Importance of treatment of skin xerosis in diabetes

Background  Cutaneous complications are common in diabetes patients and previous studies have shown that diabetes can affect some biophysical skin characteristics. However, the interest of emollients in diabetes has never been clearly demonstrated; i.e. whether they are able to limit skin complications in diabetes patients. Objective  The aim of this study was to evaluate the tolerance and the effect of an emollient on patient with diabetes. Method  Forty patients with diabetes applied the emollient twice daily for 1 month on one arm and one leg, in normal conditions. Results  A 1‐month treatment with an emollient allows a similar skin hydration rate in diabetics to that in healthy people. This dry skin improvement is accompanied by a significant reduction in pruritus and desquamation, and a significant improvement in the skin barrier function. Conclusion  Emollient treatment can be useful in the management of diabetes by limiting skin complications associated with elevated blood sugar.