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Making the Connection Between Diabetes and Hair Loss

If you have diabetes and you start losing your hair, you may be experiencing diabetes related hair loss. Although the connection was long thought to have already been established, the link between diabetes and hair loss needs to be further studied. Looking however at the basic facts about diabetes and hair loss may help you understand why there might be a real connection.

Hair Basics

Let us first examine and understand both the human hair and diabetes' basic facts to help us better understand how the two may be related. Although the human head hair seemingly has no obvious function other than for appearance, it is still stands to benefit or suffer from anything that is going in on any other parts of your body.

The hair actually has a root and a hair follicle located in the scalp from which hair strands grow and are nourished. The best way to naturally nourish the hair is through the bloodstream which transports hair nourishing nutrients to the scalp. Insufficient intake of nutrients or poor blood circulation may therefore affect hair growth and health.

Hair Loss

Not all cases of hair loss in diabetic persons may be attributed to diabetes alone. It is only a possibility. It is therefore important to seek out the real cause of hair loss in your condition through the process of eliminating other possible causes before tagging diabetes as its cause.

Just like diabetes, hair loss is also affected by genetic factors. It is estimated that 95% of people who suffer from hair loss have androgenetic alopecia which is a hair loss condition that is brought about by genes and hormonal activity. Check first if you have this before thinking of the possibility of diabetes. However, since both conditions have genetic components, you may want to take a look at the rest of your family members and relatives. Balding relatives who are also diabetic may indicate that you may share a similar future.

Diabetes and Hair Loss

The connection between diabetes and hair loss can be established best by looking at the nature of diabetes and what it does to the body. Diabetes is a condition in which people either cannot produce insulin or cannot respond properly to it. When this happens, glucose cannot always enter the body cells to provide energy. Since glucose has nowhere else to go, it will start collecting in the bloodstream. With high blood sugar levels, fat deposits may also begin to attach on blood vessel walls, effectively clogging blood passageways. This results in improper blood flow and poor circulation.

As mentioned, the hair's key for growth and nutrition lies in the bloodstream. Having poor blood circulation could mean poor hair health. In addition to this, poor blood flow can also result to skin irritations and infections among diabetics. And since scalp is still part of our skin, it is also stands to suffer from poor blood flow, resulting to hair loss.

Diet Conditions

People with both diabetes and hair loss may have a tougher time dealing with hair loss. Usual cases of hair loss are treated with nutritional supplementation and proper diet. Those with diabetes and hair loss however have to take into consideration the graver condition of diabetes. Eating an unregulated amount of even the most nutritious foods may result in drastic glucose spikes. Consult your doctor first before dealing with your hair loss.