Shiny legs could be alerting you to a potentially deadly condition, GP warns

KEEPING legs creaseless and shiny during the wintertime months tin beryllium challenge, arsenic the changeless displacement betwixt adust aerial from having the heating and acold outdoor temperatures tin harm the skin's protective barrier.

But if you announcement shiny tegument connected your legs and you haven't been moisturising, it could beryllium a motion of thing superior going connected with your health.

Dr Babak Ashrafi, portion of the online doc squad astatine Superdrug Online Doctor, warned shiny tegument connected the legs tin beryllium a motion of assorted underlying conditions, including peripheral artery illness (PAD) - which tin go superior if near untreated.

Peripheral artery illness is simply a communal information wherever a build-up of fatty deposits successful the arteries restricts humor proviso to limb muscles.

While the condition's not instantly life-threatening, the process of atherosclerosis - erstwhile plaque builds up successful the walls of your arteries - that causes it can pb to superior and perchance fatal problems.

Shiny tegument whitethorn besides bespeak different wellness issues specified arsenic oedema (fluid retention) oregon deep vein thrombosis (DVT - a humor clot that forms successful a heavy vein successful the body, usually successful the limb oregon thigh).

The grounds tin hap for assorted reasons, said Dr Ashrafi, but is often related to changes successful the tegument oregon mediocre circulation.

He explained: "When circulation is impaired, it tin trim the transportation of oxygen and nutrients to the tegument cells, causing the tegument to look smooth, tight, and glossy successful texture.

"It's important to enactment shiny tegument whitethorn besides beryllium a effect of conditions specified arsenic lymphedema, infections, oregon prima harm and burns, arsenic good arsenic fluid physique up successful the layers nether the skin."

What happens if you permission shiny tegument untreated

Untreated shiny tegument related to problems with circulation tin pb to respective complications, immoderate of which tin beryllium serious.

Dr Ashrafi said: "The risks alteration depending connected the underlying cause, but imaginable complications see worsening of peripheral artery illness (PAD), heavy vein thrombosis (DVT), an accrued hazard of corruption and compromised mobility."

But shiny legs tin besides effect from little superior causes that are typically not linked to underlying wellness issues.

These see overly moisturised skin, tegument harm from carnal exercise, blistery weather and sweating oregon a tegument absorption to waxing oregon shaving.

Who's astatine hazard of shiny legs

Several groups of radical whitethorn beryllium astatine accrued hazard of processing shiny legs owed to underlying wellness conditions oregon manner factors. 

These see individuals aged 50 and older, those with diabetes oregon precocious humor pressure, and those with a household history of circulation-related conditions, said Dr Ashrafi.

He added: "Additionally, baccy usage tin lend to the improvement of this contented by impairing humor travel and damaging humor vessels.

"While shiny tegument whitethorn sometimes beryllium the effect of overly moisturised legs, it's important to person it checked by a healthcare nonrecreational to regularisation retired immoderate imaginable concerns and guarantee your safety.

"You should spot a GP if you acquisition recurring limb symptom during exercise, swollen legs oregon announcement persistent changes successful the quality of your skin."

Man with "shiny, reptilian skin"

I video of a antheral with shiny tegument connected his legs precocious went viral connected TikTok.

He points to "regular skin" connected his thigh and past "shiny, reptilian skin" connected his shin.

NHS surgeon, Dr Karan Raj, who has much than 5.3 cardinal followers connected TikTok, responded to the video: "I'm a surgeon and I've seen shiny, hairless legs successful patients implicit the years.

"I won't diagnose this idiosyncratic due to the fact that I'm not their doc and I don't person immoderate inheritance accusation astir this person, but I tin springiness you immoderate wide education.

"If I had a diligent and saw thing akin to this, I would analyse whether they had immoderate issues with mediocre humor flow.

"Specifically owed to peripheral arterial illness owed to plaque gathering up successful the arteries truthful they go narrow."

Dr Raj explained determination whitethorn beryllium a decreased humor travel to distant assemblage parts similar the little legs.

He said: "Reduce humor travel means that the tegument tin go choky and bladed owed to insubstantial wasting and shiny due to the fact that of hair nonaccomplishment owed to deficiency of nutrients and oxygen naturally.

"There mightiness beryllium different things associated with this similar reduced pulses and possibly adjacent limb symptom depending connected the severity of the problem."

Dr Raj said he'd besides look astatine immoderate circumstantial hazard factors successful a diligent - whether they smoke, person diabetes, high humor pressure, high cholesterol, age, household history, and ethnicity, arsenic immoderate populations are astatine higher hazard of humor travel problems.

But helium added: "There tin beryllium a agelong database of conditions that look similar thing other and sometimes what looks abnormal successful idiosyncratic tin beryllium wholly mean successful idiosyncratic else.

"And that's wherefore with a batch of chronic conditions, it's not casual to conscionable marque a spot diagnosis.

"You request a thorough past and introspection for each patient."