Smiling woman with messy hair
6th October 2023

Diabetes and hair loss: Is there a relationship?

More than 10% of the population in Spain suffers from some type of diabetes. It is a chronic disease that alters the way the body breaks down ingested food. A diabetic person converts most of these foods into sugar, raising blood glucose levels considerably. Can this affect hair health? Is there a relationship between diabetes and hair loss?

En Hospital Capilar, a hair clinic in Spain expert in hair grafting in Madrid, also with offices in Murcia and Pontevedra, we tell you to what extent diabetes influences hair health. Are diabetes and hair loss related?

How does diabetes affect hair health?

As we have mentioned before, diabetes is characterized by causing an increase in blood sugar levels. This can happen for two reasons, due to an alteration in insulin management or because the body does not directly produce this hormone that regulates glucose.

Regardless of the type of diabetes, this alteration in the body directly affects the circulatory system, which can be inconvenient for hair health. The nutrients that guarantee the correct functioning of the hair follicles arrive through the circulatory system, when there is an alteration in it as well as in the hormonal system, hair may be affected.

Does diabetes cause hair loss?

One of the main questions in this regard is whether diabetes and hair loss are related. Although it does not occur in all cases, our specialist doctors indicate that Diabetes can cause hair to fall out. This happens especially in people who are not treated or recently diagnosed.

Therefore, diabetes and hair loss are related. This hair loss can manifest itself for various reasons. In most cases it is a temporary hair loss that is reversible with the appropriate treatment, although it is always advisable to consult an expert doctor.

Telogen effluvium from poor blood circulation

As mentioned before, the circulatory system is the main affected in people diagnosed with diabetes. In order for hair follicles to be healthy and function properly, it is essential that nutrients arrive properly through the bloodstream. When this does not happen, the hair follicles become weak and hair loss known as telogen effluvium.

In these cases, the relationship between diabetes and hair loss occurs temporarily and reversibly.

alopecia areata

When you suffer from diabetes and hair loss, it is possible to be facing a alopecia areata. In these cases, hair loss is not reversible and will result in bald patches on the scalp.

Alopecia areata is of autoimmune origin, that is, it is the person's own immune system that attacks the hair follicles causing their destruction. It must be a dermatologist who diagnoses and treats this type of alopecia.

Hair loss due to stress

On many occasions diabetes accompanies strong episodes of stress. Suffering stress for long periods of time affects hair health, causing telogen effluvium. That is, just as diabetes and hair loss are related, it is also related to the Stress.

What to do in case of hair loss due to diabetes? 

Knowing how to act in the event of hair loss due to diabetes is essential, since in the right hands and with the right treatment we can reverse the effects and thus avoid a greater visual impact.

Go to an expert hair clinic

Faced with acute hair loss, which also accompanies a lack of density regardless of whether you have diabetes or not, it is highly advisable to go to an expert hair clinic. In this way, we will receive a medical diagnosis that determines the cause of hair loss and how to act accordingly.   

Adapted hair treatments

If medical equipment thus considers it depending on each particular case, it is very beneficial to resort to hair treatments. In Hospital Capilar we have the Capillary Regeneration Treatment and the Hair Redensification Treatment. Both are aimed at treating hair loss, promoting hair growth and considerably improving hair quality.

Hair graft with FUE technique

When the hair that has fallen no longer grows back, the hair graft with FUE technique is the most viable method. For this, a prior medical diagnosis is necessary to determine the feasibility of the intervention.

It consists of extracting follicular units from the donor area to implant them in the area affected by baldness. The results of the capillary implant are given definitively one year after the intervention, although the first changes can be seen already at 6 months.

Hair mesotherapy in Spain

Your medical diagnosis in Hospital Capilar

Do you notice unusual hair loss? Lack of capillary density? In Hospital Capilar we can help you. Request your medical diagnosis at no cost and put yourself in the best hands. 

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