A small amount of fat in your liver is healthy, but when fat makes up more than 5% of your liver's weight, it can cause problems. At this point, doctors call it steatotic liver disease, although you may have heard it called fatty liver disease in the past. There are many symptoms of this condition, and some may affect your face. Changes in your skin can be the first signs of fatty liver disease. These are some possible fatty liver face symptoms to be aware of.
Facial Puffiness
When your liver is healthy, it produces lymph, a clear substance that travels to cells and tissues, delivering nutrients and collecting excess fluid. But in severe cases of fatty liver disease, your liver doesn't function properly. This can cause too much lymph to be released into your body, upsetting the balance of fluid in your tissues. Your face may become swollen and puffy when fluid collects in facial tissue. You will likely also have swelling in other areas of your body.
Rosacea
Rosacea is a condition that causes facial redness, usually on your cheeks, nose, and forehead. Depending on what type of rosacea you have, you might also have facial swelling, visible blood vessels, fluid-filled pimples, or thickened skin on your nose. Some people have eye irritation, sensitivity to light, or painful bumps on the eyelids.
Rosacea has been linked to metabolic syndrome, a group of conditions including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess fat around the waist, and abnormal levels of cholesterol or fats in your blood. If you have metabolic syndrome and a buildup of fat in your liver, then you have metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), formerly called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
Other research suggests that fatty liver disease could cause rosacea because it affects genes that control hair follicles. Follicles are openings in the skin that hair grows through, including on your face.
Yellowing of the Skin
Yellowing of the skin, eyes, or mouth is called jaundice. This can be caused by severe liver conditions like hepatitis or severe fatty liver disease.
When the liver is working properly, it breaks down bilirubin, a yellowish substance made when old red blood cells die. A healthy liver can process bilirubin and release it as bile, which helps your body digest food.
If fatty liver disease becomes severe, then scar tissue can replace healthy liver tissue and the liver may also shrink. This stage of fatty liver disease is called cirrhosis. It can take years to happen, but the damage can't be repaired. When the liver is very damaged, it can’t absorb and break down as much bilirubin. This can cause too much bilirubin to build up in the blood, causing yellowing of the skin.
Skin Pigmentation
Skin pigmentation refers to the color of your skin based on how much melanin your body makes. Melanin is a substance made in the skin and determines the color of your hair, eyes, and skin. Skin pigmentation can change because of your genes, sun exposure, medications, or disorders.
Severe fatty liver disease can cause skin pigmentation changes. Your skin can become blotchy or grayish in different areas of your body, including your face. This can happen to the skin surrounding your eyes, mouth, and under your nose.
Darkening of skin folds on your neck can also be a fatty liver face symptom. This can happen because of insulin resistance, which leads to type 2 diabetes – a condition linked to fatty liver disease. At least half of people with MASLD also have type 2 diabetes.
Irritated Skin
Symptoms of fatty liver on the face can include irritated skin. This can mean that your skin is itchy, dry, or swollen. Many health conditions can cause itchy skin, including allergic reactions and eczema. Sometimes, itching is caused by an internal disease or illness, such as liver disease.
Itching may happen because of cholestasis, a problem with bile flow. Cholestasis can be caused by an advanced form of fatty liver disease called metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).
Normally, the liver breaks down cholesterol to make bile acids (also called bile salts). But liver damage can cause bile acids to build up in your blood. This can irritate nerves and cause itching on your hands, feet, limbs, or all over your body, including your face.
Facial Rash
A facial rash involves changes in the texture, color, or feeling of the skin on your face. There can be many possible causes, such as clothing dyes, poison ivy, or makeup. Facial rashes can also happen when you don't get enough of certain vitamins. A lack of vitamin C can lead to eczema, while a lack of zinc can cause skin rashes.
There is some research showing that a lack of zinc can happen in people with chronic liver disease, especially severe fatty liver disease or cirrhosis. Your liver plays an important role in processing zinc, which supports your overall immune system and skin health. Liver failure can upset this process and cause a scaly rash on your face or sores around your mouth.
Spider Veins
Spider veins are visible blood vessels underneath your skin's surface. They may look like spider webs or clusters of spider webs with blue, red, or purple lines. Spider veins usually appear on your face, neck, upper chest, or arms. They happen because of damage to blood vessels.
Spider veins are usually harmless, but having multiple spider veins can be a sign of severe fatty liver disease. If fatty liver disease progresses to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), scar tissue may build up in the liver. This is known as fibrosis, and it can trigger new blood vessels to form from existing ones, a process called angiogenesis.
How to Treat Fatty Liver Symptoms on Your Face
The liver plays an important role in your overall health. It does hundreds of things, like filtering and storing nutrients. But when your liver is damaged or sick, it can't do its usual activities. That can cause symptoms to show up on your face. The most important step you can take is managing fatty liver disease. Getting treatment for your liver condition may help relieve some fatty liver facial symptoms.
Some symptoms can be treated with medicines, home remedies, or over-the-counter drugs. A drug called cholestyramine can help treat itching and skin irritation caused by fatty liver disease. The drug may help your body get rid of excess bile salts that can cause itching. Placing a cold compress on your face, or taking anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, may help reduce facial puffiness. Rosacea can be treated with medicated creams or gels, such as brimonidine or oxymetazoline.
When to Contact Your Doctor
Keep an eye out for new symptoms on your face, or symptoms that seem to be getting worse. Contact your doctor if symptoms appear suddenly or do not improve.
If fatty liver disease progresses into NASH or cirrhosis, symptoms like spider veins and yellowing of the skin can happen. You might also notice changes in your skin pigmentation, such as darkening of your neck. You may not show any symptoms of fatty liver disease until it becomes severe, so it’s important to get regular checkups. Catching the disease sooner may help prevent it from getting worse.
Takeaways
Changes in your face can be a sign of fatty liver disease. Fatty liver face symptoms can include changes to the color, texture, and feel of your skin, such as puffiness, rosacea (redness), yellowing, itchiness, or rashes. These symptoms may not show up until the disease has become serious, so it can help to have tests done regularly to make sure your liver is working properly.
Fatty Liver Symptoms of the Face FAQs
Can fatty liver cause face swelling?
Severe fatty liver can cause face swelling. When your liver loses function, fluid may build up in facial tissues and make your face look puffy and swollen.
Are liver spots a sign of fatty liver?
Liver spots are flat black or brown spots that may appear on your skin because of sun exposure. Liver spots are not a sign of fatty liver.
Does fatty liver cause pigmentation on the face?
When fatty liver disease becomes very serious, it can cause pigmentation on the face and neck. You may notice grayish skin around your mouth and nose, and darker skin in the folds of your neck. These changes may happen because of insulin resistance, which is often linked to fatty liver disease.
What does a fatty liver rash look like?
A fatty liver rash on your face can look like scaly skin or sores around your mouth. It may happen because you aren’t absorbing enough zinc – a possible symptom of fatty liver disease.
Can fatty liver cause a flushed face?
Fatty liver can cause rosacea, a skin condition that makes your face appear reddish and irritated. This can make your face look flushed.
What are the signs of liver failure in the face?
There can be different signs of liver failure in the face, such as yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes. This is called jaundice.
