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WAN (wahn)

Unnaturally pale due to worry or sleeplessness
Common clues: Pale; Blanched; Lacking color; Colorless; Pasty-faced; Washed-out; White as a ghost;
Ashen; Pallid; Unnaturally pale; Hardly ruddy
Crossword puzzle frequency: 4 times a year
Frequency in English language: 3383 / 86800


Pallor is a reduced amount of oxyhemoglobin in skin or mucous membrane, a pale color which can be caused by illness, emotional shock or stress, stimulant use, lack of exposure to sunlight, anemia or genetics. It is more evident on the face and palms. It can develop suddenly or gradually, depending on the cause.



Pallor is not usually clinically significant unless it is accompanied by a general pallor (pale lips, tongue, palms, mouth and other regions with mucous membranes). It is distinguished from similar symptoms such as hypopigmentation (loss of skin pigment).


Pale skin is also a very light skin tone most commonly associated with people of European descent, particularly people of Celtic and Scandinavian descent. In addition, people who avoid sun exposure and thus avoid sun tanning also tend to have paler complexions in comparison to their peers.



This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Pallor".