Carotenemia: What To Know About Orange Hands and Feet

When it comes to carotenemia, what you eat has the power to change the color of your skin. But is orange-tinted skin concerning? And how do you get your skin back to its normal tone?

Dermatologist Melissa Piliang, MD, explains what causes carotenemia and why it’s usually harmless.

When eating too many carrots can turn your skin orange

Carotenemia causes thick skin to turn yellow or orange. It’s most common on the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet — but it can turn your nose, forehead and other areas of your body orange, too. It’s also more common among folks who have fair skin.

Unlike jaundice (which turns your skin yellow from a buildup of bilirubin), carotenemia doesn’t affect the white parts of your eyes.

“Carotenemia is pretty uncommon. We see only one or two cases a year,” says Dr. Piliang. “Little kids may be at higher risk for developing carotenemia because of pureed baby foods, like squash and carrots.”

That said, carotenemia is temporary, and there’s no harm or danger to having it.

What causes it

Having too much beta-carotene in your bloodstream causes carotenemia.

Beta-carotene is the natural pigment and antioxidant responsible for giving red, orange and yellow fruits and veggies their rich colors. You’ll find high levels of beta-carotene in foods like:

• Carrots
• Mangoes
• Pumpkin
• Squash
• Sweet potatoes

Other foods like cabbage, dark leafy greens, kiwi and asparagus have beta-carotene in them, too.

Your body turns beta-carotene into vitamin A, but only up to a certain limit. When you get too much beta-carotene, the leftovers end up circulating in your blood, collecting in thicker parts of your skin and turning it orange or yellow.

“You would need to be eating about 20 to 50 milligrams of beta-carotene per day for a few weeks to raise your levels enough to see skin discoloration,” explains Dr. Piliang.

“One medium carrot has about 4 milligrams of beta-carotene in it,” she notes. “So, if you’re eating 10 carrots a day for a few weeks, or you’re taking beta-carotene supplements, you could develop carotenemia.”

It’s like spilling carrot juice on your skin — the more that soaks in, the more orange your skin will look.

Certain health conditions can affect your beta-carotene levels, too, like:

• Hypothyroidism
• Diabetes
• Anorexia
• Kidney disease
• Liver disease

“I want to be clear­ — carotenemia doesn’t cause these conditions,” emphasizes Dr. Piliang. “Rather, carotenemia can be a side effect. When someone has one of these conditions, their body processes beta-carotene less efficiently, which can lead to a buildup in the blood and discoloration in the skin.”

Does it require treatment?

Carotenemia isn’t dangerous, especially if you develop it from consuming too many foods rich in beta-carotene. Healthcare providers can narrow down the cause by taking a closer look at your eating habits and, if needed, by running a blood test.

If you’re concerned about orange skin, Dr. Piliang says you might need to cut back on foods or nutritional supplements that could be causing it.

“You don’t want to completely cut out foods that contain beta-carotene,” she cautions. “They’re healthy for you and part of a well-balanced diet. But expanding the kinds of food you eat could be helpful.”

If it turns out that carotenemia is a side effect of another condition, like diabetes, treating that condition can help your skin return to its natural color.

When will carotenemia go away?

Carotenemia usually goes away when you’ve lowered the amount of beta-carotene in your body, typically after several weeks or months. In most cases, focusing on a well-balanced diet with a variety of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and complex carbs is enough to help.

But if you make dietary changes and skin discoloration continues, make an appointment with a healthcare provider to see if something else could be causing it.