Skin Changes You Shouldn’t Ignore

Listen to my podcast, @DoctorMike2 here:

Skin cancer, lyme disease, jaundice... there are so many health conditions you could have that I can spot just by looking at your skin, and often at the very beginning of our appointment together. Of course, not every bump, bruise, and scratch is indicative of a life-threatening disease, but in the cases where it is, here is what I'm looking for!

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Executive Producer: Doctor Mike
Production Director and Editor: Dan Owens
Managing Editor and Producer: Sam Bowers
Editor and Designer: Caroline Weigum
Editor: Juan Carlos Zuniga

* Select photos/videos provided by Getty Images *

** The information in this video is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images, and information, contained in this video is for general information purposes only and does not replace a consultation with your own doctor/health professional **

[zahraalhussein]

Especially as a growing teen, it’s harder to differentiate between skin problems and just being a teen and maturing, so thank you so much for this video Doctor Mike! ❤

[luannnelson]

My twins turned yellowish when they started eating a lot of solid food, freaking me out about jaundice. Turned out to be their extreme fondness for sweet potatoes and carrots. I also developed petechiae while pregnant with these two big babies; a few spots have never gone away, and I have to explain this to every new medical practitioner I encounter. You’d think they’d read my chart, but evidently this does not happen.

[AKIRA__]

Ok, hear me out. Med student right here and today we just started learning the anatomy of organs. One of the last things my professor said before ending today's lesson was "In the past, before surgery was possible, medics would analyse the outside of our body; our skin. Believe it or not, even some heart problems could be detected form the changes of your skin. A good medic will be able to identify many pathogens just by looking at your skin."
And oh boy, look at this. Dr Mike today decided to publish this video. What a coincidence

[nekoneko]

The skin pinching test, to check hydration, is super helpful also for pets/animals! I learned that years back from a vet, when my cat was sick.

[sankalpietechtips]

My mom has PCOS, I have seen her struggle with facial hair, literally breaking down and comparing herself to her colleagues. This is just a reminder that if someone around you has any one of those changes or any disease in general, please be there for them. Dont make fun or try to demoralize them. Instead try to understand their POV.

[jillian]

While I love your content, I noticed that almost every example pic used was of people with white skin. As a black woman, it tends to be more difficult to find resources that show what these symptoms would look like for someone with my complexion. I hope in the future you will include a wider range of skin tones in your examples so we as well as others have a better understanding of what that might look for people of color. :)

[norahyspin]

I would love to see what these conditions look like on darker skin. I find that some of these examples may look like something else when there is more melanin in the skin.

[DutchyHusky]

Having well over 50 moles on just my face alone, i get check-ups from time to time. I'm fairly sensitive to getting sun burns, so I do want to keep up with them. Couple years back, my GP removed one cause he didn't trust it. turned out to be a benign tumor. Ever since, i check myself almost daily.
Being as deadly as it is, melanoma should get more attention. Thank you for doing so!!

[MissGilAllen]

I had an even harder time getting doctors to listen to me until I stopped putting on makeup to go to the doctor. I was so insecure I wouldn't leave the house without foundation, but the day I braved exposing my skin to the doctor, suddenly they looked at me and said, "Oh, you don't feel good, do you?"

[HalfShelli]

Thanks Mike, for recognizing and including Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome as a possible cause of easy bruising (0:39) and skin hyperextensibility (5:30). As a genetic disease that gets progressively more damaging over time, it's really important that we get kids diagnosed young, so that their parents and they themselves learn how to best care for their fragile bodies. By the time I was diagnosed in my mid-30s, I'd already done so much joint damage in my childhood and young adulthood (ballet, high-impact, competitive contact sports) that my quality of life was definitely decreased. Early diagnosis and management is the key to living with EDS, but 20 years ago, so few doctors had ever seen it, or really knew about it. It's great to see a family/GP physician (in the public eye no less!) be aware of it!

Thanks for all you do, @DoctorMike!

[rubenfuarnold]

As a veteran viewer I think I can speak for most people when I say we miss the fan mail opening video's.

[BewareOfMpreg]

Thank you for the subtitles, Dr. Mike. Very few youtubers are so considerate for the deaf community 💖

[katherinepollock]

This video has made me aware of a potential symptoms of diabetes. I'm a teenager, so I'm not sure if I'm just being paranoid, but luckily I have an appointment booked with a primary for next month.. I'll try to bring it up while I'm there!

[agentbarton]

I think the differential diagnosis clipboard was a really great touch. It was both informative and useful in highlighting how one symptom can have many possible causes and how self-diagnosis can easily lead us to settle on the wrong one. Definitely hope you use it in other videos in the future!

[heathercole]

As someone with psoriasis and very very sensitive skin that is prone to major allergic reactions, I appreciate this!! I just had my last allergic reaction a few weeks ago, and my entire body was covered with red painful hives. I wish my "contact dermatitis" was confined, but once my skin reacts to something, it doesn't stop.

[julietteoscaralphanovember]

I actually diagnosed, not officially, but had a coworker and my best friend got engaged to a woman, both had the classic butterfly rash that women get when they have lupus. I worked in a lab and mentioned to my coworker that maybe she should get checked for lupus, so we ordered some tests that came back positive and made an appointment for her and sure enough she had it. My mother has lupus and I knew everything she went through before being diagnosed. My best friend's fiance came for a visit and we talked about makeup, skincare, etc. She took her makeup that night and showed me her rash that gets worse in the sun. I mentioned she should see a doctor. She got real sick later in the month and was diagnosed with lupus also.

[dietotaku]

my husband's been noticing his face getting red easily, it never occurred to us that it could be due to his compromised immune system as a result of his leukemia. he'll be reassured to hear about this!

[marillymari]

I have been at many places to check out my hormones. "Professionals" didnt take me seriously because well
I am pretty hairy in places that i shouldnt be as a woman. Crazy how much things i learn just from watching a few minutes of your video with an issue that i struggle with for years. Thanks!

[VPuffy]

As a medical student, this video was like a good test of my knowledge.. I'm glad I was able to correctly answer them.. Your videos are always so educational and helpful. Keep up the good work

[stephiegee]

Should have done one for psoriasis. When I found out I had it, it’s started as a tiny dry red spot behind my leg that I thought was just some really resilient dry skin. Then, it started growing and growing and even took over to my scalp to where I was pulling out patches of dry skin which took along with it my hair so my normally thin/fine hair was thinner than normal and getting patchy. And my legs ended up getting about 90% covered, along with many parts of my stomach and arms. It was honestly one of the worst times of my life because I felt so ugly and my legs were constantly peeling and/or bleeding. And I had to go through a lot of treatment options that failed before they would let me go on a medication. When I took the meds, it was almost instant relief- my scalp cleared overnight it seems. After that, they put me on another one, and I haven’t had another break out since! Thank God for the men and women of science who can help those who suffer!!