Hi I have had this problem for as long as I can remember. I was overweight since the time I was 2 or 3. I have never told ANYONE outside my family (other than doctors etc) about this problem so I have always felt very alone. I am now hoping that losing weight by eating low calorie, low fat and increasing veggie intake and fiber will help me through this. I have the ring around my neck, my armpits are pitch black and i have very black patches on my inner thighs, and around the vaginal and anal regions. It is really embarrassing. I am glad that I am not alone in this. I am 21 and I have never had a steady relationship or a boyfriend because of this. I am too scared to get naked in front of a guy. What if he doesn't want to touch me or what if he doesn't like me anymore? A guy that I have been dating (a purely non-physical relationship) wants to get physical with me and I am too scared to. He's the most amazing guy I have ever met and I love him very much. I learned something: when you love someone so much you want them to have the best and that means the best version of me. How can I allow him to settle for such an imperfect version of me? I am too embarrassed to let him even look at me with my clothes off. He deserves more than this and it breaks my heart that I can't give him that. I have been frantically looking for answers when I came across this a week ago and I am sure I have AN. I really hope that losing weight will work. I have a few questions: do any of you know of any makeup or cover up that can be used on this so I could possibly look normal for just one day or a few hours? I have tried dermablend which did nothing for me as my patches are WAAY too dark. The other question I have requires more thought: Do you honestly think that people like us (or just me) could ever have a normal lifestyle? I have had such a deprived life: I don't go swimming, I have never been to a beach, I haven't gone to homecoming or prom and I have never had sex or been intimate with a guy. I just want to be normal and have normal things like for once a special guy to share valentines day with. I truly believe that I will never have those things.