Try These Home Remedies and Professional Treatments
“Why is the skin on my knees and elbows darker?” It’s a question that dermatologists hear every day. For millions of people, the naturally darker skin on their knees and elbows is a source of embarrassment. If you’re one of those people who hides under long clothing, keep reading!
Before we get started, it’s important to keep in mind that for most people, a slightly darker shade of skin on knees and elbows is completely normal and a natural characteristic of the skin’s pigmentation. For others, these dark areas may be the result of lifestyle habits or even certain medications.
The good news is, whatever the cause of your dark knees and elbows — if you don’t like them you don’t have to live with them. There are many solutions, from professional clinical treatments to DIY home remedies.
What Makes The Skin Darker On My Knees And Elbows?
In the deepest part of our skin’s epidermis there are a type of cells called “melanocytes.” We all have them. These pigment-producing cells are what determine our skin’s natural color. Light and dark skinned people actually have the same number of melanocytes, but darker skinned people have more active, productive melanocytes. These melanocyte cells are naturally stimulated by UV radiation to produce the pigment melanin, which is why sun exposure makes our skin darker.
By now you’re probably wondering what could possibly be affecting the melanocytes in just your knees and elbows.
The skin on our knees and elbows is a little different from the smooth skin on our forearms, thighs and other areas. Our knees and elbows naturally have redundant skin which we need in order to stretch and flex when our joints bend. When our limbs are extended, this skin naturally “bunches up” around our knees and elbows, making it appear thicker and darker.
Another natural feature of human skin is that it naturally protects our joints by becoming thicker and harder over time when stressed with contact, friction or pressure. Are you leaning on your elbows at your desk all day? Then there’s a good chance the skin on your elbows is naturally thicker and rougher than the surrounding skin. You may also have a build-up of dead cells and potentially discolored skin in these areas.
Making this problem even more acute is that our knees and elbows don’t have the same number of oil producing cells as the skin elsewhere on our bodies. This means our knees and elbows experience natural moisture-loss and tend to dry out more easily.
This dry skin can build up — even if our elbows and knees aren’t experiencing lots of pressure or friction.
