Trichology Care for your Hair
Trichology
Care for your Hair: Diabetes and hair loss
Diabetes is the curse of
the modern society. The bitter truth of living in the jet age is that stress,
sedentary lifestyle and fast food has led to a boom in the occurrence of
diabetes.
According to the recently published findings of the International
Diabetes Federation in 2007, the country with the largest number of people with
diabetes is India India
Diabetes has many ill effects on the sufferer’s
body. People with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes are at a much higher risk than the
rest of the general population for damage to the eyes, kidney, nerves, heart
and blood vessels. Another less known consequence of diabetes is hair loss.
There are many reasons that explain the inter-relation of diabetes and hair
loss.
1. Diabetes negatively affects the body’s circulatory system. This means
that less amount of nutrients and oxygen reach the upper and the lower
extremities of the body i.e. the feet and the scalp areas. If diabetes is
causing poor blood circulation to the scalp, the hair follicles will die
resulting in hair loss. Furthermore, this poor circulation may result in the prevention
of further hair growth. So not only is diabetes causing the loss of your
current hair, it is also preventing the growth of new hair.
2. Diabetes brings about hormonal imbalance in a patient’s body. These
hormonal changes may be manifested through hair loss. This also explains the
reasons behind hair loss in pregnancy and menopause.
3. Diabetes is associated with high levels of stress. And stress has long been reputed to be the
main culprit behind hair loss. So if modern day hurry and worry plague you,
hair fall is certain.
4. Drugs that are used treat diabetes may also lead to hair loss. If you feel that particular regimens are
causing distressful hair loss, then consult your doctor to get your
prescription modified.
5. Diabetes may weaken the immune system, making it susceptible to other
diseases. This weakened immunity may lead to scalp conditions like ringworm or
other fungal diseases which in turn may cause hair fall.
6. Autoimmune diseases such as skin rashes and thyroid dysfunctions can be
part and parcel of suffering from diabetes and these diseases are known to
cause massive hair loss.
7. Diabetes may lead to high levels of oxidative stress. The unstable free
radicals generated in the body due to diabetes may also lead to considerable
hair loss.
Another important factor is that the healing and rejuvenation time in
diabetics is comparatively slower than in normal individuals. This leads to
significant hair reduction, as diabetics cannot maintain the average cycle of
re-growth.
Hair loss during diabetes is sometimes attributed to Telogen effluvium. All
hair has a growth phase, termed anagen, and a resting phase, namely telogen. In
normal people, 5-15% of the hair on the scalp is in telogen at any given time.
Telogen effluvium is a condition triggered when a physiologic stress or
hormonal change like diabetes causes a large number of hairs to enter telogen at
one time leading to diffuse hair shedding.
So, hold it right there. Step away from the food
and drop the remote control. As hard as it may be in moments of weakness to
police yourself, you must try because a warm seat on the couch and too many
empty calories could lead to uncontrolled diabetes and consequently hair loss.
So resist the urge to just curl up on your couch
in front of the television with a bag of chips and get set on the goal of
diabetes control if you want to preserve your lustrous locks.
If you notice unwarranted hair loss, it is very important that you seek
immediate medical assistance. Since hair loss can cause untold trauma, lack of
self esteem, and social anxiety, it is also advisable to visit a Trichologist
and take expert advice.
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