Hair Loss & Thinning? Is it linked to Diabetes diagnosis?

[•BethanyJayne•]

Hey all,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 last October and prior to being diagnosed I had severe hair thinning... I lost loads of hair and was really affected by this. Thankfully it is starting to grow back but this is very slow and barely noticeable.

Although I am grateful that it’s growing back... has anyone experienced this and has some tips I could perhaps try?

I am already taking a biotin vitamin and multi vitamins.. I have a very healthy diet too

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[HSSS]

The body often reacts to stress, physical and emotional, with hair loss. Look up telogen effluvium. It often shows up a month or two after an event and lasts for 3-4 months before almost always returning to normal. Becoming type 1 could well have been bodily stress enough to cause it in my opinion.

I lost more than half the volume of my hair when I radically changed my diet to keto to control type 2. It’s growing back but with long hair it’ll take years to get back to normal. Luckily I had very very thick hair to begin with so it doesn’t look odd to other people, only those that knew how it was before. It was quite worrying whilst it was happening.

 

[Marie 2]

It's common with type 1 diabetes to have an issue with the thyroid too. The same antibodies that attack beta cells pose a problem for the thyroid too sometimes. Get copies of any tests though, because what is considered in normal range isn't always optimal.
I know when my hair started falling out and I took a thyroid supplement it stopped within a couple of weeks. Also biotin comes in a lot of different strengths, so you want to make sure it's a strong enough one.

My doctor was nice enough to keep testing me every 3 months so I could figure out what worked best for me and it was a thyroid supplement blend with extra iodine added.

 

[BeckiDover]

Hey all,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 last October and prior to being diagnosed I had severe hair thinning... I lost loads of hair and was really affected by this. Thankfully it is starting to grow back but this is very slow and barely noticeable.

Although I am grateful that it’s growing back... has anyone experienced this and has some tips I could perhaps try?

I am already taking a biotin vitamin and multi vitamins.. I have a very healthy diet too

Thanks in advance guys!

Hi!
I actually had a very similar symptom but it seems to be a lot better since i was diagnosed and my blood sugars are under control.

I have actually read that sustained high blood sugars can damage your hair follicles so, in my case, i have quite fine hair that gets tangled very easily, so as my hair was getting tangled and falling out, it wasn't growing back like it did pre-diabetes, so it thinned a lot. It's getting much better now 2 years on but its no where near as thick as it used to be when i was a teenager.

Hope that may help

 

[michita]

Hey all,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 last October and prior to being diagnosed I had severe hair thinning... I lost loads of hair and was really affected by this. Thankfully it is starting to grow back but this is very slow and barely noticeable.

Although I am grateful that it’s growing back... has anyone experienced this and has some tips I could perhaps try?

I am already taking a biotin vitamin and multi vitamins.. I have a very healthy diet too

Thanks in advance guys!

I also had noticeable hair loss at the time of diagnosis (when I shampooed my hair... ). For me I feel that was directly linked to losing weight and not getting enough calories. I’ve gained my weight back since and have no problem at all now.

 

[ert]

I recommend biotin supplements. Got my hair back, even better than before.

 

[Energize]

I've had thinning hair, on top, ie 'female hair loss pattern' (I think it's called)
Several years ago, GP prescribed 'Regaine' mouse which has definitely helped but, more recently, different GP thought to refer me to Dermatology as I wasn't happy that my hair was still thin on top. However, after explaining I should have my Ferritin levels checked as Dermatology won't accept a referral unless Ferritin level over 70 (not sure what units just now). My levels came back at 39 so prescribed Iron tablets which, unfortunately, I don't tolerate well so now on very low dose. Due blood tests within the next two weeks so will be interested to see if any different

So, my take on this is that Iron plays a very large part in hair loss

 

[DCUKMod]

The thing about hair is it isn't vital for like. We can live happily without a hair on our heads or anywhere else. No eyelashes, nasal hair, or tiny hairs in our ears play a protective role (and as far as eyelashes are concerned a cosmetic role too), but that's all about it.

Our bodies are really clever and where we're under pressure - whether phusically or mentally under stress, including wonky hormones or nutrient/blood levels, it'll start shutting non-life critical functions, like hair and nail growth, or the quality of those will degrade.

The thing is finding out what's actually in play, and that's where a good broad spectrum of blood tests come into play. As I've droned on already, being "in range" is all very spiffing, but may just not be good enough for some people, especially if a few factors, like ferritin, folate, B12 and VitD are all out of what. That's when our systems can creak.

At the moment, I take a B-complex, Vit D3, with K2, plus home made kefit each morning to try to get my vits into a good place and to perk up my good gut bugs. Before my thyroid started to struggle, all my levels were well up in the ranges, to the extent my Endo once commented he hadn't seen such a naturally high VitD score in years.

Keep searchiong. Keep researching. You're likely facing a new journey in learning.

 

[Mike d]

You have to be lucky. My hair is thick and save for a few grey hairs, still mid brown. Not bad for my age.
Just genetics.

BUT I really feel for the ladies that go thru that loss.

 

[SueJB]

I also had noticeable hair loss at the time of diagnosis (when I shampooed my hair... ). For me I feel that was directly linked to losing weight and not getting enough calories. I’ve gained my weight back since and have no problem at all now.

I agree with you @michita I believe it was linked to insufficient food/calorie intake for me too. My hair's back to normal just greyer

 

[Resurgam]

My hair fell out a couple of weeks after diagnosis, when taking metformin and Atorvastatin, and I was so ill - I had to remove hair from the brush every day and it is still thin and my scalp is visible. I need to wear a hat to stop getting sunburnt even on low danger days. I doubt it will regrow now, but it doesn't really bother me. I had 65 years with a great mane of dark glossy hair and I can always wear a wig, which I could not do before.

 

[Wendi22]

I was losing a lot of hair when I was diagnosed last year, I think it was this more than the unexplained weight lose that took me to the doctors in the end, as being thin without effort was just a bonus. 10 months on and the weight has returned, but the hair is staying put.

 

[SweetSophia]

Hey all,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 last October and prior to being diagnosed I had severe hair thinning... I lost loads of hair and was really affected by this. Thankfully it is starting to grow back but this is very slow and barely noticeable.

Although I am grateful that it’s growing back... has anyone experienced this and has some tips I could perhaps try?

I am already taking a biotin vitamin and multi vitamins.. I have a very healthy diet too

Thanks in advance guys!

I was diagnosed with type 1 two years ago and I did experience some hair loss (although from what I've read here mine probably wasn't that bad). At the time of diagnosis lots of things weren't alright: very low iron (known to cause hair loss), low potassium, losing weight, bg levels too high, dehydration, DKA... My hair got better with time, but I think that's because I've taken care of thing that weren't alright: I have taken potassium for about a week, I've eaten lots of red meat (best source of iron; if your iron levels are low you don't have to build them up with red meat but it is important to get them in the normal range, preferably in the middle of the normal range), started taking insulin and controlling by bg (although I still need to work on that part ).

In February I've checked my vitamin D levels and it was quite low, so I started taking vit D supplements.

I think stress and iron are big factors in hair loss. However, I still notice how my hair looks bad after a day or two of bad bg values - dehydration makes a difference too.

 

[Cultivator]

I was diagnosed with type 1 two years ago and I did experience some hair loss (although from what I've read here mine probably wasn't that bad). At the time of diagnosis lots of things weren't alright: very low iron (known to cause hair loss), low potassium, losing weight, bg levels too high, dehydration, DKA... My hair got better with time, but I think that's because I've taken care of thing that weren't alright: I have taken potassium for about a week, I've eaten lots of red meat (best source of iron; if your iron levels are low you don't have to build them up with red meat but it is important to get them in the normal range, preferably in the middle of the normal range), started taking insulin and controlling by bg (although I still need to work on that part ).

In February I've checked my vitamin D levels and it was quite low, so I started taking vit D supplements.

I think stress and iron are big factors in hair loss. However, I still notice how my hair looks bad after a day or two of bad bg values - dehydration makes a difference too.

I think the statins had more of a hair loss effect. I've pretty well stopped taking them now because of night time leg cramps, but hair loss has stopped too

 

[SweetSophia]

I think the statins had more of a hair loss effect. I've pretty well stopped taking them now because of night time leg cramps, but hair loss has stopped too

Might be if people take them (although that's something that should be stated explicitly since they aren't usually prescribed when someone is diagnosed with type 1). I have no idea since I've never taken statins