The skin color of elbows and knees becomes darker. Rubbing vigorously in the shower may backfire.

Many friends will gradually find that the skin on their elbows and knees is darker than the skin on other parts of the body, and feels slightly rougher. In fact, this is all normal. The skin on the elbows, knees, finger joints, etc. are the blind spots in skin care that we are most likely to overlook.

Guiding expert: Li Yuanhong, professor of dermatology at the First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University

"I don't feel it when I wear long clothes in the winter, but when I change into short clothes in the summer, my knees are always dark and I am embarrassed to show my face." Do you have such doubts? The skin at the knees and elbows is very different from the well-cared-for facial skin. The skin color is dark and the feel is rough. What to do? Follow 39 Beauty Editor to learn some common sense about the blind spots in skin care that you have missed.

Is darkening of joint skin a sign of skin inflammation?

Professor Li said that the skin at the elbows and knees is pulled and rubbed for a long time, causing a certain degree of subtle inflammation locally, which will inevitably induce pigmentation. So everyone has some degree of pigmentation at the elbows and knees as they age. Moreover, with friction, the stratum corneum gradually thickens, and the local skin generally appears rougher. The thickened stratum corneum also inhibits the metabolism and excretion of pigments. Therefore, the skin on joints such as knees and elbows of adults looks darker than the skin on other parts of the body.

Bathing too vigorously can backfire on your elbows

Since the skin on the joints feels rougher, many friends want to make their skin smoother by exfoliating while bathing. However, scrubbing too vigorously can easily cause damage to the skin.

Reticular pigmentation damage to local skin caused by long-term and repeated mechanical stimulation can more easily aggravate damage to the skin at the joints. So, when the pigmentation becomes unbearable to you, remember not to rub your skin excessively when bathing.

You can also apply mask on your knees

So how should we deal with skin problems on the joints? Professor Li believes that you can use warm water compresses, take a bath, use exfoliating bath gel to gently exfoliate dead skin, and apply a thick layer of fruit acid skin care products or retinoic acid drugs.

In addition, when applying sunscreen, you should also apply it to easily missed skin such as the knees, elbows, and ankles. Good sun protection can keep the skin healthy and delicate. Secondly, after applying the whitening mask on your face, the whitening essence remaining in the mask can also be used on the skin at the joints. Apply the mask on your knees or elbows and gently warm it to allow your skin to better absorb the whitening essence.