High cholesterol usually has no symptoms, but if you have a genetic condition known as familial hypercholesterolemia, cholesterol spots may appear. They are indicative of high cholesterol levels, and are fatty deposits under your skin. People with familial hypercholesterolemia generally require more aggressive cholesterol-lowering treatment which may help treat the cholesterol spots as well, however, there is no guarantee.
Familial Hypercholesterolemia
Familial hypercholesterolemia is a condition you inherit, causing excessively high levels of LDL, or bad cholesterol, from birth. Your risk of developing this condition is 50 percent should only one of your parents have the condition. Should both parents have the gene and pass it on, the condition is more severe for you, often resulting in heart attack before you are 30 years of age, explains the National Human Genome Research Institute.
Symptoms
Very little separates those with familial hypercholesterolemia from those who do not have this condition. Similarities include a family history of high cholesterol and heart attack or heart disease. The primary difference lies in the signs. Although not everyone with familial hypercholesterolemia develop skin spots, it is one sign that the average person with high cholesterol does not experience. Known as xanthomas and xanthelasmas, these are fatty deposits under your skin resulting from high lipid, or fat, levels in your blood.
Xanthomas
Xanthomas tend to appear on your buttocks, hands, feet, elbows, joints and tendons, although they can present anywhere on your body. Some are minute while others are more than 3 inches in diameter, according to University of Maryland Medical Center. They typically begin as a small, soft bump, growing larger. Yellow to orange in color, xanthomas have well-defined borders.
Xanthelasmas
A form of xanthomas, xanthelasmas appear on your eyelids. You may find they are tender and itchy. They may also be painful. For others, these spots may be firm and painless. Their color and shape are the same as xanthomas. Doctors diagnose both types of skin spots using a biopsy to confirm a fatty deposit, notes St. Lucie Medical Center.
Treating Skin Spots
Treating the underlying cause is the first step in treating these fatty deposits. This includes dietary and lifestyle changes to help lower your cholesterol levels. Surgery, laser and chemical treatments are available as a form of cosmetic treatment, but there is no guarantee the spots will not return. The better control you have over your cholesterol, the better control you have over the recurrence of these deposits.
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