Type 2 Diabetes and Insulin Resistance May Cause Hair Loss
When the digestive system breaks down food into glucose and releases it into the bloodstream, the pancreas releases insulin to help our cells process this blood sugar efficiently. Insulin resistance prevents the muscle, fat, and liver cells from interacting with this insulin properly. 112
In turn, the cells don't take in and use all the glucose in the blood. The pancreas keeps producing more insulin in response to this excess blood sugar. Thus, insulin resistance sets the stage for type 2 diabetes. 112
The effect of this vicious cycle of excess insulin because of excess blood glucose forces that glucose to convert to stored fat. It can also cause hair loss, amongst other undesirable physical effects. 113
Symptoms of Diabetes
In fact, one of the symptoms doctors consider as a sign of diabetes is otherwise unexplained hair loss. Other symptoms of Type 2 diabetes include: 102, 113
- Acanthosis nigricans
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Frequent infections or slow-healing wounds
- Increased hunger
- Increased thirst and urination
- Weight loss, despite increased hunger
Diabetes directly and indirectly causes the thinner hair shafts and diffuse hair loss common in those suffering from it in a number of ways: 15, 76, 114
Diabetes Factor |
Effect on Hair |
|---|---|
| Blood Circulation Problems |
Question: How can damage to blood vessels cause thinning hair? Answer: Capillary damage inhibits the growth cycle of hair follicles. |
| Dehydration |
Question: Can dehydration cause thinning hair? Answer: When combined with stress, dehydrationcan cause hair loss. |
| Hormones |
Question: How can hormonal changes in diabetes cause thinning hair? Answer: As a hormonal disease, diabetes affects other hormonal functions (e.g., increases serum insulin and androgen levels). In turn, these hormonal changes can cause androgenetic hair loss. |
| Increased Risk of Infection |
Question: Can changes in the immune system cause thinning hair? Answer: Diabetics have lowered immunity and are more susceptible to bacterial, yeast, and fungal infections, including those of the scalp that can cause hair loss. |
| Stress |
Question: Can stress from diabetes cause thinning hair? Answer: Having and dealing with diabetes is stressful; stress and anxiety can cause or exacerbate hair loss. |
| Treatment Drugs |
Question: Can diabetes drugs cause thinning hair? Answer: Medications used to treat diabetes can cause telogen effluvium type of hair loss. |