Your Thyroid And Your Skin

Sometimes it isn't the products you have been using, or the slight sun blush of summer, or the fact that you had a bit too many late nights this month that is getting your skin out of control, there are other causes.One cause you may not have associated with skin problems could be thyroid disease.Low or under active thyroid can cause dry skin, but most often it is described as "coarse." Those with over active thyroid can have changes of the skin as well, and even more symptoms due to thyroid problems can be seen. Some times the excess thyroid hormone can produce sweating and a redness to the skin, similar to blushing from the heat. This can actually happen to those who have an under active thyroid, but are given too high a thyroid dose of medicine. In overactive thyroid patients they may describe their skin as too oddly smooth, this is because the layer of keratin on top of the skin is abnormally thin. This lack of keratin can produce skin that too easily burns as well. Over active thyroid also can cause an odd skin condition called myxedma. It is a puffiness of the skin in the areas that it occurs. The puffiness is actually due to odd extra layers of collagen or even the entrapment of natural hyaluronic acid in skin layers where it is not supposed to occur. Graves disease, a condition of overactive thyroid that also has high abnormal antibodies circulating in the skin can produce a special red bumpy skin condition, that is usually only on the shins. Some patients with these thyroid abnormalities can report itching, or the odd appearance of hives which were not detected before. The thyroid conditions, particularly overactive, can cause abnormally metabolizing other hormones, so that imbalances occur in other systems, like your cortisol. Not so much a result of the thyroid itself, but the cortisol metabolism can be off causing changes in skin pigmentation, and even the new odd appearance of stretch marks. For those who have had a gradual decline in thyroid function, this may not be obvious, but you might want to consider testing if your treatments for your skin conditions are not working. Particularly if your hair or nails are showing changes as well, then get tested!. Blood testing  for most thyroid conditions is straight forward and thus correction is possible and your skin can be back to looking well...as long as you continue your good skin care!