How can diabetes hurt my skin?

Diabetes can hurt your skin in two ways:


Drinking fluids helps keep your skin moist and healthy.

• If your blood sugar is high, your body loses fluid. With less fluid in your body, your skin can get dry. Dry skin can be itchy, causing you to scratch and make it sore. Also, dry skin can crack. Cracks allow germs to enter and cause infection. If your blood sugar is high, the sugar feeds germs and makes infections worse. Skin can get dry on your legs, feet, elbows, and other places on your body.
  
  
• Skin can also get dry because the nerves in your legs and feet do not get the message to sweat. Sweating helps keep your skin soft and moist.