ODD COLOR

[NYRR]

This may be a very odd question!  The other day I noticed on my arms and legs a wet looking hair like  silver or glitter looking object.  They were very small about 2 cm.  At first I thought maybe I came into contact with something, but then it would reappear after a short period of time. It almost look liked "sweat", but in a color of bright silver!  I notice today again in appeared.  This time around my stomach area. I wiped it off but nothing was on the cloth?  It seems to be a bit of a mystery. Can skin or perspiration appear like this.  Or the most likely culprit may be my daughter's arts & crafts assortment?

[Alan Rockoff, MD]

Interesting.  There is an unsual condition called chromhidrosis, or colored sweat.  That's a rare and unexpalined (and often untreatable) situtation, where sweat comes out in brilliant colors.  Your situation sounds more like there is actual colored stuff on the outside of the skin, consistent with your arts & crafts hypothesis.



I'd look for the common stuff first.  If you really think your sweat is colored, then you should show it to a dermatologist, who is likely to get all excited at this rare--and not medically serious--condition.



Best.



Dr. Rockoff