Skin Problems With Obesity

These sunken, wavy lines can show up on your belly, arms, or other places. They may start darker than your skin tone – pink, red, purple, or brown – and turn glossy and lighter than the skin around them. 

Cosmetic procedures and creams can help, but the marks may return or not go away completely. Hydrating, getting plenty of exercise, avoiding caffeine, and eating foods rich in protein, zinc, and vitamins A, C, and D may help prevent them.

These benign growths hang from strands of tissue typically around skin folds. They may be pink, red, brown, black, or the color of your skin. 

Skin tags can be a sign of untreated diabetes. Getting diabetes under control might prevent more skin tags. You may also be able to prevent them if you avoid clothes and jewelry that rub your skin. Your dermatologist can remove the ones you already have.

Also linked to high blood sugar, these dark and velvety patches crop up around folds and creases in your skin. 

They may cause a bad smell and pain, which antibiotics can relieve. But it may be hard to get rid of the look of them. Topical medication, such as cream, ointment, or gel, might lighten up the dark patches. Laser treatment could reduce skin thickness. Prescription retinoids in cream or pill form may further clear up your skin.

Too much pressure caused by extra weight can lead to dry, hardened skin on the bottoms of your feet – especially on your heels and balls of your feet. The condition can come with painful corns, calluses, and warts. 

Your doctor may prescribe medicines you apply to the skin and take by mouth. You might also need in-office procedures on your feet. Comfortable shoes that relieve pressure can help you prevent these skin changes.

These tiny, dry bumps can show up on your upper arms, thighs, cheeks, or butt. They might clear up on their own. 

To help, take short baths or showers with warm water (rather than hot). Moisturize often. Avoid harsh soaps. Scrub off dead skin gently with a loofah. Apply medicated creams containing uric, lactic, alpha hydroxy, or lactic acid. Use a humidifier and wear loose clothing. 

If needed, your doctor can prescribe a cream.

This red, itchy rash may form anywhere skin rubs together, like under breasts, in armpits, and in belly folds. It can lead to bacterial or yeast infections. 

You can prevent intertrigo by keeping your skin cool, dry, and clean. Dry off completely after you shower. Wear loose, breathable clothing. 

If your intertrigo doesn’t get better or shows signs of infection, like a bad smell or pus, see a health care provider.

Obesity is a risk factor for many bacterial and fungal infections. Staph infections can cause painful, pus-filled sores and leave scars that make your skin look cratered like an orange peel. Cellulitis can cause painful, hot, red, swollen skin. Onychomycosis is a toenail fungus. These infections require prescription medication.

Often called acne inversa, it can cause blackheads, painful lumps, and sores that leak blood and pus. Untreated, it can limit your movement and lead to infection, skin cancer, chronic pain, depression, and social isolation. Treatment might include a few different medicines, several medical procedures, and ongoing follow-up to monitor your condition and adjust the care plan.

Inflammation from obesity can trigger this skin condition. In this autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakenly attacks your body and causes itchy, flaky, irritated patches of skin.  Treatment includes medicines you apply to your skin, swallow, or inject. You might get laser therapy, too. You’ll start with the mildest treatment and work up until symptoms are under control.

This typically refers to a female body making too much of a group of hormones called androgens. Male and female bodies both make androgens, but males make more. Fatty tissue can overproduce these hormones in people with obesity, and it can lead to acne and body hair patterns that are more common in males. Medications, including hormonal birth control, can rebalance the hormones and treat the acne and body hair.

Excess weight can put added pressure on veins in your legs and cause them to bulge and become larger. The veins look purple, blue, and bumpy. For some people, it’s just a cosmetic problem. But for others, varicose veins can cause pain. Treatment includes regular physical activity, keeping your legs elevated, and wearing compression socks. If needed, surgery can remove or fix the bulging veins.

The extra pressure on leg veins keeps them from pumping enough blood back to your heart. Besides varicose veins, this can cause other symptoms that are visible on your skin like leg ulcers and extreme leg swelling. Your doctor will recommend some new habits, including regular movement and leg elevation. You might also need surgery.