Why does the skin on the penis appear much darker than the skin on the rest of the body? According to Lindsey Bordone, a dermatologist at Columbia University Medical Center (USA), it is due to an effect of hormones, since the genitals and areolas naturally darken during the period of puberty.
When men go through this phase, their body produces more androgen sex hormones, which correspond to testosterone, androsterone, and androstenedione and are responsible for secondary sexual characteristics, such as facial and body hair and also have skin pigmentation. . This darkening of the skin happens when androgens respond to melanocytes, or the skin cells that produce melanin.
Apart from the puberty phase, other factors that can influence skin pigmentation, especially in the groin and scrotum, are: chronic friction, a hormonal imbalance, high sugar levels (as occurs in people with diabetes ) or obesity. Another lesser known factor may be acanthosis nigricans, a skin disorder characterized by the presence of hyperpigmentation and a rough appearance in the perianal skin folds (the area around the anus) and in the armpits.
And it is that the human body is something amazing and often peculiar.
So we have already seen that the “big reason” or explanation behind why some parts of our body, not only the skin of the penis, but also, for example, the nipples, are darker, is due to the changes it experiences during puberty.
Sex hormones such as estrogen and testosterone increase and produce melanin, an amino acid responsible for the color of our hair and skin, which causes the penis, nipples, areolas and lips to darken.
Although this change produced by hormones is completely normal, we must take into account the changes in skin color during adulthood, as it could be a sign of a health pathology. The skin can darken in certain areas when blood sugar levels are very high and we are developing diabetes.
The skin condition, known asacantosis nigricans, is characterized by brown or tan patches that appear around the armpit, groin or neck and is a symptom of diabetes.
Diabetes is a lifelong condition that makes a person’s blood sugar level too high. People with type 1 diabetes tend to be born with it, but type 2 can develop at any stage. With type 2 diabetes, the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body’s cells do not react to insulin.
The hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas, is responsible for controlling the amount of glucose in the blood .
Let’s not forget that changing skin tone can also be a warning sign of breast cancer, especially if the body turns pink or purple.
If you are concerned that changes in skin tone are a sign of something more serious, you should definitely visit your GP.
