Diabetes Hair Loss Relationship
It has been known for a very long time that diabetes and hair loss do have a relationship. Diabetes, being a hormonal related disorder, can actually cause and lead to thinning of the hair or hair loss. In fact, diabetes hair loss is considered as one of the initial physical manifestations that can indicate that a person may have the condition.
Defining Diabetes Hair Loss
Diabetes is a condition of a person wherein his or her body is not able to effectively metabolize carbohydrates (sugar) properly. This kind of disease can also lead to other diseases such as on the skin. Since the scalp is part of the skin, hair healing as well as hair re-growth is impeded.
Suffering from diabetes, a person is also very susceptible to other communicable diseases and infections. This also becomes a problem in terms of the health of your hair. Infection, if it affects the skin and the scalp, can also cause hair loss especially if a fungus causes the infection. A good example of this is the fungus tinea capitus also known as Ring Worm.
Diffused hair growth is evident in diabetes hair loss. But this is not actually a direct effect of the disease itself but of the different medications used to treat and control diabetes. But then again, it all comes down to the current general health condition of a person as well as the response to the different medication that is given. Surely though, the stress caused by the disease will surely be a factor in the development of diabetes hair loss.
Another cause of diabetes hair loss is the progress of the disease, which becomes autoimmune. This means that the body's own self-defense system is attacking itself. This would sometimes lead to patches of baldness on the scalp.
Hormonal imbalance, an effect of diabetes, is also another factor that can lead to the development of diabetes hair loss. The mechanism of this is almost the same with menopause hair loss wherein changes in the body introduces stress, which in turn causes hair loss.
So how do you know if you are affected by diabetes hair loss? Well, it is normal for a person to shed around fifty to one hundred strands of hair everyday day. If you have diabetes and you are losing hair more than that, it should immediately be a point of concern. Consult your doctor immediately. Early detection and monitoring will truly be a big help in its prognosis.
