August 5, 2004
Insulin Analogs, Other
Question from New Jersey, USA:
I have had type 1 diabetes for seven years. No one in my family has it. I am a 25 year old male. I take three shots of Humalog daily and one shot of Lantus. About seven months ago, I began to get ingrown hairs on my neck, upper chest and beard line. I have also noticed weird scattered hair growths all over my body for a couple years now. My doctors says the ingrown infection is related to my hormones. I have been treating the infections with no improvement through a dermatologist. Can the insulin I take be affecting my hormones? If so, what type of insulin can I take that won’t cause these hormone changes in my body?
Answer:
It is unlikely that the insulin is the cause of this problem. Skin and hair abnormalities are found with diabetes, but I have not heard of this particular problem. There are other endocrine diseases that can cause hair and acne formation. I would discuss this with your physician and if you are not getting any answers, I would ask to be referred to a “university” hospital with research capabilities.
ABS
