Dark/thick skin

[sawyersmommy 11]

Have dark thick scaly skin around my neck, feet, hands, and other places. I have been told the only way to get rid of it is to lose weight.

Has anyone else had this issue and did surgery help or is there other steps I can take to help it?

[Doing It 4 Them 84]

Have you tried googling it? A friend's daughter has dark rings under her neck. I don't know if she has it other places. I thought it has something to do with diabetes. Not sure...

Hopefully it will go away after surgery.

[Lisa R 39]

Could be PCOS.

[sawyersmommy 11]

I do have diabetes and pcos. I'm just wondering if it will go away as I lose weight.

[MinnesotaDreaming23 17]

Hello, I went to Livestrong.com they have a lot of information on dark skin conditions mostly related to obesity with is related to diabetes. I am going to look into this as well. To the first person that responded to your post, thank you.

Dark skin on the neck is usually a result of something known as acanthosis nigricans. It's characterized by the National Institutes of Health as a skin condition that causes hyperpigmentation along the folds and creases of your body. The hyperpigmentation is usually accompanied by an abnormal thickening of the skin. Most people affected by this condition have an increased level of insulin within the body, as would be seen in diabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome and obesity. Want to look fantastic? Learn more about LIVESTRONG.COM's nutrition and fitness program!

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/174565-how-to-get-rid-of-dark-skin-on-the-neck/#ixzz2gJopCdQh

more information

Dark skin in the groin area is most often caused by elevated insulin levels, according to AOCD. This is typically seen in conjunction with obesity or resulting from type 2 diabetes or other conditions affecting insulin levels. Some medications cause the condition as a side effect, including those that regulate hormone or cholesterol levels and systemic corticosteroids, notes the New Zealand Dermatological Society, or NZDS. In some cases, according to the Cleveland Clinic, the darkened skin results from other medical conditions such as Addison's disease or pituitary or thyroid disorders. Some cancers, particularly in the stomach, can cause dark skin, according to NZDS. In rare instances, acanthosis nigricans is hereditary, points out MayoClinic.com.

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Symptoms

Dark skin in the groin area is generally thickened and velvety in texture. These changes may appear anywhere on the body, but tend to show in skin creases and folds. Skin elsewhere on the body is usually similarly affected, particularly on the armpits or neck. It is not uncommon for the lips, soles of the feet or palms of the hands to be affected as well, according to MedlinePlus. In some instances, darkened skin itches, and, if left unchecked, it often spreads slowly, says MayoClinic.com. Skin tags or lesions are sometimes seen on affected areas, too, reports NZDS.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/191588-dark-skin-in-groin-area/#ixzz2gJpX1LVy

[SoccerMomma73 1,867]

It will likely fade as your insulin levels improve. I can't give you an educated answer on whether it will go away completely. Logically, in my medical mind, as your insulin resistance improves and insulin levels decrease, you will continually shed skin and gave new skin regrowing. I would THINK that if you get to a point where you have healthy levels for a long enough period of time, the skin would eventually return to normal. But that's just me hypothesizing, I've got nothing scientific to back it up.

So excited to see how well you do with this surgery and your comorbidities!!!!!

HW 312, pre-op (RNY) 255, current weight 198

[JollyBigChick 6]

I am a victim of this. I say victim because I always felt it was so f**king embarrassing. and doing everything I could do to hide it. it started when I started puberty oh so long ago. it is related to pcos and obesity. though I do not have pcos. never had diabetes either. but it is a warning that I would no doubt have developed diabetes in the future. I did a lot of research on my own, the doctor I saw as a teen didn't really say a lot. all he said was that it was related to childhood obesity and prescribed some cream that turned my affected body parts red, raw and painful. he said it may or may not go away when I was finished with puberty and or lost weight. what MinnesotaDreaming23 posted is all correct. I think it is on a person to person basis. but I can tell you that mine went away. I am 18 months post op. I noticed awhile ago that it was gone from my neck. I just looked last week and realized that for the first time in as long as I can remember my armpits are white. only someone with this condition can understand the feeling of that if they were as embarrassed as I was about having it.

[sawyersmommy 11]

I am a victim of this. I say victim because I always felt it was so f**king embarrassing. and doing everything I could do to hide it. it started when I started puberty oh so long ago. it is related to pcos and obesity. though I do not have pcos. never had diabetes either. but it is a warning that I would no doubt have developed diabetes in the future. I did a lot of research on my own' date=' the doctor I saw as a teen didn't really say a lot. all he said was that it was related to childhood obesity and prescribed some cream that turned my affected body parts red, raw and painful. he said it may or may not go away when I was finished with puberty and or lost weight. what MinnesotaDreaming23 posted is all correct. I think it is on a person to person basis. but I can tell you that mine went away. I am 18 months post op. I noticed awhile ago that it was gone from my neck. I just looked last week and realized that for the first time in as long as I can remember my armpits are white. only someone with this condition can understand the feeling of that if they were as embarrassed as I was about having it.

I have had this forever as well. I'm embarrassed to wear anything without sleeves. Feel like I have to hide my armpits because they look dirty.

My neck has gradually gotten worse over the years and my six year old daughter and her friends have asked me many times why my neck is dirty.

I scrub those areas everyday with soap and a foot brush. I have scrubbed until it's raw before. I was given cream as well. It only made the areas itch.

I hope these areas will go away after surgery and if anyone has any other treatment ideas please let me know.

[RDCLambert 39]

I do have diabetes and pcos. I'm just wondering if it will go away as I lose weight.

I have PCOS and this seems to go along with it. I have noticed when I lose weight. It improves. And this soubds strange but it goes away or well at least gets better when I use a more dry soap verses a moisturizing soap like dove. Ive noticed zest bar soap helos. Sounds strange but works for me!

[JollyBigChick 6]

I used to scrub it raw too when I was a teen. then just realized it was useless. I have not noticed any difference when i use certain soaps or anything. the only thing I have noticed over the years is that a light scrubbing to get off all dead skin helped lighten it but not take it away. I am sure the only way to possibly get rid of it for good is by losing weight. what I used to do is this, you know when you get out of the shower and your skin is damp after you towel dry but you aren't still soaking wet and dripping, I would start to rub the areas. all the dead skin kind of makes little balls of yuck as you rub. then id get back in the shower to rinse of again to get off all the little balls of dead skin. usually just my neck, inside of elbows, knees, and ankles, the spots I couldn't hide well. I wasn't concerned about armpits too much. just the places people could see.