DIABETES AND PROBLEMS WITH SKIN AND
NAILS
There are a number of skin and
nail problems that are more commonly seen in people with diabetes. These include the following:
-
Acanthosis nigricans, a darkening of the skin at the back of the neck and
under the armpit. The skin has a velvety feel. This condition occurs in people with type 2 diabetes who
are very insulin resistant. It does not require any treatment.
-
Necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum. This is seen mostly in people with
type 1 diabetes. There is a thinning of the skin on the shins with a reddish yellowish discoloration.
Sometimes it can be ulcerated in the middle. Treatment is usually with steroid injections or
creams.
-
Lipohypertrophy, a localized swelling, is caused by repeated insulin
injections in one spot. Insulin absorption becomes more erratic in these areas. Stopping injections of
insulin in the affected area usually leads to recovery.
-
Shin
spots, or diabetic dermopathy, are brown, oval patches on the shins (and sometimes on the
forearms) of people with diabetes. Men are more prone to this than women. There is no treatment for
it.
-
Scleredema diabeticorum, a firm swelling and thickening of the skin of the
shoulders and upper back. This condition can be itchy. Treatments include steroid ointment and a
medicine called methotrexate.
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