Diabetes can cause many health-related problems, and one of them is hair loss. Losing hair is natural and happens on and off. When a hair completes its lifetime, it falls, and usually, a new hair grows from the same follicle. However, sometimes a new hair may not grow. Hair loss is prominent when new hairs fail to form on significant portions of the scalp.
The growth of your hair is affected by several factors such as high blood sugar levels, anxiety, hormones, and diabetes.
This blog post will explore the effects of diabetes on hair and look for tips to minimize hair loss. We will also dive into some other ways diabetes affects the human body.
Can diabetes cause hair loss?
For some diabetes patients, hair loss and thinning are very common. Diabetes can also affect your hair’s growth cycle in the following ways:
- abnormal hair growth (excessive)
- hindering the growth of new hairs
- damaging hair growth
There can be many reasons why diabetes may cause hair loss. Some common causes are listed below:
High blood sugar levels
If diabetes is not controlled or left untreated, the blood sugar levels can elevate too much. If this goes on consistently, it can negatively affect the body organs, tissues, and blood vessels.
In case the blood vessels are damaged, it can hinder the flow of blood. The result is a reduced amount of oxygen and essential nutrients being delivered to specific cells. The deprivation impairs the hair follicles’ normal growth cycle, resulting in hair loss.
Anxiety and Hormonal Changes
Diabetes can stress you out both mentally and physically. If you stress out too often, it can damage your hormones and harm the growth of hairs.
Alopecia areata
Alopecia areata is one of the reasons diabetes causes hair loss. This condition forces the immune system to destroy healthy hair follicles. Those with type 1 diabetes are at a higher risk of developing this condition.
Is hair loss from diabetes reversible?
Sometimes it is possible to reverse the hair loss caused by diabetes. Different treatments can be adopted – separate for males and females. But one thing to note here is that effective hair loss treatments cannot provide a permanent solution and will only last while acted upon.
Hair loss from diabetes can be slowed down or prevented effectively by controlling blood sugar levels and minimizing anxiety and stress.
To control blood sugar level, do the following:
- Monitor blood sugar levels on a daily basis
- Take all prescribed medications
- Eat a healthy and balanced diet
- Workout regularly
Some good techniques to alleviate stress include:
- Talking to close family or friends
- Writing down your thoughts
- Getting involved in physical games
- Yoga, meditation
- Counseling sessions
When to see a doctor
If you have diabetes, you should see your health care physician regularly. If you have any specific issues regarding hair loss, ask the experts at Aqeeq Internal Medicine on how to minimize or prevent hair loss.
To schedule, an appointment call us at 832-786-8195.