The skin is the largest organ of your body. It is a commonly known fact that your skin protects your body by shielding it from harmful external stimuli such as microbes, pollutants, and climatic conditions. Additionally, skin also helps regulate your body temperature and acts as a medium to permit the sensations of touch, pain, and temperature variations. But, would you believe if we say that skin is an excellent messenger which is also capable of externally relaying important information of what is happening inside your body? Skin undergoes several changes in terms of its appearance, texture, feel, and color which can all be considered as warning signs of certain medical conditions. 

In this health article we discuss 12 such important skin signs that may indicate that something is wrong with your blood glucose levels and you may either have undiagnosed prediabetes or diabetes. Alternatively if you are already on treatment for your diabetes  the skin changes may indicate that there is a need for your diabetes to be reassessed and the treatment adjusted accordingly. 

Read further to know what these 12 important skin signs are.

  1. Frequent skin infections - Diabetic individuals are prone to frequent skin infections. The infections can occur anywhere in the body but are more commonly seen in the scalp, between the toes, and around the nails. These infections typically show hot and swollen surrounding skin and may progress into blisters with white discharge that looks like cottage cheese (paneer).
  2. Yellow, brownish yellow or reddish patches on skin - Small and raised bumps on the skin resembling pimples. The bumps later progress into patches making the scan hard. Typically the skin surrounding the patches looks shiny and porcelain-like, and is itchy and painful. Clinical these patches are called necrobiosis lipoidica. 
  3. Scaly yellow patches around your eyes - Yellow scaly patches may be seen around the eyelids. Usually, these patches are seen when the fat levels in the blood are high. But, the patches may also be indicative of poorly controlled diabetes. Clinically these patches are called xanthelasma.
  4. Small reddish-yellow bumps - Pimple-like reddish bumps usually appearing around crooks of the elbows, thighs, buttocks, and the back of the knees that rapidly change to yellow color. Clinically the condition is called eruptive xanthomatosis and is often considered a sign for uncontrolled diabetes warranting treatment adjustment.
  5. Skin colored or raised bumps - Clinically these are called granuloma annulare. Although granuloma annulare is common in non diabetic people and presence of the condition may not strongly be correlated to diabetes; diabetic people have granuloma annulare over large areas of skin and the bumps often appear and vanish.
  6. Blisters - Sudden appearance of blisters over the skin (resembling the blisters that appear after serious burn) with no apparent reason may be an indication of diabetes. There might be a single isolated large blister, a group of blisters, or both. These blisters commonly form on hands, feet, legs, or forearms. Clinically the condition is called bullosis diabeticorum or diabetic bullae.
  7. Dark velvety skin - A band or a patch-like dark velvety skin usually seen in your armpits, on the back of your neck, or groin region could be an indication of insulin in the blood. Clinically the condition is called acanthosis nigricans.
  8. Shin spots - Shin spots or diabetic dermopathy are spots or sometimes lines usually on the shins that form a barely noticeable depression in the skin. Very rarely these spots may also be seen on the thighs, arms, trunk, or any other areas.
  9. Skin getting thick and hard - Commonly seen around the digits (toes and fingers). Clinically the condition is called digital sclerosis. The thickening and hardening of skin may also gradually spread over forearms and upper arms, shoulders, upper back, and meck. Very rarely it may also involve elbow, knees, and ankles making bending and stretching movements difficult.
  10. Skin tags - Although very commonly seen even in healthy individuals, having numerous skin tags could be an indication of type 2 diabetes or too much insulin in blood.
  11. Open wounds and sores that won't heal easily.
  12. Extremely itchy and dry skin.

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