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Tinea nigra is a very rare fungal infection. It causes brown or black patches to develop on the soles of the feet, the palms of the hand, or, on rare occasions, the torso. A type of yeast called Hortaea werneckii causes most tinea nigra infections.
Age spots are small, flat dark areas on the skin. They vary in size and usually appear on areas exposed to the sun, such as the face, hands, shoulders and arms. Age spots are also called sunspots, liver spots and solar lentigines.
Signs of Diabetic Foot Problems
Although rare, nerve damage from diabetes can lead to changes in the shape of your feet, such as Charcot’s foot. Charcot’s foot may start with redness, warmth, and swelling. Later, bones in your feet and toes can shift or break, which can cause your feet to have an odd shape, such as a rocker bottom.
If you have diabetes, your blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels are too high. Over time, this can damage your nerves or blood vessels. Nerve damage from diabetes can cause you to lose feeling in your feet. You may not feel a cut, a blister or a sore. Foot injuries such as these can cause ulcers and infections.
The condition involves the appearance of pale brown to dark brown spots on the skin called solar lentigines, liver spots, or age spots. Age spots are flat, usually oval areas of the skin that have increased pigmentation. In other words, they’re darker than the surrounding skin. They may be brown, black, or gray.
What is it: When thick callus builds up on the soles or sides of the feet without being reduced and managed, the pressure to the skin beneath the callus build-up can cause damage and bleeding, resulting in a dark spot developing from the dried blood. When callus becomes too thick and dry on the heels, cracks can form.
Melanomas can be tiny black dots that are no bigger than a pen tip. Any new or existing moles that stand out from the rest in color, shape, or size, should be looked at by a physician.
They are often the result of sun exposure, but they can be caused by other things, too. Skin conditions, pregnancy and certain medications or medical conditions may cause dark spots. People who have fair skin, light hair, and who have had serious or multiple sunburns are most at risk of developing dark spots.
Of all skin cancer-related deaths, 79% are from melanoma. In this disease, cancer develops in cells (melanocytes) that produce skin pigmentation. A black or brown spot appears, typically, on the torso of males and lower legs of females. It may also form on the palm of the hands, soles of the feet and under the nails.
Areas of darker skin color in the lower leg, ankle or foot are called Hemosiderin deposits. Hemosiderin is a brownish pigment caused by the breakdown of blood hemoglobin, the iron content in red blood cells. Foot and Ankle Discoloration is called Stasis Dermatitis and is usually a symptom of Venous Insufficiency.
Purpura occurs when small blood vessels burst, causing blood to pool under the skin. This can create purple spots on the skin that range in size from small dots to large patches. Purpura spots are generally benign, but may indicate a more serious medical condition, such as a blood clotting disorder.
The three most common symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes include:
Red spots or patches can be caused by conditions or diseases such as allergies, athlete’s foot, or blisters. Be sure to monitor the spots on your feet to ensure they don’t worsen. Most causes aren’t serious and are easily treated at home.
In skin of color, COVID toes can cause a purplish discoloration, as the toe circled in red shows. You may also see swelling and round brownish purple spots (B). What you may see with COVID toes: The condition may develop on your toes, fingers, or both.
Black toenails in a diabetic can happen when the foot has suffered a lack of oxygenated blood and necessary nutrients, says J. Mark Anderson, MD, DABFM, of Executive Medicine of Texas and who is board certified in family medicine.
Although a nice, rounded cut is often preferred over a square clipping, diabetics must be careful making curved clips. Cutting too far into the corners of your toenails can lead to the formation of ingrown nails, oftentimes leading to an infection.
The edges are irregular, ragged, notched, or blurred. The color is not the same all over and may include shades of brown or black, sometimes with patches of pink, red, white, or blue. The spot is larger than inch across about the size of a pencil eraser although melanomas can sometimes be smaller than this.
If you notice a new lesion on the skin that you suspect is an age spot, they should match the following common characteristics: Flat (not raised, indented, or textured) Oval or round shaped. Range in color from slightly darker than the natural skin tone to dark brown.
It is a brown pigment that generally increases with age, and its formation is increased by consumption of unsaturated fats, by vitamin E deficiency, by stress, and by exposure to excess estrogen.
Aside from looking like a changing mole, a melanoma on the foot can appear as a: Brown or black vertical line under a toenail. Pinkish-red spot or growth. New spot or growth where you injured your foot.
Stage I melanoma is no more than 1.0 millimeter thick (about the size of a sharpened pencil point), with or without an ulceration (broken skin). There is no evidence that Stage I melanoma has spread to the lymph tissues, lymph nodes, or body organs.
Melanoma often contains shades of brown, black, or tan, but some can be red or pink, such as the one shown here.
Keep an eye on spots that look different to others on your body, spots that have changed in size, shape, colour or texture, and sores that itch, bleed, or don’t heal. If you notice any of these signs, see your doctor and seek their expert opinion.