Gransnet forums

Ask a gran

What are these orange stains that have appeared on my hands overnight?

(471 Posts)
25Avalon Thu 13-Feb-20 11:00:12

This happened first about 3 weeks ago and I thought it was because I had handled a Satsuma. It wouldn't wash off but disappeared over 24 hours. Then I woke up this morning to find dark iodine coloured stains down my index finger and light orange blotches on both palms and on the back of my thumb. I have googled this and nobody seems to know what it is so I am wondering if anyone on gn has come across this?

Grandmabirdy Mon 15-Mar-21 19:01:59

My left hand this morning.

Grandmabirdy Mon 15-Mar-21 18:55:20

I woke up with these stains on my hands today. This is the second time in five days. I ate several mini sweet peppers yesterday, but I have been eating these for years. Both times it's happened there was very little staining on my right hand, and much more on the left. It's a mystery.

MCARMAN1967 Tue 09-Mar-21 01:30:29

I dont eat any of that I've kept a log and nothing fits

MCARMAN1967 Tue 09-Mar-21 01:28:25

I have same problem have you had any luck figuring it out

lissa3784 Thu 18-Feb-21 19:01:26

The discoloration or "rash" I experienced was a bit more orange than what I see here so it may be something different. (I very rarely eat carrots or tomatoes)

25Avalon Wed 10-Feb-21 19:40:11

I’ve not had this again since a year ago. From recent posts I am convinced it was caused by Red Romano peppers which I was eating in salads last winter instead of tomatoes.
Really interesting that other people have experienced it as I could find very little on it or other sufferers at the time. Scrubbing, bleach etc will not remove it Cosmo69. It is more likely something you ate -either carrots or something red like peppers. I suggest keeping a diary to see what triggers it.

Blossoming Wed 10-Feb-21 19:32:05

I’d be more worried if I found I was growing hair on my fingers!

Cosmo69 Wed 10-Feb-21 19:01:01

So strange yesterday will be the second time I have gotten these spots myself. I have a spot above my knuckle on my index finger on the right hand and then I have a line shaped going down the side of my middle finger like I said this is a second time it has happened to me and I have tried to scrub it off with everything and I cannot get it off. I will be going to see my PCP tomorrow and I am going to have him look at it and see what he has to say. Have any of you lost hair between your knuckle and your fingernail on your fingers? I have and all of my fingers and they have become shiny between my knuckle and fingernail also.like I said I will be seeing my PCP tomorrow which is Thursday and I will get back to you if I find anything out.

ukizil Wed 27-Jan-21 09:58:09

I got those rusty stains twice now. This morning it was very appearent than the first time, you can see it in the picture below. I am highly suspicious about bananas, because i have eaten two bananas before going to bed. I am not sure if it was the content of banana but patches make think me of the sticky substance on banana skin which i touched with my hand and i can see the patches are distributed among my fingers which i hold the banana to eat. and i have less stain on my other hand, only on my fingertips which i used only my fingertips to peel the banana skin. I think iti is some kind of bacteria living in the sticky substance on banana skin and they reacted on my skin overnight... That is my opinion about it but still... not so sure either.

Jgzz Fri 22-Jan-21 23:12:23

Here is a picture of my right hand

Jgzz Fri 22-Jan-21 23:11:30

Same thing happened to me today. Also overnight. No pain or discomfort. Just looks interesting. I’m also intrigued of what could be causing this all over the world. I’m in Austin, TX.

By any chance do you all take elderberry supplements. I took a larger than normal dose yesterday. And I had not taken it in a while. The other thing I can think of is stress? Have you all been unsually stressed when these appeared. I’ve been very stressed the last few weeks. Lots of changes.

I hope this helps someone figure out what’s causing these stains.

lissa3784 Fri 22-Jan-21 21:45:55

25Avalon has your issue resolved itself yet? I had something similar happen so I just wanted to see if it went away on it's own of if your discovered the cause. . .

Gingerannie Sun 13-Dec-20 10:13:48

Hi I'm new here and I'm 45 but this popped up when I googled brown stains on hands.
I woke up this morning and noticed these stains on the palms of both hands in places you'd touch if you were to open a jar, inside of index fingers, base of thumbs. Right hand worse than left. Racking my brains to see where it's from but no luck. It doesn't wash off but it has faded a bit, it also looks more like a stain than pigmentation or a blemish. Did anyone have any joy finding out what it was? Only thing I could think of was my sons chilli sauce jar which I opened yesterday, I didn't get it on my hands though. I did eat about 4 satsumas yesterday but still, no clue. As far as I know I woke up with it.

25Avalon Sun 13-Dec-20 10:12:11

Thanks Cassiesierra18 I have followed your posting and see there is not just something called carotenemia but the similar lycopenemia from eating tomatoes, beetroot, and red peppers amongst others. Looking back over my previous posts I see I remarked on eating raw Romano sweet red peppers in a salad and this could be what caused it. Apparently you only need a small quantity and as I don’t eat salad every day in the winter this would explain why it went away after a few days and came back sporadically. I haven’t had Romano peppers during lockdown and no orange hands.

Other posters may like to think back to what they have eaten.

Cassiesierra18 Sun 13-Dec-20 08:59:43

Found it

Cfaz49 Sun 13-Dec-20 08:53:42

There’s something called carotenemia. Leaves stains on the skin of the hands. Caused by too much carotene. Possibly this is your answer. I don’t know how to do links! Sorry.

Cassiesierra18 Sun 13-Dec-20 08:51:26

Thank you for the response! I’m only 19 and since I’ve moved out and in with my boyfriend and what’s going on currently I’m very stressed and any change visually or physically to me is stressing me out. I do appreciate all the replies I’ve read to your original post. Very humorous theories and polite responses back to them.

Cassiesierra18 Sun 13-Dec-20 08:48:20

Related to my previous comment

25Avalon Sun 13-Dec-20 08:48:04

Hi Sierra, no I’m afraid I have no answer. I did not go to the doctor and after a few episodes it went away and hasn’t been back since. I trawled the internet to no avail. The nearest I could find was that it might be hormonal but since I have been post menopausal for 20 years and your boyfriend has it that doesn’t make sense either. Someone else from GN sent me a personal email to which I replied but never heard back as to how she got on.

Cassiesierra18 Sun 13-Dec-20 08:38:22

Hi! My names Sierra and I too have the iodine shade staining on my hands and sometimes forearms. My boyfriend has a giant spot on his elbow and some on top of his hand. Mine switches different hands and spots each time. I get a new patter after 1 day of the stain, gone overnight, then 3 days later a new stain. I have no idea where I’ve been getting these and my boyfriend didn’t believe me until he got one himself and couldn’t wash it out. Would love to hear if you gotten an answer to this symptom.

Blossoming Thu 10-Dec-20 00:32:32

I very much doubt if it would be tinea nigra in the UK. It’s a disease of the tropics and it’s rare there.

Chosen2 Wed 09-Dec-20 23:22:07

Ok this is really strange. I woke up today with the same thing. 3 Finger tips on left hand orange, a couple stripes in my right palm. Does anyone have any idea? No I didn’t sleep with Trump, No I don’t use tan lotion or iodine. I have not consumed large amount of Carotenemia. I’m curious to now what is going on. We all must have a common denominator.

als1569 Sat 07-Nov-20 02:46:50

This happens to me too! Just happened last night. It doesn’t wash off and slowly goes away after a few days. It is the strangest thing.

MissAdventure Sat 05-Sept-20 03:43:50

www.healthline.com/health/yellow-feet#calluses

I know it says feet, but it mentions hands, too.

girlie1 Sat 05-Sept-20 01:15:09

25Avalon, me, same thing. One day noticed that my left hand from the index finger and continuing to the palm had a funny orange color. My right hand had a small streak of orange as well. So, the first thing I did was a search on Google. None of the medical findings fit my health. At this point, I'm at day six and the left hand is almost entirely faded. My right hand with no changes, still orange. Wondering if you were able to find out what caused this for you?