Obesity Causes Skin Problems

Obesity means having too much body fat. Most of the people who are obese have a sedentary lifestyle. Due to lack of exercise and excess fat, it becomes very difficult for the human body to have normal functions of the entire organ and thus common functions of the skin are also compromised. To accommodate the excess fat skin also stretched beyond its flexibility limit. If a person remains obese for a longer period, the stretched skin tissues take the permanent structure and may not come back to its original shape and the dermis breaks down that leave behind the stretch marks. Overstretching of the middle layer of skin accelerates the process of skin aging.
It has also been confirmed in various studies that obesity causes skin problems and accelerates the skin aging process.

Skin Problems:

Obesity Causes Skin Problems
Men and women can get stretch marks on several areas of their bodies, including the abdominal area, thighs, hips, breasts, upper arms or lower back. Stretch marks often turn lighter over a period of time but continue to appear noticeably. Various treatments are available for removing/fading of stretch marks. There are many skin problems related to obesity. Obese people are at the risk of folliculitis as extra fat put added pressure on hair follicle which can damage them and may develop an infection. Obesity people are at the risk of cellulitis as extra fat in the body make changes in epidermis and dermis. Another obesity-related skin issue is skin tags as extra weight causes friction between the affected areas of skin.



Acne outbreak is the most common problem in teens especially in girls due to changes in puberty hormones. It has been observed that overweight teens are at higher risk of developing acne. Studies showed that there is a link between Body Mass Index and acne outbreak but the reason that triggers the acne is still under study. One of the factors behind the occurrence of acne in an obese person is the overproduction of natural steroids like estrogen and testosterone that increase the production of sebum in the body. Excessive production of sebum clogs the skin cells hence blocking the opening of a follicle and resulting in the formation of acne. Various homes, natural and herbal treatments are available to treat the acne. Certain precautions may also help to handle the acne problem. Change in lifestyle & eating habits and regular exercises/yoga will help to check obesity and acne problems.

One of the important methods of slowing down the effect of the aging process of the skin is regular exercise. Exercises will not only help to burn the excess fat but will also flush out the toxins from the body and improve the blood circulation for the systematic body functioning. Improved blood circulation and proper functioning of body organs will help in the regeneration of essential dermis components and repair damaged skin tissues. Apart from weight management, effective anti-aging treatment may also help to reverse the damages to the skin caused by obesity.