Your liver and skin are more closely connected than you think. Learn how to keep your liver healthy while recognizing signs of liver disease and skin conditions.
Although both organs are the largest and heaviest in the body, the liver and skin are more closely connected than they appear.
You’d be forgiven if you associated skin with beauty rather than liver health. However, although the two organs are different in appearance, they are inextricably linked in the body.
What does the liver do?
With over 500 functions, the liver is considered the “factory of the body” and, along with the heart and brain, is probably the most stressed organ.
Its main functions include detoxifying the body and converting food into energy. Other important liver functions include:
- Cholesterol production and clearance
- Iron storage and hemoglobin processing
- Ammonia conversion and waste treatment
- Regulation of thrombus
- Fight infection
- Maintain blood sugar levels
- Metabolic nutrients (carbohydrates, fats, and proteins)
- metabolism of essential hormones
- Regulation of amino acid blood levels
- Blood processing in the digestive tract
As you can see, the liver plays a vital role in the history of our health as a life-supporting organ. So if your liver isn’t functioning properly, you may experience one of a number of symptoms on your skin, such as itching, discoloration (jaundice), or eczema.
How do toxins enter the body?
Toxins entering the body are a natural and inevitable part of life. After all, the average person is exposed to thousands of toxins every day that our livers have to process.
The four main ways toxins enter the body include:
- Breathe (inhale)
- Skin or eye contact
- Ingest (eat or swallow)
- Injection
Inhalation remains the most common way toxins are absorbed into the body. While we may have more control over other paths, they are ultimately still a part of our existence.
Daily sources of toxins entering our bodies include:
- Pollution in the atmosphere we breathe
- Dust, bacteria and mold in the home environment
- Pesticides in our food
- Microscopic plastics in food packaging and containers
- Chemicals in cleaning products
- Chemicals in water (drinking, washing, etc.)
- Household chemicals (paints, flame retardants, etc.)
- Alcohol, drugs and cigarette smoke
Our liver does its best to process these daily toxins. However, when too many toxins accumulate, our liver becomes less efficient at detoxifying the body. Skin conditions may develop during this stage, creating a direct link between liver health and skin.
For example, liver detox supplements for acne contain a variety of antioxidants, such as glutathione and N-acetylcysteine (NAC). There are other nutritional supplements and medications that can support healthy liver function and skin conditions.
What skin diseases are related to poor liver function?
Like the liver, the skin is another detoxifying organ that helps our bodies eliminate toxins every day. When the liver has trouble filtering toxins due to toxic overload, our bodies find other ways to eliminate toxins, such as through the skin.
As a result, our skin can become inflamed due to various diseases. These skin diseases include the following:
- eczema
- psoriasis
- acne
- rosacea
- rash
- dark spots
- premature aging
The link between liver health and eczema is an example of how toxins that are not processed by the liver try to escape through our skin, causing rashes and itching.
So if you’re struggling with these skin conditions, you might be surprised to learn that it may be due to poor liver health.
For example, we can attribute your itchy liver and skin to eczema, but what about more serious liver disease? Let’s explore how these conditions are linked to link liver health to skin.
How do I know if these conditions are caused by poor liver function?
Whether liver and skin health are related depends on several factors. The thing about our liver health is that it’s not the most obvious diagnosis.
Medical research published by Elsevier shows that acute and chronic liver disease can manifest on the skin. These signs may be subtle, such as: B. Fingers tend to become knotted or even jaundiced. Early detection of these unknown signs can lead to faster diagnosis and better care.
Here are some examples of skin conditions caused by liver disease:
Skin lesions of chronic liver disease
We can link some causes of chronic liver disease to various skin lesions. These common conditions include jaundice, spider veins, leukonychia, and finger impingement.
Other distinguishing features include palmar erythema, rosacea, “paper money” skin, and rhinophyma. Sometimes these may be overlooked by your GP as the connection between your skin and liver is not always clear in these cases.
Skin lesions in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC)
Xanthelasma, a skin disease characterized by yellow growths on or near the eyelids, is caused by PBC when cholesterol builds up under the skin. Sometimes this is due to the liver’s inability to process and regulate cholesterol levels.
The U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM) has published a journal outlining the link between PBC and hypercholesterolemia. “Hypercholesterolemia is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease in the general population and is present in 75-95% of patients with PBC,” the medical journal describes.
This connection can cause skin diseases such as xanthomas and xanthomas. Other conditions associated with PBC include Sjogren’s syndrome, vitiligo, melanosis, and xeroderma.
Skin lesions of alcoholic liver disease
Protein-energy malnutrition induced by alcohol consumption is known to lead to facial lipodystrophy. This process occurs in extreme cases of alcoholism, as alcohol dominates an individual’s caloric intake.
Another alcohol-related liver disease is palmar aponeurosis contracture. In this condition, the person’s fingers bend toward the palm of the hand because the person is no longer able to fully straighten the affected finger.
Viral hepatitis skin lesions
Apparently, in the later stages of the disease, one-third of patients with hepatitis C develop extrahepatic manifestations. Cryoglobulinemia, polyarteritis nodosa, leukocytoclastic vasculitis, urticaria, and porphyria cutanea tarda are other common skin diseases associated with viral hepatitis.
Skin lesions in hemochromatosis
Formerly known as “bronze diabetes,” hemochromatosis occurs when too much iron builds up in the body and spreads to the skin and liver. Too much iron is toxic to the body and can damage tissue and organ function.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), a bronzed or gray complexion is a sign of hemochromatosis.
How to care for your liver for optimal function
Now that we understand the healthy relationship between the liver and skin, how can we ensure both stay in optimal condition? Let’s explore it.
Healthy lifestyle
A healthier lifestyle such as regular exercise, a balanced diet and reducing alcohol consumption is the right place to start. In addition to incorporating these principles into your daily life, you should also remember to get enough sleep, reduce your stress levels, and spend more time in nature.
Take the right liver supplements
In addition to a healthy lifestyle that supports your liver and skin, we also recommend taking supplements to improve and maintain liver health. Some scientifically proven liver supplements include milk thistle, turmeric, and artichoke leaf.
The only nutrient that liver health can rely on is glutathione. Glutathione is naturally produced by the liver and helps build and repair tissue, metabolize proteins, and support the immune system. Increasing glutathione levels supports liver function while promoting the overall beauty of the skin.
