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One of the many devastating impacts of diabetes on your body is hair loss. Here, hair loss doesn’t only mean loss of hair on your scalp, but also on other parts of the body. Excessive hair loss can become visible with time if not prevented or treated properly. There are many factors responsible for hair loss due to diabetes. Understanding the reason behind the problem might give us an insight into the course we want to take for the treatment or prevention.
How Diabetes Causes Hair Loss?
High Blood Sugar Levels: In diabetes, your body stops producing insulin or does not produce enough insulin. In either case, the sugar level in your blood rises and causes diabetes. Excess sugar or glucose in the blood can damage nerves and blood vessels, which are responsible to carry oxygen to all the parts of the body. Without receiving sufficient oxygen and nutrients, the nourishment of your hair follicles get severely hampered and your hair growth cycle gets negatively impacted.
Alopecia Areata: Diabetes may give rise to a disorder called alopecia areata. In this condition, the immune system mistakenly attacks the healthy hair follicles on the body and leads to patchy hair loss. Hair loss can appear at any part of the body where hair grows. The worst part of this condition is that with time, these patches may get merged and become significantly visible. It is more likely to be developed in patients with type 1 diabetes.
Stress: Stress becomes quite unavoidable when you are dealing with diabetes. The prolonged and chronic nature of the disease is bound to create problems in the mental and emotional health of the person. Excessive hair loss can be a significant side effect of dealing with persistent stress.
Tips To Reverse Hair Loss Caused Due To Diabetes
Control Your Blood Sugar Levels: If the rising levels of sugar in your blood is the reason behind your hair loss, then the best way out is to control diabetes and maintain your blood sugar levels. Monitor your blood sugar levels regularly and take regular medicines and insulin dose. Keep your doctor informed of the changes in your blood sugar levels so they may modify the prescription accordingly. By controlling diabetes, you may control hair loss as well.
Consult A Doctor And Take Medications: It is always good to consult a doctor when you are experiencing hair loss while being diabetic. There are many medications available for treating hair loss. In the case of Alopecia Areata, your doctor might recommend steroid injections or medicines. It may also be possible that slow hair growth is a result of deficiency of biotin in your body. Many diabetic patients have lower levels of biotin which is a subtype of vitamin B. In this case, your doctor might recommend supplements to enhance the level of biotin in your body.
Eat A Balanced Diet: Eating a balanced diet is key to controlling diabetes. Include fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole-grain in abundance in your diet. Try to eat in short intervals of time to keep your blood sugar levels controlled. Avoid carbohydrates and excess sugar in your dietary intake.
Exercise Regularly: Regular exercising has two major benefits in this condition. First, exercises maintain blood sugar levels and ultimately control your diabetes. Second, exercising can boost the blood circulation in your body. This will enhance the nourishment of hair follicles and may prevent hair loss.
Stress Management: Hair loss may also occur as a side effect of stress caused due to diabetes. Stress may also fluctuate your blood sugar levels. Managing stress can seem tricky in diabetes, but with relaxing techniques such as mindfulness, meditation and Yoga, it is possible. Deep breathing exercises also help to manage stress and anxiety.
Takeaway:
Diabetes can cause hair loss in all the parts of your body. There are various factors responsible for hair loss such as high blood sugar levels, stress caused due to diabetes and a health disorder called alopecia areata. In any case, you must consult your doctor to understand the reason behind hair loss and take proper treatment. Controlling diabetes will ultimately prevent hair loss. Therefore, you must take a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Stress management can also come a long way in preventing hair loss. Meditate regularly to manage your stress well.
