Diabetics are more vulnerable to several different kinds of skin issues because of the effects of their blood/glucose levels on the body. It’s essential to check yourself very carefully for skin issues, and to make sure your diabetes is as well controlled as possible.

As well as some common issues, there are a few more complicated skin issues that are caused by diabetes, which are also worth knowing about. So how do you know what’s what?

Dry skin: rashes related to diabetic circulation issues can look hyper- or hypo-pigmented (on skin of colour) or red (on pale skin), and are generally dry, cracked, hot, itchy or inflamed.

Injection site rash: diabetics can get rashes around injection sites, which look bumpy, itchy or spotty.

Fungal infections: fungal infections like thrush (candida albicans) can cause itchy, red rashes in and on the genitals, warm or damp folds of skin, and on the tongue. Other fungal infections can cause sore, cracked rashes at the corners of the mouth (angular cheilitis) or between the toes (athletes foot). Another fungal infection that diabetics are vulnerable to is ringworm, which appears as a circular, scaly, itchy ring on the skin.

Bacterial infections: bacterial infections can appear as rashes or inflamed areas, commonly as boils or styes on the eyelids, as well as on finger or toe nails.

Other conditions associated with diabetes that can cause rashes:

Eruptive xanthomatosis: small, yellow, itchy bumps with red halos around them, which occur most often in young men with high cholesterol and poorly controlled blood-sugar levels, and are usually found on arms, hands, feet and buttocks.

Disseminated granuloma annulare: itchy, raised rings or arcs of rashes on the skin, often found on fingers and ears, but also on the body.

Check yourself regularly for any abnormal patches of skin, whether they’re itchy, blistered, raised, bumpy, extra dry or inflamed. Talk to your diabetic nurse for advice about what treatment might be needed; you might need an antifungal cream or a course of antibiotics.

For more information about diabetic skin issues, see our articles Best Natural Treatments For Diabetic Rash and 5 Top Tips To Help Manage Diabetic Skin Problems.

Recommended products:

All the products in our Diabetic Skin Collection are excellent choices for looking after diabetic skin. We’d recommend choosing products that work for different areas of the body.

Balmonds Cooling Cream
with shea, menthol, aloe vera & lavender

Balmonds Skin Salvation
with hemp and beeswax

Balmonds Intensive Hand Cream
with shea butter and sea buckthorn oil

Balmonds Daily Moisturising Cream
with shea butter and calendula

Bath & Body Oil with lavender, hemp and olive

Balmonds Scalp Oil
with tea tree, nettle, borage & rosemary

Balmonds Tea Tree Balm
balm with tea tree essential oil and beeswax