Hi I am pretty new here and have a question. I have had the dark patches under my arms only, but have noticed that they have lightened and now they are gone . Could this have anything with the weight loss? If anything else it is so strange to me. For years I would not wear tank tops because I was embarrassed to lift up my arms due to those dark patches. but now they are gone..
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What you're describing is called Acanthosis Nigricans.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hezzer
I have Acanthosis Nigricans as well. It's usually a sure-fire symptom of at least insulin resistance if not diabetes. In fact many doctors are now looking for AN spots on children as an indicator of insulin issues. I've have my spots since I was about 12. I wish then that my doctor had explained to me why I had them.
The way AN was explained to me is my body has become desensitized to insulin so my pancreas just keeps making more until my body finally responds and utilizes it. The excess insulin spills over into the skin causing the thickened ridges and discoloration. Mine are a tan color under my arms, on the back of my neck and in the groin area. It's embarassing to me and I never wear my hair up or wear sleeveless outfits. I'm lucky though. I saw a girl in the store one day who had a band of AN around her neck. It almost looked like someone had tried to strangle her with a noose.
It did fade significantly (except in the groin area) after 3 months of low carbing and losing 30 pounds but it came back when I started eating carbs again. I recently read an article that said AN in women is most commonly found in the groin area in addition to other areas like neck, armpits, under the breasts, etc. Often you will find skin tags on areas with AN.
Some have said that metformin has helped regulate their insulin and as a result lightened the spots to some degree. I'm not on metformin though.
It seems to me from my experiences and reading those of others that losing weight and watching carb intake and keeping insulin levels balanced are the biggest factors in making the spots lighten or go away. After all, the less insulin spilling into your skills means less noticeable spots.
Dark Patches 
