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Suggest Treatment For Acanthosis Nigricans In Underarms And Groin

Posted on Thu, 7 Apr 2016

Question: I have acanthosis nigricans in underarms n groin since puberty.i need therapeutic solutions.i hv already tried retinal bt it's nt satisfactory .more over it increased darkness.any chemical peels for instantaneous result

Answered by Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Find out the cause, salicylic acid & glycolic acid peels effective

Detailed Answer:
Hi
Thanks for being at healthcaremagic

You first need to find out the cause of acanthosis nigricans so that the treatment is effective and their is no recurrence of the condition.

It is mostly associated with obesity, hypothyroidism, insulin resistance, drugs and hormonal disturbance. Check with your treating doctor if any of these is a cause with you.

You get your fasting serum insulin levels and thyroid function tests to rule out insulin resistance and thyroid abnormality.

After ruling out the underlying problem I recommend my patients to use cream containing salicylic acid and mometasone combination at night and a moisturising cream containing urea and glycolic acid in the morning.

Salicylic acid 20 percent and glycolic acid 20 percent peels are also effective in the treatment of acanthosis nigricans.

I hope to have answered your query and would be happy to clarify any further doubts.

Regards
Dr Asmeet

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (27 minutes later)

I hv very sensitiv skin even shaving irritates ,Deo irritates,shaving ends with rashes n bums, so stoped both.m over weight n with hyper hydrosis on stress n hot climates.apart Frm dark underarms m healthy.no DM ,thyroid,CXR normal,USG normal.does salicylic acid20% irritates lik tretinoin.any medical brands r should I go fr online buy

Answered by Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (15 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Go for weight reduction, salicylic acid peels done by dermatologist

Detailed Answer:
If you are overweight, weight reduction will improve your acanthosis nigricans.
Also get your serum insulin levels checked.
Salicylic acid peels are done by a dermatologist at every 2 weeks interval till the pigmentation lightens. It is an office procedure not to be done by the patient.
It will cause some irritaion but it is totally done under supervision.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (2 hours later)

Tx for the information.if atall I wanna go with home treatment ,which % of keratolyte can I use with good results even though it would take more sessions.n how to use it.

Answered by Dr. Asmeet Kaur Sawhney (34 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Salicylic acid 3 percent ointment

Detailed Answer:
You can use salicylic acid 3 percent ointment daily for 2 hours and then wash it off.
If it doesn't cause much irritaion to you then gradually increase the contact time by 1 - 2 hours weekly until it reaches 8 hours.

Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Yogesh D