How often do you really take a moment to examine your toes? While we frequently pay attention to various parts of our body for health indicators, the presence or absence of hair on our toes usually doesn’t catch our attention.
However, if your toes are hairless without any shaving, it might be worth taking note. A potential health issue could be indicated if your toes are completely hairless without shaving them.
In a discussion on the “Diary Of A CEO” podcast with Steven Bartlett, Dr. Annette Bosworth, commonly known as Dr. Boz, provided her insights on different health symptoms, including some related to feet.
The conversation was part of a broader discussion covering topics like diet, keto, and skin conditions.
Dr. Boz highlighted a connection between toe hair and insulin resistance.
She stated, “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,'” adding that toe hair loss is an early sign of this issue.
According to Dr. Boz, “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.”
This condition is tied to prolonged periods of high insulin levels.
Are you now considering a closer look at your toes?
Insulin resistance, different from diabetes, is more prevalent during life stages like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause, as noted by Diabetes UK.
While it is not diabetes, insulin resistance can heighten your risk of developing the disease if your pancreas fails to produce enough insulin to manage resistance and maintain blood sugar levels in a healthy range.
Another physical sign to be aware of is the appearance of skin tags.
Dr. Boz explained, “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.”
She expressed concern over self-treatment: “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 advises.
Skin tags often appear in areas where skin rubs together, like armpits, and according to Dr. Boz, “Once insulin starts to grow them, it’s like a crop. A crop of little baby cauliflowers hanging out in their armpits!”
Stay alert for both hairless toes and unexpected skin tags.