Expert explains why hairless toes can be a major indicator for dangerous condition
When was the last time you got up close and personal with your toes?
Sure, we're used to checking other parts of our body for signs and symptoms that something might be wrong, but whether or not you have hairy toes probably doesn't register on most people's radars.
Something could be afoot (sorry) if your toes are completely hairless without any intervention from you with a razor.
One expert appeared on the Diary Of A CEO podcast with Steven Bartlett to talk all things health, and feet were one surprising indicator.
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Dr Annette Bosworth, frequently referred to online as Dr Boz, shared her knowledge about various symptoms and what they can mean, and when to be worried.
It was all part of a larger chat that covered everything from dietary choices, keto, skin tags and more.
So where do toes come in to all of this?
Dr Boz explains it's all to do with insulin resistance.
"As my patients age, most my 55 year-olds that have had high insulin, I will tell them, 'Look at your toes. They're supposed to have hair on them,' but when your body has had that high insulin state for a couple of decades now, it will start to say, 'We don't send resources to a couple parts of the body anymore,'" she explained.
"The follicles in their toe are one of them. You will just stop growing hair on your toes, and then it's an ascending problem with this where the toe starts, then it's the ankles, then it's up to the knees, and they don't have hair anywhere on their lower extremities" revealed Dr Boz.
"It is a process that started from high insulin."
Have you looked at your toes yet?
Insulin resistance is different from diabetes, and is most common during puberty, pregnancy and menopause, according to Diabetes UK.
It can increase your risk of developing diabetes, if your pancreas can't produce enough insulin to overcome the resistance in order to keep your blood sugar levels within a healthy range.
Skin tags are another thing to be aware of as far as physical signs.
Dr Boz said: "Skin tags are not moles. Moles, you can feel this bump on your on your skin, right? But a skin tag has a neck and like a little mushroom."
There's one thing that particularly bugs the expert: "It's the most annoying thing when patients come and say, 'Well, I just tried to cut them all off, but they kept bleeding,' I'm like, 'Do not cut them off,' they'll fall off when your insulin's lower," she insists.
"They'll be found in armpits or places where their skin rubs," added the doctor.
"Once insulin starts to grow them, it's like a crop. A crop of little baby cauliflowers hanging out in their armpits!"
Hairless toes and cauliflower armpits, got it!
Topics: Health, Social Media, Podcast
Jen Thomas