Diabetics and Hair Loss

October 23, 2008 | By Kris Calusa In Hair Loss |

by Louis Levinthall

Hair loss can often be a sign of underlying disease, and is sometimes the first indicator that you may notice that points to diabetes. If you are losing more hair than you used to, a quick visit to your doctor is in order. This is important, as it will help to identify or rule out underlying disease as the cause. If you are diagnosed with diabetes and this is the potential cause of your hair loss, then there are several things that you can do to control it. Diabetes can impact hair growth and loss in the following ways:

1. Diabetes causes poor blood circulation. Poor blood circulation can affect the ability of hair follicles to operate normally. Under normal conditions, hair grows for 2-6 years; then it goes into a period of dormancy, and eventually it dies and falls out as a new strand is produced in the follicle to push it out. When blood circulation is poor, the follicle is not producing a new strand as normal, the old strand dies and falls out, and there is no replacement hair. Further, strands tend to die and fall out more quickly when blood circulation to the head area is poor. Therefore, more hair falls out and is not replaced, creating much thinner hair.

2. Diabetics are more susceptible to skin conditions, and skin conditions on the scalp can cause hair loss. Both bacterial and fungal infections of the scalp can interrupt the normal growth process of hair.

3. Medications that are typically prescribed for diabetes can impact hair growth. As your body adjusts to new medications or new medication levels this process will often diminish or disappear completely. If you are just starting on a new course of medication, keep this in mind.

4. Physiological and psychological stress usually accompany diabetes. These are direct factors in hair loss. When combined with the other effects of diabetes stress can be an even greater cause of hair loss.

If you have been diagnosed with diabetes, and you are noticing hair loss that might be a result of the disease, here are a few things that you can do to slow or stop the hair loss process:

1. Wait to see if the condition will right itself once you have been on your medication for some time. This may take a few or more months.

2. Make sure you get enough water. Staying hydrated is important for a diabetic for many reasons, and it can help you retain hair. Six to eight glasses of water consumed over the course of a day is a good rule of thumb to make sure that you’re getting enough fluids.

3. Exercise regularly. Exercise increases blood circulation, and your head will be a recipient of that increased circulation. Your follicles will love you for it.

4. Adopt a stress reducing routine that includes yoga or meditation. Either of these are excellent coping tools, and will help to reduce unhealthy levels of stress. Some stress is unavoidable, but an unhealthy level of stress will only make hair loss worse.

If you have diabetes the I don’t have to tell you what a life-altering thing that diagnosis can be. It is important to follow the advice of your doctor in controlling the disease and limiting its impact on your life. Healthy hair growth and retention is dependent upon your overall health. Take care of your body, and diabetes does not have to be a factor in hair loss.

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