This is a great question to discuss with your dermatologist
or primary care physician
. The skin discoloration that you are describing is something that is known as acanthosis nigricans. This is a very common dark skin discoloration that occurs in people who are overweight and also sometimes in those who have PCOS. In most cases, the acanthosis nigricans is just a symptom of what is going on inside the body regarding sugar metabolims, fat stores, and insulin resistance. In other words, treating the acanthosis nigricans does not attack the discoloration directly but, rather, works at diet and exercise. In most cases, if a health exercise and diet plan can be put in place and if some weight can be lost, the acanthosis nigricans will improve dramatically or may even disappear completely.
Occasionally, this is not the case however. In more stubborn cases, various skin treatments may be applied to help reduce the discoloration or the thickening of the involved skin areas. However, you should start by setting up a visit with your primary care doctor
to work first on the diet and exercise plan, which is more likely to be successful. Please discuss this issue with either your primary care doctor or a dermatologist, who will be able to give you further advice about skin treatments.