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Is Dry Skin A Symptom Of Diabetes?

FranOnTheEdge

Well-Known Member
Messages
249
Location
Darkest Essex
Type of diabetes
Type 2
Treatment type
Tablets (oral)
Dislikes
Coriander leaf, chillis, celery, sausages,
Wanted to ask if a suddenly dry and crusty skin is a symptom of diabetes or not? Just this last week I've suddenly got dry cracking patches on my face... worrying.
 
I got psoriasis (very dry skin condition) about the same time I was diagnosed with T2 and when I saw a dermatologist I was told the percentage of diabetics with psoriasis is higher than the general population but he wouldn't commit to an actual connection apart from saying my psoriasis would probably get better if I got my BG under tight control. It didn't.
 
FranOnTheEdge said:
Wanted to ask if a suddenly dry and crusty skin is a symptom of diabetes or not? Just this last week I've suddenly got dry cracking patches on my face... worrying.
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That doesn't sound like a beguiling look, Fran!

Not everything is diabetes related, as you know. Some folks taking Metformin report dry or itchy skin I think. Your Metformin Patient Information leaflet would probably help?

In the meantime, it makes sense to indulge yourself with extra moisturiser.
 
Yes having diabetes can mean having dry skin but the outbreak on your face is more likely to be something else, perhaps it is eczema so I would suggest seeing your doctor. I get dry skin on my feet and put on body butter. I also get psoriasis on my scalp and I did not know that there was connection with diabetes with this.
 
I had normal looking skin on the face unless I shaved when it looked like I had taken the top layer off. This cleared up when I came off medication only to start again when I was put on beta blockers. The new skin problem was not in the shaving area but more above the eyebrows and it flakes like dandruff. Any of this sound familiar?
 
Thanks to all for your replies.
No, not very beguiling, is it AndBreathe?
But that's okay I'm not normally 'beguiling' by any means, what with the nasty rough patches under my eyes where my glasses used to rest, all day and every day, until I had lens replacement surgery end of last year - wayhay!
and then there's the large nasty brown patch under my left eye - that's recent, plus the double chin, sour looking down turned mouth (all those painkillers), thin lips, strange way one lip quirks upwards when I talk, and the nasty growly voice, odd gap in my left eyebrow where the glass in my glasses cut a gouge out when I broke them by walking into a post while I was at boarding school, and now the white streaks developing in my hair (cos I've not been able to get my hair coloured again) - I don't think scabby facial skin is even going to be noticed!!!
If I had my way I'd have rainbow hair and no one would notice anything but that!

I have had eczema, on the outside of the lower part of both legs ever since we lived in Oman for a few months, a long time ago now, it comes and goes, sometimes it keeps me awake at night, sometimes I don't notice it for a few weeks - but my husband has that too - probably caught it off me - poor lamb!

Haven't had it anywhere else though.

I've had good skin on my face (and most everywhere else too, bar the legs) all my life, never used moisturiser, or anything else and rarely make-up either (not a lot of point) so having to use anything is going to take some fierce remembering, a new addition to the regimen of a quick wipe over and run... or these days more of a stagger! Lol!
I have got hold of a bottle of "Dermol 500" lotion and I bought myself a tube of Nivea facial scrub - to try and get rid of the scabby rough patches under my eyes and hoping to reduce the nasty new brown patch at the same time. (Fat chance!) so I could try those, I did try the lotion yesterday and it did seem to smooth my face a little so that it didn't feel so bad to my hands.

I've found myself stroking the front and sides of my face, absently and also when tired, you know a sort of single pass, to wipe away tensions? I couldn't do that when I wore glasses, so I was liking being able to do that ... until I felt these rough and dry patches everywhere! Bit of a shock, that!

Some is in the eyebrows, Squire Fulwood, and some at the inner corner of my eyes just underneath, some on my nose, some around the lips - you start to feel like you are crumbling away! But at least I don't have to shave! That must be awful!
 
FranOnTheEdge said:
Some is in the eyebrows, Squire Fulwood, and some at the inner corner of my eyes just underneath, some on my nose, some around the lips - you start to feel like you are crumbling away! But at least I don't have to shave! That must be awful!
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I have taken to shaving less often since people expect a pensioner to be lax and the better news is I don't shave my eyebrows (yet), that's when I will know the Alzheimer's has really kicked in.
 
I've got it to and I have to use moisturiser cream that you use on your hands and I also have it on my feet between my toes but I just peel it off by myself even though I have not seen a chiropodist for over a year and a few months but I just look after my own feet
 
Me too mainly in the eyebrows but also face. I think my doctor linked it more to a Vitamin D deficiency which I now take a supplement for. It has cleared up but not sure if it is the improved BG or Vitamin D
 
I get flakey scaley eyebrows and sides of the nose (slightly itchy and reddened skin) if I push the boundaries of my diet too far.

Seem to have a certain capacity for milk products and processed meats.
If I go over that tolerance my body decides to whinge by producing psoriasis.

I guess everyone has different food triggers.

Maybe have a think about any foods that you may have significantly increased in your diet recently, and try cutting back on things you have increased to see if that helps.

- My doc was absolutely useless. Told me to use steroid cream. No interest at all in working out WHY or seeing if simple lifestyle change would help. I wonder how many others there are out there who are suffering unnecessarily. I am completely symptom free so long as I don't pig out too much on certain foods.
 
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I'm afraid I am another one who has developed psoriasis since Type 2 .The psoriasis didn't start until my 60's and I have PPP - PlantaPalma Psoriasis.
 
I started to get dry skin on my face when I was diagnosed in Jan this year I put it down to the flu and being run down. Then I wondered too if it had anything to do with diabetes. I put face cream on every day and it has disappeared now, I also look after my feet I put lavender foot cream on my feet every day.
 
Psoriasis is supposed to be higher with type 1 and 2. I've had psoriasis attacks for many years - I find the hair one is linked more to stress and the skin throat infections but thats just me. I make my own creams, it is worth the effort to put on cream without additives & perfumes. I would suggest trying hot cloth washes with olive oil twice a day to see if that helps as an easy start.
 
Uh, yup, people definitely noticed the rainbow hair but I wouldn't recommend it. The novelty wore off after, oohhh, 24 hours. I went back to a plain dark raspberry pink which is a bit less startling and easier to live with. Definitely better than the mouse/grey that's hiding underneath.

If your skin gets worse ask to be referred to a dermatologist. He prescribed me some ENORMOUS tubs of really good moisturizer and some gel stuff which seems to help.
 
Interesting! Lavender foot cream?...mmm sounds lovely!

Brunneria,
What? Green veg??? But I only eat a little more than I used to, It's more what I've cut out. Which is mostly sugar, and is now becoming carb heavy stuff too.
The only sugar I take in now is that naturally found in dairy, fruit and veg, and occassionally in some meals I buy - but I try to make sure that's as low as I can make it. I would be eating cream, but just haven't dared to yet, it seems so against the grain. It's hard to believe it could be good for you. Plus I've been loosing weight this week, and I want that to continue. I have been a little more generous lately with the cheddar cheese than in the last few months...
I couldn't give up cheddar - there's so little left that I can eat.
 

Yes... it's pretty mild at the moment - and that Dermol 500 lotion seemed to help but I've only tried it once so far.
 
@FranOnTheEdge You mentioned on another thread that your central heating was on in the middle of the night. That will dry out your skin.
 
FranOnTheEdge said:
Yes, that's true, I hadn't thought of that, and I don't know how long it had been like that until we thought to investigate.
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A podiatrist friend told me that there are diabetic changes to the skin on feet, so presumably there can be other skin changes as well. I was getting scabby round my nose and bought a super strength moisturiser which has worked well.
Re glasses marking your face - I've also developed mature acne and have been using something that is currently advertised heavily on TV. It's taken away the chew marks and the nose ones!
 
That was meant to be cheek marks, not chew ...
 
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