols, who are distinguished by porcelain skin.

You are reporting a typo in the following text:
Simply click the "Send typo report" button to complete the report. You can also include a comment.