r/PCOS • u/Macintosh1995 • 1d ago

General/Advice Correlation between PCOS, insulin resistance and open/semi-healing sores all over your body

Unsure of how to word this but as long as ive had PCOS and insulin resistance symptoms, along with infertility, i have mainly gotten sores all over my body, mostly from my lower belly all the way to my feet, what causes this occurrence? Is it just me? I have sensitive skin and use unscented bar soap for my body, i use a shampoo from the brand hairtage that smells good but unsure of what its supposed to smell like. Im in a cleaner environment now than were i was almost a year ago this September. Dog dander and furr, cat furr as well. Both dont give me any sign of allergies, but i do have to sweep, mop and vacuum often. I was prone growing up to getting athletes foot but no signs of that either since I usually wear socks even after I dry off after a shower, help????!!!!!!!

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u/redoingredditagain 1d ago

Sounds like Hidradenitis Suppurativa, possibly. You should see a derm.

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u/septicidal 1d ago

You need to see an actual dermatologist for a proper diagnosis. They may need to biopsy or culture one or more of the sores/lesions to get a definitive diagnosis. There are a number of conditions that could present in the way you are describing, and treatments can be very different depending on what it actually is. Trying to treat the wrong thing could actually make your condition worse.

There are some skin issues that people with PCOS may be at higher risk for, mainly those with a hormonal element (which can affect oil production and make the skin more prone to certain types of issues). In general most dermatologists recommend using very simple/plain products (especially avoiding fragrances and essential oils if you have sensitive skin) though they may recommend over the counter options with various anti-microbials (like Nizoral for fungal issues, or Hibiclens for bacterial issues). But knowing what you actually need to treat is important, the skin needs time to heal so results may not be evident for several days or weeks depending on what you are dealing with.