As a result of aging, there are noticeable skin changes. Some may include skin drying, thinning, or even loss of elasticity.
But when it goes to the extreme, skin color and texture change around the legs, knees, ankle. This could be your body sending a signal.
Hemosiderin staining is one of the signals that show something is not right with your veins. Hemosiderin staining appears as a reddish brownish spot on the lower part of your legs.
Usually, this discoloration varies in size, shape, and location on the leg. Hemosiderin staining is a result of red blood cells leaking through the veins.
What you see are the components of the red blood cells, including iron, among other elements.
This condition takes place around the superficial veins closest to the skin surface. Let’s dig deeper into and learn the composition of hemosiderin.
What is Hemosiderin?
Hemosiderin occurs naturally in the body and is an iron-rich protein. About 35% of its composition is iron. Hemosiderin contains iron that’s not easily consumable by the body.
Let’s see how hemosiderin forms.
The process starts with hemoglobin (a protein that transports oxygen throughout the body). When an injury occurs, blood moves into the affected part; in the process, the hemoglobin turns to hematin after decaying.
Your body has some well-armed soldiers whose job is to remove the hematin. These soldiers are referred to as phagocytes. These soldiers are a collection of white blood cells and manage the process of repair in your body.
When phagocytes roll in, they ingest the decayed hemoglobin producing hemosiderin as a byproduct.
Typically, the browning coloring evident on bruises is due to hemosiderin and other substances. For this reason, hemosiderin staining does resemble normal bruises.
Bruises form when blood vessels are injured, resulting in blood leaking to nearby tissues.
What Causes Hemosiderin Staining?
In essence, hemosiderin staining is an extreme form of bruising.
For one, if you notice an area with hemosiderin staining, severe injuries may have taken place. This form of harm could result from significant accidents, hemorrhages, botched surgeries, etc.
When your body gets injured, blood spills to nearby tissues, which turn into bruises. If the injury was severe, blood leaking covers a broader area. This signifies that there’s more hemosiderin around the affected area.
Your body can’t deal with the iron present in the hemosiderin because it cannot access it. Iron causes the discoloration of hemosiderin, contributing to the appearance of the staining.
Hemosiderin staining might signify critical conditions such as heart disease. Again, failing valves may cause staining. A valve failure might be due to a condition known as Chronic venous insufficiency(CVI)
A dysfunctional blood valve causes chronic venous insufficiency(CVI). It complicates blood flow. In the process, there’s a pool of blood that becomes hemosiderin staining.
What are the Dangers of Hemosiderin Staining?
For starters, hemosiderin staining is an eyesore. But what is more, there are other underlying problems caused by the staining. For instance, your body is prone to other conditions such as chronic pain and severe wounds. Also, stiff joints because of the spilling valves.
Moreover, if the staining occurs internally on the liver, it could be a sign of excess iron in the body. Excess Iron in the body is referred to as hemochromatosis.
Excess iron might be a result of genetics or if you’ve had multiple blood transfusions. Hemochromatosis may cause arthritis, discoloration of the skin, or diabetes. I
In severe cases, you may get cirrhosis of the liver, among other conditions.
One of the causes of Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or Alzheimer’s is head traumas. One common factor in all these brain-related conditions is the presence of excess iron in the brain.
A study conducted by the American Society for Experimental Therapeutics gave these suggestions.
But, few studies have been done on the effects of surplus iron in the brain. This means that more studies need to be done on the subject to come up with conclusive findings.
Hemosiderin Staining Diagnosis
More damage occurs if the venous reflux and varicose veins are not diagnosed and treated. There is severe inflammation on the venous stasis (it’s a collection of fat around your lower legs).
Of course, it manifests itself through discoloration. Noticeably, venous stasis will occur on your ankle. Prolonged hemosiderin staining, especially around the ankle area, result in severe ulcers. The ulcers take time to heal.
For this reason, timely diagnosis and treatment are critical. A large percentage of cellulitis patients may have venous stasis dermatitis.
Hemosiderin staining can also occur after you’ve undergone vein treatment—surface laser or sclerotherapy. But unlike in the staining caused by trauma, this might clear up after a few months or so.
The more severe hemosiderin staining needs to be treated as fast as it is diagnosed. The venous stasis condition affects people who are 60 years and above in most cases.
But, in rare cases, younger people are affected independently. They could be patients with acquired venous insufficiency. Impacts, thrombosis, or surgery usually cause it.
What are Some of the Conditions Associated with Hemosiderin Staining?
Let’s look at some of the conditions associated with hemosiderin staining.
- Impact/Trauma
- Cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Venous hypertension
- Vein insufficiency
- Diabetes
- Leg Edema
Notably, the stain might lighten over time, but this depends on the source of the staining.
Is Hemosiderin Staining Treatable?
The body cannot consume surplus iron, which is a cause of the staining. So if the body can ingest the iron, then the staining will go away.
Some sources suggest dieting to quicken the process of iron absorption. In this case, you have to reduce your iron intake because the body has a surplus.
When you reduce the amount of iron intake, the body absorbs the excess iron. This will likely reduce the cause of hemosiderin staining.
An Iron shortage may cause the body to use the reserve iron when the stain fades away. But before you start dieting immediately, it’s good to note a few things. For one, there are no proven results on this method.
Secondly, Iron deficiency causes a lack of energy, lowers immunity, and you may lack focus. The best advice would be to seek expert advice from a professional dietician.
If you are patient enough, you can wait it out on some of the hemosiderin stainings disappearing independently. It will take you roughly a few months to a year before the stain completely fades away.
That said, the stain might cause permanent marking on the body, just like a tattoo would.
If the veins are still leaking, then the hemosiderin stain might not disappear anytime soon. The leaking veins feed the stain.
Treatment Options
The good thing, though, is that there are several treatment options available. One of the options is the use of topical creams. The cream is applied to the affected area to help the body absorb the iron faster.
It is advisable not to use bleaching creams because the iron is too deep. It may alter the staining completely. Again, even creams for hemosiderin staining may make the staining worse.
Some clinics use laser treatment to clear the staining. This method is like tattoo removal. The laser targets the affected area making the iron easily ingestible by the body. The process is relatively painless, and you can do it within one or two doctor’s visits.
If the leaking is still on, the staining is unlikely to disappear without treating the underlying issue. Even if the affected area on the surface is targeted, the underlying veins might still leak. As such, typical treatment methods won’t offer a permanent solution.
When you treat the underlying veins, it helps in dealing with the problem entirely. One method used to treat veins is referred to as ablation. Ablation is a treatment method that relies on lasers or radiofrequency. The lasers are used to cauterize the leaking veins.
The other form of treatment is cosmetic sclerotherapy. Let’s see what it is all about.
Cosmetic Sclerotherapy Treatment
Sclerotherapy is a treatment method for varicose veins and vein conditions. Usually, the affected veins are injected with a compound known as a sclerosant. In the process, your veins tend to contract.
In some instances, the injection may leave you with brown skin discoloration because of the surplus iron in the hemosiderin.
However, the discoloration disappears over a couple of weeks. But this is a case-by-case scenario since some people are left with permanent staining.
Chronic Venous Insufficiency Treatment
Hemosiderin staining is a sign of an underlying chronic venous insufficiency. For that reason, you must cure that problem.
When you handle this vein issue, it helps to deal with skin discoloration. Also, it stops any other symptoms before getting worse.
Of course, a doctor may suggest dieting or lifestyle change to help manage blood circulation in your legs. In the process, it stops extra blood from leaking to your lower legs and ankles.
Some lifestyle changes include:
- Regular managed exercises
- Get into a fitness regime to help lose weight if you are obese.
- Ensure your legs are elevated while lying or sitting down
- Wear compression stockings
Move your leg often. Do not sit or stand for an extended period if you are not moving often.
When a doctor realizes you have a blood clot or wound on your skin, they may suggest treatment. The doctor may put you in meds, wounds treatment, or even surgery in such a case.
You should not take hemosiderin staining lightly because of its adverse effects. It is linked to the blood flow within your body. Taking the necessary steps to improve circulation is great for your health.
When you deal with chronic venous insufficiency, your skin will look better. It also helps stop any potential complications associated with the disease. Seek medical advice before you take any action about hemosiderin staining.
How Long Does Topical Treatment Take?
Hemosiderin topical treatment effects take time. It depends on the stain itself and the collection of iron deposits. Also, the amount of blood flow is another factor when you are seeking treatment. One of the easiest ways to measure success is by creating a baseline.
You may take a photo even before you start on the topical treatment. The image will help you measure the stain size as the topical treatment take effect. Ideally, take weekly pictures plus the measurements.
That way, you can compare the pictures and measurements in regards to the earlier shots.
Final Thoughts
First, hemosiderin staining is an eyesore. Secondly, it’s a nuisance and will leave you uncomfortable, especially from the inflammation. While the stains usually affect older people, even younger people may be affected.
Many reasons can cause the condition. Some of them include traumas (head) or surgery or genetic disorders. The hemosiderin stain is either semi-permanent or permanent.
If the leaking is not stopped in less than a year, it could cause permanent spots like a tattoo.
One of the major causes of the staining is leaking vessels, leading to excess iron deposits. You can treat the issue topically if it is not prolonged.
But, when it’s extended, you may need to go deeper by fixing the underlying veins which cause the problem.
Treatment methods include laser treatment or cosmetic sclerotherapy. Or, you can get the underlying vessels treated through chronic venous insufficiency. This is one way its symptoms manifest.
This is a condition that requires medical attention. To be on the safe side, you need to consult experts. Get guidance about dietary and lifestyle changes and desirable treatment.
All in all, hemosiderin is treatable. You or your loved one should explore the options discussed here.
