Categories: A

Acanthosis Nigricans – Treatments and Medications

Treatments and Medications for Acanthosis Nigricans - There are no specialized treatment options for acanthosis nigricans, as it occurs due to various other medical conditions. Laser treatment is also advised in specific cases of acanthosis nigricans.

Share

Treatments and Medications for Acanthosis Nigricans

New York (USA), June 16, 2013

Treatment Options for Acanthosis Nigricans

There are no specialized treatment options for acanthosis nigricans, as it occurs due to various other medical conditions. Treating these medical disorders can alleviate acanthosis nigricans and skin lesions lighten considerably and eventually disappear.

Possible treatment options include:

Tackling Obesity
If acanthosis nigricans is primarily due to obesity, reduce body weight. Adopt suitable weight loss options like exercises, changes in diet, and similar others. Diet should reduce circulating insulin levels in body. Exercises control blood glucose levels effectively.

Surgery
If acanthosis nigricans is due to malignancy, surgical removal of tumors or cancers can absolve acanthosis nigricans conditions. Skin discolorations disappear thereafter. Dermabrasion or surgical scraping of the skin is another option. Laser treatment is also advised in specific cases of acanthosis nigricans.

Medications for Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis nigricans lesions change skin color and sometimes smell foul. Doctors prescribe over the counter applications, creams, and special anti-bacterial soaps to counter bad smell.

The common medications for acanthosis nigricans include:

Topical Retinoid: These could be tazarotene, tretinoin, or adapalene. These are available as creams and gels in different percentage concentrations. They remove dead cells and your skin sheds off such cells. They also restrict further formation of lesions. Topical creams like urea solutions, Retin-A, salicylic acid, and alpha hydroxyl acids improve skin appearance by lightening skin lesions.

Keratolytic Agent: This contains alpha-hydroxyl acid. It influences hydration of skin and decreases further corneocyte cohesion. Overall, it restricts formation of skin lesions and lowers acanthosis nigricans incidence.

Oral Medications: If acanthosis nigricans is very severe and stubborn, doctors prescribe oral medications like dietary fish oils and Isotretinoin. Fish oils do not have any side effects and effectively treat diabetes. However, Isotretinoin is extremely potent and has many serious side effects. It is normally used for extreme scarring acne. Acipimox in place of nicotinic acid improves the lipid profile and reduce acanthosis nigricans considerably. Acanthosis nigricans stops if you stop intake of any specific drug that causes skin lesions as a side effect.

Anti-Bacterial Soaps: Topical antibiotic or anti-bacterial soaps reduce odor due to skin lesions.

Acanthosis nigricans sometimes disappears of its own without any specific reason.

Acanthosis Nigricans – Definition and Diagnosis
Definition and Diagnosis of Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Causes and Evaluation
Causes and Evaluation of Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Signs and Symptoms
Signs and Symptoms of Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Complications and Risk Factors
Complications and Risk Factors for Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Diagnostic Tests and Procedures
Diagnostic Tests and Procedures for Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Clinical Trials and Research Studies
Clinical Trials and Research Studies on Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Home Remedies and Alternative Therapies
Home Remedies and Alternative Therapies for Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Prevention and Coping
Prevention and Coping with Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Lifestyle Changes and Self-Help
Lifestyle Changes and Self-Help for Acanthosis Nigricans

Acanthosis Nigricans – Prevention, Treatment, and Remedies
Acanthosis Nigricans – Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Prevention, Treatment, and Remedies