What causes acanthosis nigricans?

Have you ever noticed dark, velvety patches on your arms or neck? Or maybe you’ve seen it on someone else and wondered what the hell is going on?! Well, wonder no more! You have stumbled upon an article that will give you all the juicy details about acanthosis nigricans – and trust us, this condition has a lot to reveal!

What is Acanthosis Nigricans?

Acanthosis nigricans (AN) may sound like something straight out of Harry Potter’s spellbook but alas, it is not. AN refers to abnormally thick and hyperpigmented patches that develop on different parts of the body such as armpits, necks, groin area or even less-commonly palms or soles. It usually affects people who are overweight or have metabolic changes in their bodies.

How Can You Tell if You Have Acanthosis Nigricans?

Before we get into causes let’s see if you can find some clues to spot those pesky patches:

  • Inverted V-neck sweatshirt collecting dust in your closet
  • Strangers suddenly rubbing their necks while making eye contact with you
  • Your skin wearing black turtleneck sweater 365 days a year
  • Your partner asking why they gave hickeys when they didn’t

If any of these rings true for you then unfortunately you might be dealing with AN.

What Causes Acanthosis Nigricans?

Now onto more serious matters – how does one get stuck with this mysterious skin condition? There are three primary factors that play a role:

  1. Insulin Resistance 👩‍⚕️

Disrupted insulin signaling pathways lead to changes in hormonal profiles resulting in increased production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Elevated levels of IGF-1 cause both an increase in cell proliferation (which thickens skin) and a stimulation of melanocytes which are the cells that produce pigment, hence – dark patches.

  1. Genetics 👪

AN can run in families as it is genetically-determined, with certain ethnic groups being more prone to developing these changes than others. Not sure if you come from such lineage? Get your ancestry test done and maybe blame your grandad for something else other than your weird laugh.

  1. Medications 💊

Certain medications like oral contraceptives that contain estrogen or hormone replacement therapy can also lead to AN development while Lamotrigine (as seizure-control drug) could trigger acute type mimicking paraneoplastic pemphigus lesions. Now before you start hating on all forms of pills known to human kind keep in mind there’s always pros&cons list when starting new medication.

Types of Acanthosis Nigricans

Not all ANs were created equally – they’ve actually been conveniently categorized based on different causes:

Benign:

This is the most common version which usually develops due to obesity, insulin resistance, adult onset diabetes or any metabolic challenges as we mentioned earlier# What Causes Acanthosis Nigricans?

Now onto more serious matters – how does one get stuck with this mysterious skin condition? There are three primary factors that play a role:

  1. Insulin Resistance 👩‍⚕️

Disrupted insulin signaling pathways lead to changes in hormonal profiles resulting in increased production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). Elevated levels of IGF-1 cause both an increase in cell proliferation (which thickens skin) and a stimulation of melanocytes which are the cells that produce pigment, hence – dark patches.

  1. Genetics 👪

AN can run in families as it is genetically-determined, with certain ethnic groups being more prone to developing these changes than others. Not sure if you come from such lineage? Get your ancestry test done and maybe blame your grandad for something else other than your weird laugh.

  1. Medications 💊

Certain medications like oral contraceptives that contain estrogen or hormone replacement therapy can also lead to AN development while Lamotrigine (as seizure-control drug) could trigger acute type mimicking paraneoplastic pemphigus lesions. Now before you start hating on all forms of pills known to human kind keep in mind there’s always pros&cons list when starting new medication.

Types of Acanthosis Nigricans

Not all ANs were created equally – they’ve actually been conveniently categorized based on different causes:

Benign:

This is the most common version which usually develops due to obesity, insulin resistance, adult onset diabetes or any metabolic challenges as we mentioned earlier👩‍⚕️. It is typically located in body folds but could spread widely over time.

Malignant:

The rare variants happen particularly severe (& mostly sudden) accelarated transformation upon skin cells transforming into malignant cancerous ones- notably seen secondary effect of undisclosed internal adenocarcinomas linked with bowel.

Does Obesity Cause Acanthosis Nigricans?

You don’t need me repeating: yes! However, obesity alters inflammatory profile so even teenage years may add unnecessary pressures by pushing hormones wackier– thus dark patches may occur without one perceivable change – except the number reading ‘191’ disappearing from bathroom scale(after eating burrito bowl served bigger than a basketball). If only life had pause button…

How Is Acanthosis Nigricans Diagnosed?

Got yourself some fancy skin discolorATIONS and suspect this condition might be overshadowing their existence? You know what brings peace? Diagnosis! Meaning? directly showing the patches to dermatologists- it will usually suffice. In rare cases of malignant AN, sometimes lab tests or endoscopic biopsies may be required for proper diagnosis&findings.

How is Acanthosis Nigricans Treated?

We know there’s no fountain-of-youth pill yet but at least there are treatments for dark velvet undertones (or so they say) :

Diet & Exercise:

As obesity and metabolic changes play significant roles in Development the first step of reversing damages from AN obviously involves getting rid of excess weight through diet & exercise.

Medications:

Prescribed topical retinoids help unclog pores around hair follicles reducing hyperpigmentation.(it does come with caveat: dryness, redness plus potential itching)

Oral medicines like isotretinoin can also sometimes be effective although when used carelessly could trigger severe birth defects making your denims look awkward even after a decade later.)

Sometimes medications are given to combat underlying hormonal imbalances such as insulin resistance or thyroid disease that’s driving high blood sugar levels – glucose-lowering agent Metformin is one example

Other Treatments:

Laser therapy may also help smooth out surfaces by removing layers of skin-all while whitening up discolored problematic areas; occasionally done hand in hand with dermabrasion microsurgery.

Conclusion

There you have it folks! Hopefully this little encyclopedic article met your expectations covering every detail related about acanthosis nigrican imaginable– including some not-so-savory details that may have made you question why you keep reading so long. Remember – It’s just pigmentation problem on skin and doesn’t change who you really . So take note of what causes and remember always consult your physician before beginning treatment , because ‘being safe than sorry’ never goes out style…no matter how dark it might appear !

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