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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staffThere's no specific treatment for acanthosis nigricans. However, treating any underlying conditions may cause the skin changes to fade, such as:
- Losing excess pounds if you're overweight
- Making dietary changes, such as cutting back on starches and sugars
If you're concerned about the appearance of your skin, your doctor may recommend these treatments:
- Prescription creams or lotions to lighten the affected areas, such as those containing modified vitamin A products (Retin-A, others)
- Oral medications, such as isotretinoin (Accutane, Sotret)
- Fish oil supplements
- Dermabrasion or laser therapy, which may help reduce the thickness of certain affected areas
Thick lesions can have a bad odor. Using antibacterial soaps or a topical antibiotic may help.
- DeWitt CA, et al. Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignant disease: Cutaneous paraneoplastic syndromes. In: Wolff K, et al. Fitzpatrick's Dermatology in General Medicine. 7th ed. New York, N.Y.: The McGraw Hill Companies; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2961164. Accessed Jan. 10, 2010.
- Goldstein BG, et al. Metabolic and inherited diseases affecting the skin. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2010.
- Cutaneous manifestations of internal disease. In: Habif TP. Clinical Dermatology: A Color Guide to Diagnosis and Therapy. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--s0160&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--s0180&uniq=178031830&isbn=978-0-7234-3541-9&sid=938193257#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-0-7234-3541-9..00035-3--st0155%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-0-7234-3541-9%3Btype%3DbookPage. Accessed Jan.10, 2010.
- Reynolds RV. Cutaneous manifestations of internal malignancy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 9, 2010.
- Acanthosis nigricans. American Osteopathic College of Dermatology. www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/acanthosis_nigrica.html. Accessed Jan. 10, 2010
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