1. Dry Skin

According to doctors, excess weight on your frame can interfere with the natural barrier your skin produces. That can result in too much water loss, which can lead to dry skin. The more weight you carry around, the higher the possibility that you’ll have to deal with tight, flaky and cracked skin.

2. Wound Healing

This relates to #1. When your skin’s surface and barrier is altered or isn’t as healthy as it should be, you may notice that your wounds take longer to heal. This can be a problem because it introduces the risk of infection. Not to mention that injuries are painful and uncomfortable.

3. Increased Sweat

Anywhere your skin folds likely gets sweatier than others areas of your body. Some sweating is normal, but people who are overweight may sweat excessively. That extra sweat can lead to rashes and discomfort. Sweat that dries on your skin can also lead to irritation or acne breakouts.

4. Skin Discoloration

One of the most common skin issues that overweight and obese people face is darkened patches of skin. Called acanthosis nigricans, these patches tend to develop on the elbows, knuckles, face, neck and armpits. The spots are often associated with insulin resistance, another side effect of being overweight.

5. Collagen Structure

Collagen is basically the building block of your skin. When you’re overweight, the pounds can get in the way of proper production of collagen. This can cause negative consequences when it comes to your skin’s structure and elasticity. This can also contribute to issues with wound healing (see #2).

6. Increased Breakouts

Even thin people have to battle acne at times, but being overweight can exacerbate the issue. The excess weight alters your skin’s natural oil production. Too much oil will clog your pores, which will result in breakouts at times. Added to this are the hormone disruptions that can occur with weight gain. Combined, pimples and blackheads may crop up on your face, back and some other areas on your body.

7. Skin Infections

While being overweight itself might not cause a skin infection, but it can exacerbate skin infections you already have. In addition, if you develop a skin infection and are too heavy, you might notice that it doesn’t heal very quickly or gets worse.

As you can see, being overweight can really do a number on your skin. Of course, losing weight should be something you do for yourself, but I think you’ll love the radiance you notice. The best way to lose weight is to cut calories from your diet and burn more calories through exercise. How does your weight affect your skin? Any good tips for getting around the issues?