Losing weight can not only help you get into a smaller size and wear styles that may reveal more skin, but did you know it also helps improve your appearance? It’s true. Obesity affects your health, raising the risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes and other life-threatening conditions. But there are several ways in which a high body mass index affects your skin and hair as well. An unhealthy diet spells trouble for your insides, and your skin can suffer on the outside as well. Excess sugar and fat creates an overproduction of sebum, or oil, in your skin, which can lead to breakouts. Keeping your skin clean – but not overly clean – and having a balanced diet with plenty of fiber and protein can help. Not fitting into your clothes may make you want to tear your hair out – but that’s what obesity actually does.

When hormones called androgens are stimulated – and causes can be a sedentary lifestyle and high-calorie, high-fat diet – it causes hair to fall out in a condition called androgenetic alopecia. Another hair-raising condition that can arise is the opposite of hair loss – hirsuitism, or excess hair growth, particularly on the face. Hormones in overdrive can cause hair to grow in unexpected places and grow darker than usual. Riding the weight-loss rollercoaster can cause another undesired skin condition: stretch marks. They result when skin can’t keep up with the expansion of weight gain or the contraction of rapid weight loss. Many times, stretch marks can be reduced in appearance by lotions, scrubs and other products, but you can avoid them and other unattractive skin conditions by staying at a healthy weight and eating a balanced diet.