Skin Signs of Liver Damage: What Your Skin Says About Your Liver Health

We often think of the skin as something that exists only to protect our internal organs from the outside world. But that’s only a part of the story. The skin also acts as a mirror, reflecting what goes on inside your body. So, if something on the inside isn’t working as it should be? It’ll show up on your skin. 

 

The liver, in particular, tends to communicate with us through our skin whenever something is wrong. This can show up in a myriad of ways, from yellowed and itchy skin to red rashes. 

 

Let’s explore the common skin signs of liver damage that you should keep an eye out for, and the changes you can make to heal from within and keep your skin and liver happy. 

What Does the Liver Do? Why Does It Matter for Skin Health?

The liver is the detox powerhouse of our body. All of the blood in our body travels from the stomach and intestines to the liver. The liver separates all the toxins, bacteria, and waste materials from our blood and sends them away to be discarded from our body through urine and feces. 

 

In addition to cleaning our blood, the liver also juggles many other jobs (hundreds of them, in fact). It produces bile, which is a fluid that breaks down fats, making it easier for the body to digest and absorb them. 

 

It may be surprising to learn that the liver also plays an important role in regulating our hormones, particularly estrogen, testosterone, the thyroid hormones (triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine), and cortisol, the stress hormone. It creates proteins that transport the hormones throughout our body, directing them to perform their usual functions. When the hormones have completed their jobs, they need to be broken down, neutralized, and removed from the body to prevent an imbalance, which is another function of the liver. 

 

In short, the liver wears many hats, all of which are essential to maintaining our health. If your liver is overwhelmed or under stress, it becomes sluggish and stops functioning efficiently because its workload exceeds what it can generally handle. The liver becomes overworked and understaffed, so to speak. 

 

This leads to a build-up of toxins and hormones in your body, which start showing up externally on your skin in the form of rashes, itches, or yellowed skin. These toxins and hormones then go on to wreak havoc, impacting your general and skin health. 

 

Dr. John Papastergiou, an assistant professor at the Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Toronto, says that one of the biggest mistakes people make is viewing the liver and skin as separate systems and treating skin issues purely as a surface-level problem. “Many patients treat [skin symptoms] topically for years, without realizing their root cause could be internal detoxification imbalances.” 

 

Let’s look at the most common ways in which a sluggish or damaged liver shows up on your skin. 

5 Common Skin Signs of Liver Damage

Did you know that around 1/3rd of people with liver disease also have skin problems? If you notice any of the skin changes associated with liver disease listed below, it may be your liver trying to get your attention and tell you that something is wrong. 

1. Itchy Skin Without Any Rashes

The liver produces a yellowish-green digestive fluid known as bile, which contains certain salts that help us digest our food. It’s typically stored in the gallbladder and travels to our intestines through vessels known as bile ducts. 

 

Bile ducts can become swollen, narrowed, or blocked due to underlying causes, including:

 

• Certain liver diseases, such as cirrhosis, where the liver becomes scarred, slowly replacing healthy liver tissue with scarred tissue

• Medications, such as anabolic steroids and birth control pills

• Gallbladder stones

• Infections in the liver or gallbladder

• High levels of estrogen during the third trimester of a pregnancy

 

This shrinking of the bile’s pathways makes the bile flow slower than it should, preventing it from getting to its destination. But the bile has to go somewhere, so it backs up into your bloodstream and starts accumulating under your skin. It’s this bile salt build-up that causes persistent itching (known medically as pruritus). 

 

Itchy skin due to liver issues is typically not accompanied by any rashes. Unlike the itching caused by eczema or psoriasis, you also won’t see any dry or flaky skin. While you can itch all over, pruritus is most common in the arms, legs, palms of your hands, and the soles of your feet. It may also worsen at night or when you take hot baths. 

2. Rashes and Red, Blotchy Skin

When the liver struggles to properly filter toxins from our blood, these harmful substances start gathering in the layers of our skin, causing inflammation. This inflammation then shows up as red, blotchy, and irritated skin, accompanied by swelling and sensations of warmth or itchiness. Inflammation can also trigger allergy responses in our body, causing an outbreak of rashes and hives. 

 

A red discoloration of your palms without any itching or swelling (known as palmar erythema) is also one of the rash skin signs of liver damage, particularly cirrhosis. These red palms, due to the result of liver disease, happen when the liver can’t regulate hormones properly, leading to an overload of estrogen. 

3. Spider Angiomas and Easy Bruising

When there’s more estrogen in the body than there should be because of a sluggish liver, this hormone causes your blood vessels to enlarge. These expanded blood vessels cause spider angiomas to appear on your skin. 

 

Spider veins due to liver damage are basically small, enlarged blood vessels, which look like a spider web of reddish-purple veins radiating outwards from a single red or purple dot. While they can occur in healthy people and don’t cause any pain, having multiple spider angiomas is a very common sign of chronic liver disease such as cirrhosis.

 

In addition to regulating hormones, the liver also produces the proteins that our body needs to form blood clots and stop bleeding whenever it happens. This means impaired liver function also affects the blood clotting process, leading to easy bruises and prolonged bleeding. So, if you often notice reddish, bluish, or purplish skin discoloration, swelling, or skin that feels warm to the touch, it may be a sign of liver problems. 

Hyperpigmentation, Uneven Skin Tone, or Acne

Hormonal imbalances caused by a slow liver also lead to skin symptoms, typically manifesting as hyperpigmentation (darkening of the skin), uneven skin tone, yellowish fat deposits, or acne. 

 

When there’s a surplus of estrogen running through our body, it stimulates our cells to produce more melanin, which is what gives our skin its color. The more melanin you have, the darker your skin. When the cells are stimulated, the extra melanin begins to appear on the skin in the form of dark spots or patches known as melasma. Hormone fluctuations can also increase the amount of oil your skin produces, clogging your pores and leading to acne outbreaks. 

 

Increased insulin resistance (when your liver isn’t able to process insulin properly) is also related to chronic liver disease. It can cause darkening and thickening of your skin, particularly in areas such as the armpits, neck folds, groin, knees, and knuckles. If the amount of fats in your body is high (due to the liver being unable to break them down), these can get deposited under your skin in the form of bumpy yellow patches.

Jaundice

Does yellow indicate liver damage? Yes, it does, and this condition is known as jaundice. It turns your skin and the whites of your eyes yellow because of the build-up of something called bilirubin. 

 

Bilirubin is a yellowish waste by-product created after red blood cells break down inside your body. The liver helps expel it from your body through the digestive tract. When the liver slacks off on processing bilirubin, it builds up, causing jaundice. It’s worth noting that jaundice is a serious condition, so if you notice your skin turning yellow, seek medical help immediately. 

How Liver Damage Can Impact Eczema, Psoriasis, and Sensitive Skin

We saw how a damaged liver overloads our body with toxins and attempts to eliminate them through our skin, causing itchiness, irritation, rashes, inflammation, and redness. The common thread running through all of these is that they’re all triggers for chronic skin conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, and rosacea. This means the connection between eczema and liver problems is very real, and flushed skin can be a sign of liver issues.  

 

Extremely dry skin also indicates liver damage, particularly cirrhosis. This is caused by a vitamin A deficiency (which worsens skin health) because the liver isn’t able to process it properly. Dry skin, of course, causes itching, which again leads to an eczema flare-up.

 

If your liver is the root cause of your flare-ups, treating your skin conditions topically alone won’t help. You also need to give your liver some TLC. Dr. Papastergiou says that he often sees an internal detox make a visible impact on the skin conditions of patients with stubborn eczema, psoriasis, and adult acne who see little improvement with topical treatments alone. “We always recommend incorporating vitamins into their daily routine,” he says. “It’s a reminder that when we support the liver, the skin often reflects the benefits quickly and visibly.” 

Supporting Your Liver for Better Skin: Natural Approaches

Not all skin signs of liver damage need medical attention. Some of them can be fixed with a lifestyle change (or two).

 

• Eat a healthy, liver-friendly diet: Fruits, veggies (particularly leafy greens), nuts and seeds, legumes, and whole grains (such as oats, quinoa, brown rice, whole wheat bread, and whole grain pasta) are all liver-friendly foods that you should be putting on your plate. At the same time, it’s also crucial to avoid certain foods that can worsen liver damage. These include ultra-processed foods, sugary drinks, and refined carbs. 

• Stay hydrated: Water works as a helping hand for your liver by flushing out toxins, making digestion easier, improving the liver’s metabolic functions, and overall reducing the strain on the liver. So, keep a water bottle with you and set goals on a hydration app if needed.

• Stay away from alcohol: Alcohol is a troublemaker that’s toxic and overburdening to your liver. Staying away from alcohol completely, or at least reducing your intake vastly, can help your liver breathe easier.

• Get moving with physical exercise: Exercise not only burns liver fat faster, it also improves blood circulation, which helps remove toxins and reduces inflammation, and improves insulin resistance, all of which help prevent liver diseases. Most importantly, though, being physically active also helps you sleep better. This reduces the stress on your liver and, consequently, your risk of liver damage.

• Take care of your skin: While taking care of your liver is important, you shouldn’t let any skin signs of liver damage go untreated. Soothe irritated skin with non-steroidal, botanically-driven creams (such as the Active ReLeaf Spot Gel), wear loose cotton clothing, and add colloidal oatmeal baths to your routine. 

Consider liver-supporting, plant-based supplements for a gentle detox

Naturally occurring, plant-based supplements such as turmeric, milk thistle, artichoke leaf, licorice, and Korean ginseng can support liver health (and, by extension, our skin) and keep it running smoothly. According to Dr. Papastergiou, milk thistle contains a compound called silymarin that’s known to support the regeneration of liver cells and protect against toxins. Turmeric (with its active compound called curcumin) has strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which reduce the oxidative stress on the liver. 

 

Licorice and Korean ginseng, on the other hand, help reduce inflammation caused by liver disease. Dr. Papastergiou says that these botanicals fix the liver’s ability to filter the gunk in our blood. This triggers a positive chain reaction, reducing the amount of inflammation in your body and allowing your skin to regain its clarity and resilience. 

How Phoilex Supports Skin + Liver Health

At Phoilex, we believe in healing your skin from within by addressing the root causes of your skin problems rather than just treating its symptoms. We achieve this by harnessing the power of nature. 

 

Our Liverty Dynamic Drops are designed for those who suffer from skin problems stemming from the liver.  They target internal inflammation by supporting the liver and nervous system, two major players in chronic flare-ups.  Pharmacist-formulated with plant-based ingredients such as milk thistle extract, turmeric extract, licorice extract, and Medium Chain Triglyceride (MCT) oil, an anti-inflammatory agent proven to prevent liver injury, Phoilex’s drops protect against oxidative damage in both your liver and skin. 

 

Soothe your skin from within by providing systemic support gently detoxing your liver with Phoilex’s Liverty Dynamic Drops. Shop now

 

Place a single drop of the Liverty Dynamic Drops on your tongue, and let it work its magic in soothing your skin from the inside by promoting healthy liver function. You can combine these drops with our Active ReLeaf Spot Gel to help treat skin flare-ups naturally. 

 

Pair Liverty Dynamic Drops with Active ReLeaf Spot Gel for a full inside-out routine. Shop the ReLeaf and Recover set

When to See a Doctor About Skin Changes

Are your liver damage skin symptoms not going away despite making lifestyle changes and complementing them with liver-friendly supplements? It might be time to see a doctor. While Phoilex supports liver and skin health, it’s not intended to be a substitute for professional medical care. 

 

Some signs to look out for are:

• Yellowing of your skin or eyes

• Persistent itching that just doesn’t seem to go away

• Swelling (commonly seen in your abdomen or legs)

• Multiple spider veins

• Unexplained bruises, especially if they seem to happen quite frequently

Pay Attention to the Skin-Liver Condition for Better Skin Health

Your skin problems aren’t always about the skin. Sometimes, they’re about the liver. This is why holistic care plays an important role in maintaining skin health. Pay attention to what your skin is saying, and the rest of your health will follow.

 

Say hello to a holistic inside-out approach skin health with Phoilex. Shop all products

FAQs

What does liver damage skin look like?

Skin symptoms of liver damage often show up in the form of grey, dull skin, unexplained rashes, red, blotchy skin, spider webs, darkening of skin, itchiness, and yellowing of the skin and the whites of your eyes. 

What are the warning signs of a damaged liver?

Severely itchy skin without any visible rash, dark spots and skin discoloration, yellow or red skin, abdominal pain, and fatigue are all warning signs of a damaged liver.