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Skin Tags and Diabetes: What's the Connection?
Diabetes means your body doesn’t produce insulin or process sugar correctly. If you have diabetes, it can affect your body in all kinds of unexpected ways.
According to diabetes specialist Thomas Nguyen, MD, who practices at Nguyen Medical Group in Boynton Beach, Florida, one of the most unexpected symptoms of diabetes is the development of a high number of skin tags.
What are skin tags?
Skin tags are small growths that can form on top of your skin, usually the same color as yours. They look similar to warts but feel softer and smoother to the touch.
Skin tags are especially prevalent on your:
- Breasts
- Underarms
- Eyelids
- Groin
- Neck
Usually, skin tags are harmless, although you might not like how they look on your skin. If you rub or scratch them, they can sometimes hurt.
The connection between skin tags and diabetes
Having a skin tag doesn’t necessarily mean you have diabetes. If you have a few skin tags here or there, those are often harmless and don’t necessarily have an underlying medical cause.
However, if have a large number of skin tags, this can be a symptom of diabetes. Medical studies show that you’re more likely to develop skin tags when you have insulin resistance.
Skin tags are one of the most common skin conditions you can get with diabetes. In addition, you might also develop thicker skin, skin discoloration, and skin that’s itchy or dry.
When to get checked for diabetes
A good rule of thumb is to seek medical attention if you have many rather than just a few skin tags, especially if they’re recurring. If you’re a woman, you should also get tested for diabetes if skin tags are concentrated around your breasts.
In addition to skin tags, the following symptoms could indicate you have diabetes:
- Blurry vision
- Slow-healing sores and cuts
- Urinating more frequently
- Higher levels of thirst
- Tingling or numb extremities
Even if you don’t have these symptoms, skin tags alone can sometimes be a symptom of diabetes. They could also indicate you have another condition that needs treatment, including heart disease, unusually high fat levels in your body, and obesity.
Treating skin tags
If your skin tags are related to diabetes or another medical condition, treating and controlling the condition helps prevent and control the recurrence of skin tags. If you’re overweight, losing weight can also help prevent skin tags.
Your current skin tags don’t necessarily need to be treated, but if you find them uncomfortable or don’t like the way they look, a couple of options are available. Simple surgical procedures using local anesthesia can remove large skin tags, either completely or by cutting off the blood supply to the skin tag.
For smaller skin tags, cryotherapy using liquid nitrogen can freeze them off.
Treating diabetes
If you’re diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, making lifestyle changes, including changes to your diet, weight loss, and exercising more, helps control the condition. Monitoring your blood sugar also helps keep you on track.
Some adults with type 2 diabetes also benefit from medication to help control the condition. If you have type 1 diabetes, you can expect to take insulin every day.
If you have bothersome skin tags or potential other signs of diabetes, contact us for diagnosis and management of both conditions.
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