Q Dear Auntie Pearl, I have a problem and I don’t know how to say it so I’ll just say it – I have a black neck.
Yes I am a black person but my neck is really dark and it’s embarrassing.
Some people say I am dirty, some say my mom should have bleached me when I was a young child, or poured alcohol on my neck and because she didn’t I will be cursed with this black neck forever.
It really does look like dirt. It has been there for a few years now.
What is wrong with me? Am I sick?
From Shy about Black Neck.
A Ai shame my darling, you really sound fed-up, insecure, worried and gatvol about your neck, to say the least.
And before we dive into the black neck saga – if you ever feel like you don’t know how to say a thing, just say it in the simplest way you know how.
Honesty is the best policy and is better than beating around the bush.
Now hartjie, the medical term for a black neck is “acanthosis nigricans” and is not all that uncommon, even healthy mense can be affected by it.
Just because you have it also doesn’t mean you are sick, but it can be a sign of some other medical conditions.
Sometimes it’s also congenital, meaning a person is born with it.
A black neck like the one you are describing often appears in mense who sukkel with obesity or elevated insulin blood levels, so someone with diabetes.
But the skin on our necks can actually go darker for other, less serious reasons, for example hyperpigmentation, hormonal changes, sun exposure, or other skin-related conditions.
Sometimes it’s also not just that the skin of the neck turns darker, but it also changes texture so it will feel thicker or softer than the surrounding skin.
Now remember angel, Auntie’s no doctor and even though most cases of black neck are not medical emergencies, it is always wys to see a doctor for the correct diagnosis.
Word on the street is though that mense who are obese or live with diabetes are at greater risk of developing this particular condition.
Black neck can also occur when a person has a buildup of dead skin cells, oil, sweat, and bacteria on their skin, so yes scrubbing it might help.
A doctor would most probably take a skin sample and inspect your neck, ask you about your medical history and also your sun exposure.
Then they might also refer you to a dermatologist – that’s a doctor who specialises in the skin.
But remember, at the end of the day, there could be no medical condition and your neck is simply what it is – darker than the rest of you.
Auntie can imagine how the nasty comments about your neck can hurt, but you have to hold your head up high, darling.
The things that make us unique are the things that make us beautiful.
And even though you might not like your dark neck, try to embrace and accept it as part of what makes you, well, you.