28-05-2025
Subtle signs on your skin and neck that mean you could have deadly condition suffered by 100m
Unexplained changes in your skin can occur for a number of reasons - whether it's from time in the sun or allergies. However, a health coach warns they could be a sign of something more sinister.
Jade Rivers, a wellness coach, recently revealed 'what a body looks like when it's heading toward [type 2] diabetes.'
Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition globally and over 37million American adults suffer from this form of the chronic illness.
It is caused by either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body's cells not responding properly to insulin. This leads to high blood sugar levels and a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, which can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.
It is often linked to lifestyle factors like obesity, poor diet and lack of physical activity and because it develops gradually, people may not know they have it until serious complications arise.
However, according to Rivers, if people are able to recognize several changes in their bodies that indicate insulin resistance - a precursor to diabetes that plagues 100million people - they may be able to make changes and reverse it.
Below, details the unexpected signs you could be headed toward a type 2 diabetes diagnosis:
Dark patches on the neck and underarms
Dark, velvety patches on the skin, often in body folds like the neck and armpits, can be a sign of acanthosis nigricans (AN).
This is a skin condition often associated with obesity and insulin resistance, and a possible early sign of type 2 diabetes.
The patches are not caused by diabetes itself, but rather by the underlying insulin resistance.
AN is characterized by dark, velvety patches in areas across the body like the neck, armpits, groin, and sometimes on the hands, elbows, or knees.
It is typically a sign your body is making extra insulin. When the body is resistant to insulin, the pancreas may overproduce the hormone in order to compensate.
This excess insulin then builds up and causes the dark patches.
While it can cause embarrassment and some people may try to scrub or bleach the patches away, this is not effective in getting rid of the dark spots.
Instead, you should change your diet to include more healthy foods and get physical activity. Losing weight can also help. This will lower the amount of excess insulin in the body and can alleviate AN.
Skin tags
Skin tags, also known as acrochordons, are small, harmless growths often found in areas where skin folds or rubs together, such as the neck, armpits and groin.
They may also appear where skin rubs against clothing or jewelry and are caused by friction.
While typically benign, if you begin noticing the appearance of more skin tags than is normal for you, a trip to the doctor may be in order.
In people with insulin resistance, skin tags form because insulin plays a role in regulating cell growth.
When someone is insulin resistant and the pancreas produces too much, it can stimulate the growth of skin cells, which in turn can lead to skin tags.
Additionally, insulin resistance can disrupt the balance of the hormone insulin-growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is linked to skin tag formation.
A neck hump, sometimes called a buffalo hump, is a fat pad that forms at the base of the back of the neck.
Being insulin resistant and struggling with a build up of insulin in the body leads to weight gain, fat accumulation and a struggle to lose weight.
This could cause fat deposits to collect in certain areas of the body, such as the neck.
Additionally, the hormone imbalance caused by insulin resistance or full-blown diabetes contributes to abnormal fat distribution.
Like many other symptoms of insulin resistance, a hump or fat around the neck can be alleviated by diet and exercise changes, which can lead to healthy weight loss.
