Can diabetes cause hair loss? Know more today!

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a disease in which the body has problems processing the sugars from foods and glucose & producing and using insulin. Insulin is the hormone that converts sugar, starches, and other food into energy. With type 2 diabetes, either your body doesn’t make enough insulin or the insulin that your body makes isn’t being used effectively.

The reason for this is usually weight gain, age, family history, certain health conditions, lifestyle factors, and sometimes, birth control pills. There are two types of diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, while Type 2 diabetes is caused by diet and lifestyle.

The two disorders also affect the body differently, even though they both cause high blood glucose levels. With Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas stops making insulin. Without insulin, the body cannot convert glucose (sugar) into energy, which leads to very high blood glucose levels.

Type 2 diabetes is a condition where your blood glucose or blood sugar levels are too high. Type 2 diabetes used to be called non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), or adult-onset diabetes.

Is Hair Loss a Symptom of Diabetes?

Health issues associated with diabetes are numerous and diverse. It can be said that these issues are even more complicated than diabetes itself. This is the reason why it is very important to know the complications, in order to prevent them, or at least to minimize their impact on your health.

Health issues associated with diabetes include damage to different organs of your body, like your eyes, kidneys, nerves, blood vessels, or heart. They also include many extra diseases like cataracts, Down's syndrome (a birth defect), osteoporosis (loss of bone density), or Alzheimer's disease (a brain disorder).

The kidneys react to the glucose overload by dumping large amounts of extra sugar into the urine, and over time, all this extra sugar can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure. Apart from this, it is also found that Diabetes plays a key role in hairfall and overall hair health too, let’s know more about it.

Can Diabetes Cause Hair Loss?

Although thinning or loss of hair can be attributed to the lack of scalps in most elderly people, it can also be caused by diabetes. If you're wondering, can diabetes cause hair loss? The answer is yes.

Diabetes mellitus is a metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia and results from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. Many people with diabetes experience hair loss as part of the disease.

According to a study, type 2 diabetes was associated with an increased risk of severe central scalp hair loss. The growth of hair can be affected by a lot of reasons like age, hormones, stress, medication, or in case of an underlying medical issue like diabetes.

As, we mentioned that diabetes can cause hair fall, that it can also:

Diabetes can lead to impaired hair growth
Diabetes can cause an excessive increase in hair growth
Diabetes can stop new hair follicles from forming

Importance of diabetes management

The following are the reasons for the Importance of diabetes management:

Controlling blood sugar levels
Prevents health complications
Improves quality of life
Healthy weight management
Long-term health benefits
Prevention of Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Treatment and Management for Hair Loss

If you are wondering how to decrease the effect of diabetes on your hair then start by following a diabetes-friendly diet. Add healthy foods to your diet and avoid oily, sugary foods. Eating healthy foods can help control your blood glucose and cholesterol levels.

Hair loss due to diabetes can be treated by using minoxidil on the scalp. Minoxidil is a miraculous discovery for people suffering from hair thinning. It helps stimulate dormant hair follicles and speed up hair growth. Minoxidil may be used to increase the growth of hair. It is available in several forms- solution, foam, or gel.

For better results, use it with other treatments for hair loss such as taking biotin tablets for good hair growth. Regular intake of biotin tablets can make your hair stronger and thicker than before. You can also try hair growth kit my MARS, it is a power-packed solution for your hair loss. It contains Minoxidil 5% Fin. 0.1% topical Solution that promotes blood circulation on the scalp, a Derma Roller with 540 cross-linked titanium needles that regenerate the health of hair follicles, and Biotin Tablets that improve your scalp health and hair growth.

Take Away

Diabetes is a growing problem among people of all ages, but especially so in the elder community. While diabetes causes a lot of health complications, one of the more minor side effects is thinning or loss of hair.

To prevent health issues associated with diabetes, you need to eliminate diabetes from your life. Regular checkups and following a proper, balanced diet can help in preventing diabetes. This way, you will not experience hair loss from diabetes.

FAQs

How do you stop hair loss from diabetes?

Using medications, changing to a healthy lifestyle and proper hair health can reduce hair loss.

Can quitting sugar reverse hair loss?

Yes, quitting sugar can reverse hair loss but only to a certain extent.

Can diabetics take biotin for hair growth?

Biotin is safe for people suffering from any type of diabetes be it type 1 or type 2, and consuming it can prevent hair loss.

References

The effects of Diabetes on your body. By Healthline, May 19, 2023.

Does diabetes cause hair loss? By Medical News Today, Feb 10, 2023.

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