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Find a dermatologist You can search by location, condition and procedure to find the dermatologist that is right for you.
A dermatologist is a doctor who specializes in the treatment of skin, hair and nails. Dermatologists care for people of all ages.
Diabetes can affect many parts of your body, including your skin. When diabetes affects the skin, it can mean that:
You have undiagnosed diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Your treatment for diabetes will need to be adjusted.
It's time to talk to your doctor if you notice any of these warning signs on your skin.
1. Shin splints
This skin condition is common in people with diabetes. The medical name for shin splints isdiabetic dermopathy.You may also hear people call this condition spotted leg syndrome.
When this condition begins, you usually see round or oval spots that often develop on the shins. The spots can be brown or reddish brown in color.
In the beginning, these spots often feel flaky. When they flatten out, they can cause small bumps in the skin.
Diabetic dermopathy
Because these spots are often brown and do not cause symptoms such as itching or pain, many people confuse them with age spots.
Unlike age spots, these spots often begin to fade after diabetes is well controlled, usually within 18 to 24 months. Diabetic dermopathy can also remain on the skin indefinitely.
Although these spots are harmless, anyone who develops them and has not been diagnosed with diabetes should be tested.
If you have diabetes, tell your doctor about these spots. Some people with diabetes and shin splints are at greater risk of developing complications from diabetes, such as neuropathy, which is nerve damage that can lead to weakness, numbness and pain.
Lever
Tell your doctor about these spots.
If your diabetes is not well controlled, work with your doctor to gain better control.
2. Darker area of skin that feels like velvet
A dark spot (or band) of velvety skin on your neck, armpit, groin, or elsewhere may mean you have too much insulin in your blood. This is often a sign of pre-diabetes. The medical name for this skin condition isacanthosis nigricans.
Acanthosis nigricans in de nek
This condition often occurs in the back of the neck and can be the first sign that someone has diabetes or prediabetes.
Lever
Get tested for diabetes.
3. Hard, thickening skin
If you have diabetes, hard, thick, and swollen skin may develop, even if the diabetes is well controlled. The medical name for this condition isscleredeem diabeticorum.
The skin often develops on the upper back and the skin slowly thickens and tightens over months or years. This condition can also occur on the shoulders, neck or other places, but never on the hands or feet.
Scleredeem diabeticorum
Some people have discolorations where the skin is hard and thickened.
While the skin hardens and thickens, the condition is painless.
Lever
Tell your doctor about skin thickening. Gaining better control of your diabetes can provide relief.
4. Open wounds and ulcers
Long-term high blood sugar (glucose) levels can lead to poor circulation and nerve damage. You may have developed these if you have had uncontrolled (or poorly controlled) diabetes for a long time.
Poor circulation and nerve damage can make it difficult for your body to heal wounds. This is especially true for the feet. The open wounds are mentioneddiabetic ulcers.
If you have diabetes, check your feet every day for sores and open sores
If you notice a sore, cut, open wound, swelling, discoloration, or other change, contact your doctor immediately.
Lever
Seek immediate medical attention for an open wound or sore.
Work with your doctor to make sure your diabetes is well controlled.
5. Eruption of small bumps
Uncontrolled diabetes can cause extremely high levels of triglycerides, a type of fat that circulates in the blood. If this happens, you may develop a skin condition called 'skin disease'eruptieve xanthomatose.
Eruptieve xanthomatose
If you have undiagnosed diabetes or diabetes that is not well controlled, these bumps may suddenly appear on your skin.
After the bumps appear, they quickly develop a yellowish color on lighter skin tones. If you have a darker skin tone, you may see a grayish color with a yellowish tinge underneath. You usually find these bumps on the buttocks, thighs, bends of the elbows or knees. However, they can form anywhere. Wherever they form, they are usually painful and itchy.
Once the diabetes is well controlled, the bumps usually disappear.
Lever
Tell your doctor about the bumps, because this skin condition can develop if you have uncontrolled diabetes.
Talk to your doctor about how you can better control your diabetes.
6. Yellowish, smooth bumps or spot(s) on and around your eyelids
These bumps and spots occur if you have high levels of fat in your blood, which could be a sign that you have poorly controlled diabetes. The medical name for this condition isxanthelasma
Regardless of your skin color, these bumps and spots appear yellowish or yellowish-orange.
Xanthelasma
The yellowish bumps and spots usually appear in approximately the same place on (or around) both eyelids. These bumps and spots may feel soft or slightly hard.
Lever
Tell your doctor about the yellowish bumps or spots around your eyes.
If you have diabetes, talk to your doctor about how to better manage this condition. Controlling diabetes can help get rid of blemishes and spots.
7. Infections
Diabetes weakens your immune system, which decreases your body's ability to fight harmful bacteria and increases your risk of developing infections. Fungal infections such as thrush and vagin*l yeast infections are common.
Do you get more fungal infections every year?
Ask your doctor if you may have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
Lever
Make sure you get treatment for the infection right away.
Tell your doctor if you have regular yeast infections. You may have undiagnosed diabetes.
If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, you may need closer control.
8. Skin-tags
Many people have skin tags, which are harmless growths that can appear anywhere on the skin. Sometimes skin tags are firmly attached to the skin. You can also see them dangling from a stem. The medical name for these growths isacrochordons.
Although skin tags can develop anywhere on the skin, they are most common on the eyelids, neck, armpits and groin.
Skin tags
Although harmless, having multiple skin tags could be a sign that you have too much insulin in your blood or that you have type 2 diabetes.
Lever
If you have a lot of skin tags on your skin:
Ask your doctor if you should be tested for diabetes.
If you have diabetes, ask your doctor if you need better control of it.
9. Cluster of small bumps or raised area
Whether this skin condition is related to diabetes is controversial. We know most havegranuloma annulardo not have diabetes.
However, several studies have found this skin condition in patients with diabetes. One such study found that people with diabetes were most likely to have large areas of skin with granuloma annulare, and that the bumps came and went. Another study concluded that people with granuloma annulare that comes and goes should be tested for diabetes.
Granuloma annulare
This skin condition causes bumps and spots that can be skin-colored, red, pink, or blue-purple.
Lever
Tell your doctor if you have small bumps on your skin, and also tell your doctor if the bumps come and go.
10. Yellow, reddish, brown or purple spots on your skin
When this condition begins, you will often see one or a few reddish-brown spots on your shins if you have a lighter skin tone. People with dark skin often see purple spots. These spots are not itchy or painful. The medical name for this condition isnecrobiose lipoidica.
These spots grow slowly and become one or more spots that can be yellow, reddish, brown or purple. In the center, you may see waxy skin that is thinning, blood vessels, or both.
Necrobiosis lipoidica on a person's shin
The lighter areas in the reddish spots are waxy skin.
Lever
Get tested for diabetes if you have not been diagnosed.
Work with your doctor to better manage your diabetes.
Consult a dermatologist about your skin. Necrobiosis lipoidica is harmless, but can lead to complications.
When should you see a dermatologist?
Diabetes can cause skin problems. Most of these skin problems are harmless, but even a minor problem can become serious if you have diabetes. Aboard-certified dermatologistcan recognize skin problems due to diabetes and help you manage them.
Are all dermatologists certified?
No. Find out what it takes to become board certified.
What is a dermatologist?
Pictures
Images 1, 2, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14: Reproduced with permission from ©DermNetwww.dermnetnz.org2023.
Image 3, 4: Used with permission fromJournal of the American Academy of Dermatology:
J Am Acad Dermatol2007;57:502-8.
J Am Acad Dermatol2014;71:e99-e101.
Billed 5, 10: Getty Images
Image 7: Used with permission fromAmerican Academy of Dermatology National Library of Dermatology Education Slides.
References
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “Diabetes and your feet." Last updated on 11-04-2023. Last accessed on 28-11-2023.
Cohen Sabban, NL. “Cutaneous manifestations of diabetes mellitus from A to Z.” Focus session presented at: 74th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology; March 4-8, 2016; Washington DC.
Duff M, Demidova O,et al. “Cutaneous manifestations of diabetes mellitus.”Clinical diabetes. 2015;33:40-8. Lima AL, Illing T,et al. “Cutaneous Manifestations of Diabetes Mellitus: A Review.”Ben J Clin Dermatol. 2017 aug;18(4):541-53.
Martin C, Requena L,et al. “Diabetic Sclerosis in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.”Case Rep Endocrinol. 2011;2011:560273.
McKinley-Grant L, Dronavalli S,et al. “Cutaneous Manifestations of Systemic Diseases.” IN:Taylor and Kelly's Dermatology for Skin of Color. (second version). McGraw Hill, USA, 2016: 479-85.
Morgan AJ and Schwartz RA. “Diabetic Dermopathy: A Subtle Sign with Serious Consequences.”J Am Acad Dermatol. 2008;58:447-51.
Pereira M, PinheiroRR,et al. "Scleredema diabeticorum."Dermatol reported. 21 november 2022;14(4):9477.
Vangara SS, Klingbeil KD,et al. “Severe hypertriglyceridemia presenting as eruptive xanthomatosis.”J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 Jan-Feb;7(1):267-70.
Written by:
Paula Ludmann, MS
Rated by:
Brendan Camp, MD, FAAD
Amanda Friedrichs, MD, FAAD
William D. James, MD, FAAD
Omolara Olowoweye, MD, FAAD
Last updated:1/4/24
