Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Are They?Are They a Sign of Diabetes?Treatments & ManagementWhen to Seek Medical CareFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Are They?
Are They a Sign of Diabetes?
Treatments & Management
When to Seek Medical Care
Frequently Asked Questions
Increased thirst, urination, or high blood sugar readings are all known signs of diabetes, but the disease can also make an appearance on your skin.
Skin tagsare one of the little-known skin manifestations of diabetes, particularly diabetes mellitus, or type 2 diabetes.
This article will explore what skin tags are, why you might develop them with diabetes, and what you can do to eliminate them.
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What Are Skin Tags?
Other conditions or diseases linked to a higher prevalence of skin tags include:
Are Skin Tags a Sign of Diabetes?
While skin tags can appear without any specific cause, they tend to occur more often in people withdiabetesandinsulin resistance, when muscle, fat, and liver cells don’t respond well to insulin and you build up a tolerance to it.
Severalskin changes can appear with diabetes. These include:
While skin tags generally aren’t always a sign of diabetes, one study found that skin tags were the most common skin condition in people with diabetes.
Common Skin Conditions and Disease
Signs of Diabetes on the SkinDiabetes has been linked to a number of skin issues. Below is a list of the most common skin conditions and their prevalence in people with diabetes.Skin infections: 71%Skin tags: 33%Cherry angioma: 21%Dry skin: 19%Skin discoloration: 18%Generalized itching: 12%Fat/cholesterol-filled bumps (xanthelasma palpebraum): 8%Brownish/red spots (diabetic dermopathy): 7%Yellowing of the skin on the hand: 5%Thickened skin: 2%Facial redness: 2%Raised bumps in a ring-like pattern (granuloma annulare): 1%
Signs of Diabetes on the Skin
Diabetes has been linked to a number of skin issues. Below is a list of the most common skin conditions and their prevalence in people with diabetes.Skin infections: 71%Skin tags: 33%Cherry angioma: 21%Dry skin: 19%Skin discoloration: 18%Generalized itching: 12%Fat/cholesterol-filled bumps (xanthelasma palpebraum): 8%Brownish/red spots (diabetic dermopathy): 7%Yellowing of the skin on the hand: 5%Thickened skin: 2%Facial redness: 2%Raised bumps in a ring-like pattern (granuloma annulare): 1%
Diabetes has been linked to a number of skin issues. Below is a list of the most common skin conditions and their prevalence in people with diabetes.
Treatments and Management of Skin Tags
It’s not necessary to treat skin tags, but they have the potential to grow in size over time—especially in areas of the body where there is a lot of friction, like skinfolds.
If you decide to have askin tag removed, it can be cut off—or excised—in your healthcare provider’s office. Special precautions may be required if the skin tag is particularly large or in a difficult-to-treat location.
Potential complications of skin tag removal can include:
Removingskin tags at homeis also possible, but you should always consult your healthcare provider first.
If you start noticing skin tags and think they may be a sign of early diabetes, it’s important to see your primary care provider for a thorough examination. Early diagnosis and treatment of diabetes can help you quickly control your blood sugar levels and potentiallypreventother, more seriouscomplicationsand side effects.
Are Skin Tag Removal Patches Safe to Use?
When to See Your Healthcare Provider
Skin tags aren’t usually a cause for concern, but they can be a red flag for other things happening inside the body. If you have skin tags—especially many of them—talk to your healthcare provider about screening you for conditions like diabetes.
If diabetes is the underlying cause of your skin tags, getting a diagnosis and starting treatment as soon as possible is essential to avoid complications.
What Are Complications of Type 2 Diabetes?
Summary
Skin tags are benign skin growths that most adults will develop at some point in their lifetime. However, there is a chance that a condition like diabetes can trigger these growths. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk for diabetes if you have skin tags.
The Effects of Diabetes on Skin
A Word From Verywell
If you have multiple skin tags or any other symptoms of diabetes, make an appointment to see your primary healthcare provider for a diabetes screening. Uncontrolled or undiagnosed diabetes can lead to serious side effects and complications that can be preventable if caught early.
Skin tags can develop on anyone, but they are also a common skin manifestation of type 2 diabetes.Learn MoreWhat Is a Skin Tag?
Skin tags can develop on anyone, but they are also a common skin manifestation of type 2 diabetes.
Learn MoreWhat Is a Skin Tag?
Diabetes can cause several changes to your skin. Aside from skin tags, this can include things like dryness, itchiness, and color or texture changes.Learn MoreThe Effects of Diabetes on Skin
Diabetes can cause several changes to your skin. Aside from skin tags, this can include things like dryness, itchiness, and color or texture changes.
Learn MoreThe Effects of Diabetes on Skin
Learn MoreWhat Is Xerosis Cutis?
3 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Saxena K, et al.Skin tags in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a valuable marker.J. Medical Biomed. Sci.2020;4(2):13-17. doi:10.32553/ijmbs.v4i2.883Pandey A, Sonthalia S.Skin tags. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Garg P, Chandra M.Cutaneous manifestation of diabetes mellitus.J. Med. Dent. Sci.2021;9(5):100-105. doi:10.21276/jamdsr
3 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Saxena K, et al.Skin tags in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a valuable marker.J. Medical Biomed. Sci.2020;4(2):13-17. doi:10.32553/ijmbs.v4i2.883Pandey A, Sonthalia S.Skin tags. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Garg P, Chandra M.Cutaneous manifestation of diabetes mellitus.J. Med. Dent. Sci.2021;9(5):100-105. doi:10.21276/jamdsr
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Saxena K, et al.Skin tags in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a valuable marker.J. Medical Biomed. Sci.2020;4(2):13-17. doi:10.32553/ijmbs.v4i2.883Pandey A, Sonthalia S.Skin tags. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.Garg P, Chandra M.Cutaneous manifestation of diabetes mellitus.J. Med. Dent. Sci.2021;9(5):100-105. doi:10.21276/jamdsr
Saxena K, et al.Skin tags in type 2 diabetes mellitus: a valuable marker.J. Medical Biomed. Sci.2020;4(2):13-17. doi:10.32553/ijmbs.v4i2.883
Pandey A, Sonthalia S.Skin tags. In:StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing; 2022.
Garg P, Chandra M.Cutaneous manifestation of diabetes mellitus.J. Med. Dent. Sci.2021;9(5):100-105. doi:10.21276/jamdsr
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