When Your Skin Speaks: What Changes in Your Skin Can Reveal About Your Health

Your skin is the body’s largest organ – and a mirror of your inner health

Our skin is the largest organ in the body – and it tells a story. Beyond its role as a barrier, it is a visible reflection of our internal health, lifestyle choices, and wellbeing. Many of us are familiar with dark circles, breakouts, or dullness after periods of stress, poor sleep, or unhealthy habits. But sometimes, skin changes are more than just cosmetic – they can be a warning sign of underlying medical conditions.

Both as a GP and as a Longevity, skin and aesthetic specialist, I often see patients who mistake certain skin symptoms for harmless issues when, in fact, they warrant further investigation. Here are seven skin changes to never ignore – and the health checks they should prompt.

1. White Cholesterol Deposits Around the Eyes (Xanthelasma)

Xanthelasma are fatty deposits around the eyelids and may be an early warning sign of high cholesterol

Small white or yellowish bumps on the eyelids may look like harmless milia, but if they are flat, soft, and fatty, they could be xanthelasma – a visible sign of high cholesterol.

👉 Why it matters: High cholesterol increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. In younger patients, it can point to a hereditary condition affecting cholesterol regulation.

🔍 Next step: Book a cholesterol blood test. Managing cholesterol through diet, lifestyle, and medication is key to protecting long-term health.

2. Dark Patches Under Arms or Neck (Acanthosis Nigricans)

Darkened patches of skin can indicate high blood sugar or early diabetes

If you notice velvety, darkened skin in skin folds such as the underarms, neck, or collar line, this could be more than irritation or pigmentation.

👉 Why it matters: It is strongly associated with persistently high blood sugar and may be an early sign of diabetes.

🔍 Next step: Get blood sugar testing. If confirmed, treatment involves lifestyle changes, diet, and sometimes medication to regulate sugar metabolism.

3. Thinning Eyebrows and Brittle Hair

Loss of eyebrow hair, especially at the outer edges, can signal thyroid hormone imbalance

Losing the outer edges of your eyebrows (not due to waxing or plucking) and noticing brittle, thinning hair may be linked to thyroid hormone imbalance.

👉 Why it matters: The thyroid acts as the body’s “accelerator pedal.” Too little hormone (hypothyroidism) slows everything down, leading to dry skin, brittle nails, puffiness, tiredness, and low mood.

🔍 Next step: Ask for a thyroid function test. Early treatment with thyroid medication can restore energy, skin, and hair health.

4. Persistent Skin Infections or Rashes

Chronic skin infections may point to immune system or metabolic issues

Occasional fungal rashes, boils, or ingrown hairs are common. But recurrent or slow-healing skin infections may suggest a weakened immune system.

👉 Why it matters: Chronic issues could be linked to diabetes, thyroid imbalance, or immune disorders.

🔍 Next step: Book a review for immune system testing, including blood sugar and, where appropriate, screening for other underlying conditions.

5. Itchy Palms and Soles Without a Rash

Unexplained itching on palms and soles can be linked to liver or kidney function

Itchy skin is common in winter, but unexplained itching on the palms and soles (without visible rash) may point to something more.

👉 Why it matters: It can be a sign of liver or kidney dysfunction, where waste products build up in the body.

🔍 Next step: dicuss with a specialist and consider liver and kidney blood tests. This is particularly important if you are pregnant, take certain medications, or have lifestyle risk factors.

6. Burning, Tingling or Itchy Skin Without a Rash

Burning or tingling without a rash may be nerve-related or linked to underlying deficiencies

When skin burns or tingles without visible changes, it may be related to nerve function, not the skin itself.

👉 Why it matters: Possible causes include trapped nerves, diabetes, thyroid problems, B12 deficiency, or menopause.

🔍 Next step: A medical examination and blood work can help uncover the root cause and guide treatment.

7. Redness Across the Cheeks and Nose

Facial redness isn’t always rosacea – in some cases it may be a sign of lupus

A butterfly-shaped rash across the cheeks and nose is often mistaken for simple rosacea.

👉 Why it matters: While rosacea is common, this type of rash can sometimes indicate lupus, an autoimmune condition that affects multiple organs and causes fatigue, joint pain, and hair loss.

🔍 Next step: Seek medical advice if redness is accompanied by persistent fatigue, joint symptoms, or unexplained hair loss. Blood tests can confirm or rule out lupus.

When and where to Seek Help

Not all skin concerns are purely cosmetic. At our medical aesthetics and lifestyle clinic we offer full blood testing along side lifestyle consultations as we believe in treating skin health from the inside out- – combining medical expertise with aesthetic treatments to help you look and feel your best.

✨ Your skin is a window to your health – listen to it, and act early.