Does Diabetes Cause Hair Loss?
What diabetes can do to your body If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t produce insulin, doesn’t use it effectively, or both. Insulin is a hormone that moves the sugar from the foods you eat from your bloodstream into your cells to be stored or used as energy. When you don’t have insulin or it isn’t used effectively, sugar can build up in your blood. That excess sugar can damage organs all over your body, including your eyes, nerves, and kidneys. It can also damage your blood vessels. These vessels carry oxygen around your body to nourish organs and tissues. Damaged blood vessels may not be able to deliver enough oxygen to nourish your hair follicles. This lack of oxygen can affect your normal hair growth cycle. Hair usually goes through three phases. During the active growing phase, which lasts for two years or more, hairs grow at a rate of 1 to 2 cm per month. Hair then goes into a resting phase, which lasts for about 100 days. After this phase, some of the resting hair falls out. Diabetes can interrupt this process, slowing down your hair growth. Having diabetes can also cause you to lose more hair than usual. That hair loss isn’t only on your head. You can lose hairs on your arms, legs, and other body parts, too. When hair regrows, it does so at a slower-than-normal rate. People with diabetes are more likely to have a condition called alopecia areata. With alopecia, the immune system attacks the hair follicles, leading to patches of hair loss on the head and on other parts of the body. Diabetes itself can lead to hair loss. You may also lose hair as a side effect of stress from living with a chronic illness, or from medicines you take to treat your diabetes. Some people with diabetes also have thyroid disease, which can contribute to hair loss. Speak wit Continue reading >>
Does Diabetes Lead To Hair Loss?
About 10 percent of the population suffers from diabetes, a common health condition in which a human body does not produce or use the hormone insulin effectively (or both). Insulin is responsible for moving the sugar you consume through your blood and into your cells for usage or storage — and when you don’t have the proper amount of insulin or it doesn’t work, sugar can build up in your blood and damage your organs and blood vessels. The body parts most commonly affected by diabetes include your kidneys, nerves and eyes. Another part of your body that many people don’t realize can be affected by diabetes is your hair follicles. If you are experiencing hair loss, there is a chance that it is happening because of diabetes — even if you don’t realize that you have the condition or you have not been properly diagnosed. Recent studies show about 24 percent of diabetes cases go undiagnosed, and people do not realize that the hair loss they are suffering is a side effect of the condition. Here are several distinct ways that diabetes can cause hair loss in humans. Diabetes and Slowed Hair Growth Human hair grows in three phases: an active phase where hair grows 1 to 2 cm per month (which lasts two years), a resting phase (which lasts about 100 days) and a phase in which some hair falls out. Diabetes has been shown to interrupt this process, causing you to lose more hair than normal during the hair loss phase. This occurs for hair not only on the head, but also on the arms, legs and more. Diabetes and Alopecia Areata Alopecia areata is a condition in which a person’s immune system attacks the body’s hair follicles, resulting in patches of hair loss. People with diabetes are more likely to get alopecia areata, which means they are more likely to experience the pa Continue reading >>
Faqs: How Does Diabetes Affect My Hair Growth?
Diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the body's blood sugar levels are too high. Worldwide, 371 million people have diabetes, and that figure is expected to grow to 552 million by 2030. There are two types of diabetes - type 1 and type 2 - with different causes, symptoms, and treatment methods, but one symptom both types share is hair loss. What's The Difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes? Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease diagnosed primarily in those under 40 - usually children and young adults - where the pancreas gland does not produce any insulin. Insulin is the hormone that controls blood glucose levels, and without it, glucose levels can become too high or too low, which damages the body's organs, blood vessels, and nerves, and if it goes without proper treatment, it can result in a coma or death. However, type 1 diabetes can be managed with insulin injections and close attention to blood sugar levels, although it cannot be completely cured. Type 2 diabetes typically occurs later in life, when the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin to control glucose levels, or body cells become resistant to insulin. Unlike type 1, it can be triggered by obesity, when excess abdominal fat releases chemicals that disrupt the body's metabolic and cardiovascular systems. 90% of all diabetes cases are type 2, and the condition is usually managed - and sometimes reversed - with a healthy diet and tablets; insulin injections are normally unnecessary. Unlike type 1 diabetes, which cannot be prevented, type 2 diabetes can generally be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight and eating a healthy diet. How Does Diabetes Cause Hair Loss? While researchers are unsure precisely how diabetes leads to hair loss, there are two likely causes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimm Continue reading >>
After Years Of Being Undiagnosed, Is Diabetic Hair Loss Reversible? I Have Pcos. Diabetes And Pcos Run In My Family.
I have had diffuse hair loss for 2.5 yrs. I have PCOS and take Desogen (bcp). I just saw another hair loss doctor, and he thinks I'm either prediabetic or diabetic. Is diabetic hair loss reversible? He said I have diffuse hair thinning. He examined a follicle under the microscope and found it to be miniature. He said there are areas of normal hair and areas of thin hair. Also, I've read that Metformin can cause hair loss. Would a better alternative be insulin injections? Continue reading >>
Does Diabetes Cause Hair Loss?
What diabetes can do to your body If you have diabetes, your body doesn’t produce insulin, doesn’t use it effectively, or both. Insulin is a hormone that moves the sugar from the foods you eat from your bloodstream into your cells to be stored or used as energy. When you don’t have insulin or it isn’t used effectively, sugar can build up in your blood. That excess sugar can damage organs all over your body, including your eyes, nerves, and kidneys. It can also damage your blood vessels. These vessels carry oxygen around your body to nourish organs and tissues. Damaged blood vessels may not be able to deliver enough oxygen to nourish your hair follicles. This lack of oxygen can affect your normal hair growth cycle. Hair usually goes through three phases. During the active growing phase, which lasts for two years or more, hairs grow at a rate of 1 to 2 cm per month. Hair then goes into a resting phase, which lasts for about 100 days. After this phase, some of the resting hair falls out. Diabetes can interrupt this process, slowing down your hair growth. Having diabetes can also cause you to lose more hair than usual. That hair loss isn’t only on your head. You can lose hairs on your arms, legs, and other body parts, too. When hair regrows, it does so at a slower-than-normal rate. People with diabetes are more likely to have a condition called alopecia areata. With alopecia, the immune system attacks the hair follicles, leading to patches of hair loss on the head and on other parts of the body. Diabetes itself can lead to hair loss. You may also lose hair as a side effect of stress from living with a chronic illness, or from medicines you take to treat your diabetes. Some people with diabetes also have thyroid disease, which can contribute to hair loss. Speak wit Continue reading >>
Diabetes & Hair Loss: What You Need To Know
Diabetes is a lifelong condition in which the body’s blood sugar levels are too high. Worldwide, 371 million people have diabetes, and that figure is expected to grow to 552 million by 2030. There are two types of diabetes – type 1 and type 2 – with different causes, symptoms, and treatment methods, but one symptom both types share is hair loss. When there is a thickening of blood vessel walls the blood vessels narrow. This can occur in blood vessels all over your body, including your skin. Narrow blood vessels mean less oxygen, which causes symptoms like hair loss as well as shiny skin and thickened skin. Hair loss is not limited to head. With circulatory impairment, you can often see hair loss on your legs, eyebrows, your arms and even your eyelashes. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease. Abnormal functioning of the immune system causes it to produce white blood cells that attack the body’s own tissues. Because hair loss occurs in many autoimmune disorders, it is thought that when white blood cells attack growing cells in the hair follicles, the follicle cells become small and hair production slows. High blood sugar levels can also damage small blood vessels in the body over time. Especially in untreated type 2 diabetes, the scalp’s blood vessels may get damaged, meaning less oxygen and nutrients reach the hair follicles. This can result in hair thinning and halt new hair production, so strands may not grow back once they fall out. So what can you do? Here are five simple tips to keep your hair healthy with diabetes. Nourish It Keeping your hair nourished goes beyond good hair products. It’s more about what you eat! Eating healthy foods like a bunch of veggies, fruits, and healthy grains which is key for awesome looking hair. With a proper diet your ha Continue reading >>
5 Simple Ways To Prevent Hair Loss When You Have Diabetes
Hair can set a statement about who we are or what we do; the way we keep it says a lot about our personality, character, and personal style. So, how does diabetes relate to hair? People with diabetes often experience hair loss due to side effects of this disease. When hair loss is caused by diabetes, there are certain measures we can take in order to prevent it. Continue reading for 4 simple ways to keep your hair despite having diabetes! Keep it nourished. This statement goes beyond good hair products; this is about what you eat! Eating healthy foods like a bunch of veggies, fruits, and healthy grains which is key for awesome looking hair. With a proper diet your hair will grow stronger and healthier, resulting in locks that are more resistant to other factors that can trigger hair loss. Don’t over style it! Styling our hair is important, it shows our personality, preferences, even mood! However, it puts the hair under a lot of strain. People with diabetes tend to have thinner hair because of the disease, so it is important to not continuously put our hair under harsh conditions that can debilitate the hair follicle even more. This includes cutting off on styling, shampooing less often, and coloring. For a healthier looking hair and for preventing hair loss, styling our locks, should be done on special occasions! Don’t stress! Many people experience hair loss while under great deals of stress. If we experience stressful situations due to work, health, or just life it is normal to loss more hair than usual. However, when stress in combined with other factors it makes hair loss more prominent. Stress causes a lot of damage in our system, and our hair is just one little sign of it. To avoid losing hair due to stress, it is important to find healthy ways to deal with s Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Hair Loss
Diabetes is a difficult enough condition to manage, and hair loss on top of everything else just seems unfair. If you feel like your diabetes might be linked to your hair loss then read on for some tips on how to manage the condition, as well as some steps that might help with hair re-growth. So, can diabetes cause hair loss? Well in layman’s terms, yes, but there are various elements of diabetes that can contribute to hair reduction, so there isn’t a single ‘one size fits all’ solution. Before we say anything, we should just point out that there has been no conclusive evidence that insulin causes hair loss. Whatever you do, do not stop taking your insulin unless your doctor has said you can. We hope people won’t be stupid enough to stop taking their insulin at the first sign of a bald patch, but there those out there who’ve ironed their clothes while they were still wearing them, so sometimes extreme caution is necessary. Anyway, back on the main issue – diabetes and hair loss. Listed here are some of the reasons you might be losing your luscious locks, and how diabetes may or may not be linked. Before diabetes fully hits, it can be severely messing up your body and hormones. If you’re steadily on your way to getting Type 2 diabetes, you’re likely to have a high amount of insulin in your system that your body is slowly becoming resistant to. Insulin resistance causes high blood pressure, hunger, weight gain and, if left to its own devices, lead to pre-diabetes and possibly Type 2 diabetes. Research has suggested that people with insulin resistance are more likely to suffer from hair loss, but, for now, we’re unsure if this is to do with the resistance itself or the overall problems that it causes. Diabetes can cause damage to blood vessels, causing Continue reading >>
Does Diabetes Cause Hair Loss?
Imagine: If you see your hair falling out when you’re already stressed because of diabetes? Yes, diabetes. Diabetes is a demanding disease and we know it very well. There are several reasons for which diabetes can affect an individual’s physical and mental health. The never-ending demands of diabetes care, such as eating carefully, exercising, and monitoring blood glucose, scheduling and planning can be stressful for a person dealing with the disease. On top of it, the sight of losing hair will make you more anxious and worried about your appearance as well as overall physical health. You might fall prey to several hair fall treatment options available in the market. Still, you see your pretty locks falling from your head! Why does this happen? Let us find out. Diabetes has many ill effects on the sufferer’s body. People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are at a much higher risk than the rest of the general population for damage to the eyes, kidney, nerves, heart and blood vessels. Another less known consequence of diabetes is hair loss. There are many reasons that explain the link between diabetes and hair loss: Hormonal Imbalance: Diabetes brings about hormonal imbalance in the sufferer’s body. These hormonal changes may be manifested through hair loss. This also explains the reasons behind hair loss during pregnancy and menopause. Also Read: Meno-Pause and Hair Loss in Women Poor circulation: Diabetes negatively affects the body’s circulatory system. This means that less amount of nutrients and oxygen reach the upper and the lower extremities of the body i.e. the feet and the scalp areas. If diabetes is causing poor blood circulation to the scalp, the hair follicles will die resulting in hair loss. Furthermore, this poor circulation may result in the preventi Continue reading >>
‘diabetes Can Also Cause Hair Loss’
Diabetes is a curse of the modern society and stress, sedentary lifestyle and fast food have a major part to play in its occurrence. According to the findings of the International Diabetes Federation in 2007, the country with the largest number of people with diabetes is India (40.9 million). WHO has cautioned that India is all set to become the diabetes capital of the world by 2050. Due to our high-calorie/high-fat diets, lack of exercise and stressful lifestyles, diabetes is on the rise, striking people earlier than the usual age. People with type 1 or type 2 diabetes are more prone than the rest of the general population to damage of the eyes, kidney, nerves, heart and blood vessels. Another lesser known consequence of diabetes is hair loss. Dr Apoorva Shah explains the inter-relation between the two. Diabetes negatively affects the body’s circulatory system. This means that less amount of nutrients and oxygen reach the upper and the lower extremities of the body i.e. the feet and the scalp areas. If diabetes is causing poor blood circulation to the scalp, the hair follicles will die resulting in hair loss. Furthermore, this poor circulation may prevent further hair growth. So not only is diabetes causing the loss of your existing hair, it is also preventing the growth of new ones. Diabetes brings about hormonal imbalance in a patient’s body. These hormonal changes may be manifested through hair loss. This also explains the reason behind hair loss during pregnancy and at menopause. Drugs that are used to treat diabetes may also lead to hair loss. If you feel that particular regimens are causing distressful hair loss, then consult your doctor to get your prescription modified. Diabetes may weaken the immune system, making it susceptible to other diseases. This wea Continue reading >>
Diabetes And Hair Loss: What You Need To Know, And What You Can Do
Diabetes is among the most common chronic diseases in the United States. According to the American Diabetes Association, in 2015 more than 30 million Americans (about 9% of the population) had diabetes. Of those with the condition, more than 7 million were undiagnosed, and unaware of their health risks for this reason. An additional 84 million Americans had prediabetes and about 1.5 million new cases of diabetes are diagnosed every year. What Does Diabetes Do to the Body? Diabetes affects the production or use of a hormone called insulin in the body. For some people with diabetes, this means their bodies no longer produce a sufficient quantity of insulin. For others, it means the body is no longer able to effectively absorb the insulin it produces. The function of insulin is to move sugar in the foods you eat into the bloodstream, so it can either be stored or used as energy. When your body doesn't produce enough insulin, or isn't able to use it, sugar tends to build up in your blood. This causes damage to bodily organs such as your kidneys, nerves, eyes and blood vessels. Blood vessels carry oxygen throughout the body. When they become damaged, various organs and tissues are oxygen-deprived. This includes your hair follicles. When insufficient quantities of oxygen reach hair follicles, it can disrupt normal hair growth. How Does Diabetes Affect Hair Growth? In healthy individuals, hair grows about 1 to 2 centimeters each month. When hair follicles don't receive sufficient oxygen due to diabetes, that growth can slow down. At the same time, diabetes can cause you to lose more hair than normal (this is true not only on your head, but also on other parts of your body). The stress diabetics often feel from living with a chronic condition can further exacerbate hair loss. I Continue reading >>
Type 2 Diabetes Hair Loss - Possible Causes
With type 2 diabetes, hair loss can be a distressing side effect. Some hair loss in everyone is normal - "old" hair falls out and new growth comes in to takes its place. But sometimes thinning or even bald patches become noticeable. Here are some possible causes of hair loss people with diabetes. Medication and Hair Loss Oral medications used to manage diabetes may cause some thinning or loss of hair as a side effect. Each of us responds to medication differently. Some people will not experience any side effects at all. However, if you notice that a greater-than-normal thinning or loss of hair after starting your diabetes medication, talk to your doctor about it. The diabetes medication may not necessarily be the cause (hair loss could be a symptom of another condition, or another medication could be contributing), but if it is, your doctor may be able to put you on a different brand or may have other suggestions for you. Stress Both physical and mental stress can be caused by diabetes. Chronically elevated blood sugar can result in longer healing times and poor circulation, both of which can affect the rate of re-growth of hair. This can end up being very difficult for people with diabetes. The stress on their body from the diabetes leads to unusual or noticeable hair loss; which leads to additional stress from worrying about thinning hair. Assuming the doctor has ruled out other causes for the hair loss, the best thing a diabetic can do is to carefully manage their blood glucose levels. That means following a healthy and appropriate diet, getting regular exercise, and (if prescribed) taking your medication. If needed, try to lose weight -- even a 10 to 15 lb weight loss is beneficial -- or at least maintain your current weight. Once the stress is lessened, hair will o Continue reading >>
Should You Blame Diabetes For Your Hair Loss
Expert-reviewed by Ashwini S.Kanade, Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Educator with 17 years of experience Fact-checked by Aditya Nar, B.Pharm, MSc. Public Health and Health Economics Hairfall is not uncommon these days. Your lifestyle and eating habits along with external factors such as the pollution all contribute to the number of hair strands you see on your hairbrush every day. You’re probably already aware of these common causes of hair loss. But you did you know that having high levels of blood sugar can also cause your luscious locks to fall off? What’s the connection between diabetes and hair? When you have diabetes, your body is not able to produce enough insulin, OR it is not able to use the insulin to its best capacity, OR it could be a case of both. When you eat something, your body uses the sugar content present in the food and helps convert it into energy. When you do not have enough insulin, or when your body is not able to use the insulin properly, your body is not able to transport the sugar to the right places. This leads to a buildup of sugar in your blood. Insulin is a hormone that helps to move the sugar from various food items that you eat and transfers them from your bloodstream to your cells. Once the sugar reaches the cells, it is either stored there for later use, or used up as energy. When you have excess sugar stored in your blood, it can damage various organs in the body, such as the eyes, kidneys and even nerves. In many cases, it can also cause damage to the blood vessels. Blood vessels help to carry oxygen to various parts of your body, including to the organs and tissues. But when these blood vessels are damaged, parts of your body are deprived of the required amount of oxygen. Hair follicles being one of them. As a resul Continue reading >>
Diabetes Among Many Possible Causes Of Hair Loss
Q: Is there a connection between diabetes and hair loss? A: Hair loss can result from many factors. Age is a universal reason. All of us lose hair as we grow older. Some people inherit the tendency to lose hair early or excessively. Medications, stress, infections, skin conditions, nutritional deficits and pregnancy can affect hair growth. So can many medical conditions. Lupus, lichen planus, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and thyroid problems are some of the reasons for hair loss. Straightening, bleaching, blow-drying, or pulling hair can be the main problem. Also, hair growth is often influenced by hormone changes or imbalances. Diabetes and its treatment can definitely play a role in hair loss. Diabetes results when the blood sugar rises because the pancreas cannot produce enough insulin. Insulin lowers blood sugar (glucose) by moving sugar from the blood into the body's cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body is not able to produce insulin. In type 2 diabetes, the insulin produced by the pancreas does not work as it should. It's called insulin resistance. Initially, the pancreas can partially overcome insulin resistance by making and releasing more of the hormone. Eventually the pancreas can't keep up. Hair loss can be associated with changes in hormone balance, stress and medications, all of which may be relevant to diabetes. Because there are so many other causes of hair loss besides diabetes, you should see your doctor to consider any other factors that may be involved. He or she may suggest examination of some hairs under a microscope or a scalp biopsy to help determine the cause of hair loss. To help preserve the hair you have, treat your scalp and hair gently. Avoid vigorous combing, curling, or pulling hair back. Eat a healthy diet, get adequate rest and reduce Continue reading >>
The Relation Between Hair Loss And Diabetes
Diabetes is a curse of the modern society rich with stress, worries, sedentary lifestyle and fast food. Often this disease can be connected with hair thinning fragile hair, unhealthy locks and severe balding. People who suffer from it are more prone than the rest of the general population to damage of the nerves, heart, other body organs and blood vessels. Yes, blood vessels, in fact, you should know that diabetes negatively affects our body’s circulatory system. In this way the less amount of nutrients and oxygen reach the upper and the lower extremities of the body, like the feet and the scalp areas. Diabetes can trigger hair loss, decreasing the micro blood circulation If diabetes is causing poor blood circulation to the scalp, the hair follicles will progressively shrink resulting in baldness. Poor circulation may prevent further and normal hair growth. So diabetes not only causes the loss of your existing locks, but it also prevents the growth of new hair. It also can bring about hormonal imbalance in the human body, and such hormonal changes may be manifested through hair thinning. In fact, this also explains the reason behind hair loss after delivery and menopause Drugs which are used to treat diabetes may also lead to baldness and if you feel this is your case, consult your doc to get your prescription modified. This bad disease may weaken your immune system, making it susceptible to other illnesses such as skin rashes and thyroid dysfunctions. Diabetes may also cause high levels of oxidative stress, hence causing “old hair”. How has diabetes influenced your hair in terms of growth or loss? Have you noticed any changes in the condition of your hair since you have been diagnosed as being suffering from diabetes? Changes such as progressive loss of hair, eve Continue reading >>
