Dirty Skin #shorts

Is this over here dirty skin? Or this condition on your chest, or even this one at the base of your neck? The answer might be yes, but soap and scrubbing is not the way to get rid of it. I'm a board certified dermatologist and those pictures that you just saw are also known as retention hyperkeratosis. It's a condition in which your skin does not get rid of itself adequately because the skin renews itself every 28 days or so. So you have built up keratin, making your skin look darker in certain areas like the base of your neck, your underarms, your ankles, your wrists, or even your chest. And poor hygiene can contribute to this look. And the only way to get rid of it is by using a 70% isopropyl alcohol swab to really clear those layers of dead skin off of your skin. If the alcohol swipe does not get rid of it, though, it might be another condition, also known as acanthosis nigricans, which might be a sign that you're diabetic. If you have any questions, let me know below.