Insulin Resistance & How It Affects Skin

The skin is also surprisingly insulin responsive. You may have heard that diabetes causes skin issues-people who have diabetes tend to have extremely dry, itchy skin; are prone to frequent skin infections, and can have trouble healing wounds.

Insulin resistance is characterized by the inability of the cells to respond to insulin, resulting in poor absorption of glucose from your blood. This leads to an increase in blood glucose levels, the pancreas secreting more insulin, and consequently, increased insulin levels. The majority of the skin cells are responsive to insulin. As the insulin levels rise beyond control, cells tend to become hyperactive and growth activities are accentuated. This leads to excessive growth, hyperpigmentation, or skin becoming more prone to infections.

Skin & Insulin Resistance

There are a few skin problems that are common in people with insulin resistance and these could start to appear during the initial stages as well.

Acanthosis Nigricans or Skin Pigmentation Disorder

Melanin is a skin pigment that gives color/ tone to your skin. Overproduction of melanin leads to the darkening of the skin, mostly around the armpits, neck, and groin. Additionally, it could appear as patches on the arms, legs, or face.