Hair loss

[Rainsunbow]

Over the last 2 or three years, all the sudden my scalp is starting to show through. I'm female and 29. It's to the point where it is starting to be noticeable. I'm going to go to the dermatologist and check it out some day, but I was just wondering if anyone has had this problem with diabetes? I have found little info that it could be related, but nothing sound. Just wondering if anyone has been through this. I don't have gobs of it falling out, nothing more than what is normal, it seems that the individual hairs are getting thinner. This started before I was on meds, or even knew I had diabetes, so it isn't meds related, but I'm wondering if it is diabetes related.

Thanks
Leigh

[KLD]

I've had exactly the opposite experience since going on a low carb diet for my diabetes, Leigh. My hair was very thin (a known side effect of Warfarin, an anticoagulent drug I take for my heart problems). I was getting to the stage where I thought I was going to have to buy a wig. After about a year on the low carb diet, I started to notice that my scalp didn't show through and the bald spots were filling in. I don't know for sure that it's the low carb diet that's doing it, but that's all I can put it down to.

Karen D.

[mg_2204]

Hello Leigh!

I've seen docs about this on 2 separate occasions.

The first one was after my mother died (1996); I was losing hair so much, just like someone who had been on chemo. Frightning! I was told it was due to huge stress. I had my hair cut short (it was shoulder lenght) and took multi vitamins. Everything came back to normal within a year.

The second time was last year. I noticed my hair was thinning. I was told it wasn't because of diabetes. A wide number of reasons could explain it, for example : 'life expectancy' of hair is 7 years... it's genetic and women's hair tend to grow thinner as they get old (and yes I was told this can happen as young as 25 or 30 sometimes!)... My doc dismissed my concerns as if I was making a huge fuss over something trivial. But it's not trivial!!!

My hair as always been like baby's hair... fine... I just had lots of it I guess.

Finally, and after much frustrating searches, I had better advice from a hairdresser than anyone I had spoken to.

If there is no medical condition responsible for your problem she said... first get a haircut. One that will put volume into your hair. Use volumizing shampoos and conditionners. Don't use any hair products containing harsh cheminals or alcohol based products. Hairdryer at the cool setting. Always finish washing your hair with cooler water. Don't over stress your hair either with constant hairstyling! Colouring is ok as long as you make sure your hairdresser uses natural products, less harmfull for hair folicules.

She also advised taking lecithin and zinc. Lecithin is good for many other things too like... euh... memory... I think??? :) ;)

The bottom line Leigh is... I know how scary, worrying, and frustrating this can be. But you're not alone! Now I notice people's hair more. Many women have thin hair, women of all ages. But when it happens to you, it feels like the end of the world. A man balding is well accepted but thinning hair on a woman? I might think it is not unfortunately.

My guess is we are over stressed... and we eat, drink and breathe junk... and we're paying a high price for all of this.

By the way, I've noticed improvement after 6 months of not failing to take the supplements one single day and taking good care of my hair. It's not as thick as it used to be but at least it's stable.

I do hope this has helped you a bit Leigh.

Marie
:)

[Ella1]

Leigh

I've heard that people get allergic to certain types of insulin... And they experience hair loss when they have just been diagnosed with diabetes. Once, they normalise their BG and also switch to another insulin the hair loss slows down....

But if you had it before... Have you been on a some sort of low-fat diet for too long? Or had a very stressful period? Stress can cause lots of bad things happening in our bodies, most of the time we are not even aware of it.

Also how you eat now? I also found that Omega oils helps a lot. Have you tried to take some supplements?

[eevee]

Leigh...another thing which can cause hair loss is one's thyroid going on the blink..hypothyroid. Often this and diabetes go hand in hand. It is easy enough to check out with a blood test. I should think it is wise to hold off on any supplements until 'things' have been checked out...........Eevee

[DeusXM]

Type in lo-carb +hair loss into Google and you'll find a whole host of people on lo-carb diets who've had hair loss. Coincidence?

Atkins fudge the issue by saying 'Unlike calorie-restricted diets, Atkins is the least likely of any weight-loss program to contribute to hair loss because the higher caloric content keeps the body from behaving as though it is in a starvation mode. When that happens, your metabolism is lowered as a survival mechanism.'

Unfortunately this conveniently forgets that Atkins is a calorie restricted diet.

But helpfully, they do admit 'you might be low in some specific nutrients that could affect your hair loss. You might try adding biotin, N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), glutathione and lecithin to your diet.'

In other words, lo-carb diets tend to lack these nutrients.

Some people are able to go on lo-carb diets and actually enjoy an increase in hair since keratin, which is what hair is made of, is a protein, something which you get a lot of on Atkins.

[KLD]

I have no idea what the reason is, Deus, and I don't claim to know what happens to other people. I just know that there is no doubt I have a lot more hair than I did before I began eating low carb. It took nearly a year to notice the difference.

Some people on my other diabetes forum have said that they had some hair loss when they first started low carbing, but that it reversed after a few months.

Karen D.

[DeusXM]

Yeah I've seen that on other forums too...like you I'm not sure of the reason why that happens.

However, I did once read something interesting. One thing scientists have noticed about so-called 'feral children', in other words, children who have been abandoned and raised by animals, are always inevitably covered in thick body hair. They think that this is caused by a starvation diet - for some reason the body produces lots of hair when it's not getting the energy it needs - i think it's because the metabolic rate has to drop so much because it's not getting enough fuel. This causes a body temp drop, so to compensate the body grows more insulation - more hair.

Maybe that's what is happening to people with lo-carb diets - they aren't getting enough energy, so they ultimately end up growing more hair.

[leigh4095]

hi leigh,
when i was first dxd i noticed more hair loss than usual which was quite scarey. the doctor said it had nothing to do with being diabetic but probably down to something as simple as stress, after i got used to everything and started to feel more comfortable i stopped losing my hair. every now and then i worry about something too much and sure enough the same thing happens again but never lasts long. hope you find the cause of it soon and try not to worry x
from leigh :)

[rzrbks]

Rainsunbow,

My oldest sisiter has been fighting the same fight as you since she was about your Aprox. age.

The concensus amoung Drs. has been stress and some chemical imbalances------mostly stress, her hair comes and goes---never completely gone never completely full either.

BTW, she isn't Diabetic and the women I know with this same problem, they aren't Diabetic either.

[KLD]

Why on earth would you assume that people on low carb diets are not getting enough energy, Deus? I originally went on a low carb diet to control my blood sugars, but one of the unexpected bonuses is that my energy level increased tremendously.

Karen D.

[IceMan]

I eat a strict 6-12-12 lowcarb diet and look what it's done for my hair....:D

http://www.datainthehouse.com/lrg_pix/dave_03.jpg

[Katjic]

Leigh,

Like somebody already said, the hair loss is very common in hypothyroidism which often happens in diabetics.
I developed hypothyroidism 2 years after I was first diagnosed with diabetes, and my hair got a lot thinner.
Maybe it would be a good idea to ask your doctor about it and get your thyroid hormones checked.

[DeusXM]

Originally posted by KLD
Why on earth would you assume that people on low carb diets are not getting enough energy, Deus? I originally went on a low carb diet to control my blood sugars, but one of the unexpected bonuses is that my energy level increased tremendously.
Karen D.

Simple. The majority of people's calorie intake comes from carbs. Carbs are also the body's preferred energy source. You obviously can still get energy from protein, but the body needs to use more energy to metabolise it than it it would for metabolising carbs. And since on a lo-carb diet you're getting less calories, you've got less energy overall.


Also, it doesn't surprise me in the least that after you went on a lo-carb diet to control your sugars, your energy levels increased. Bet you had high blood sugars before didn't you? And what's one of the symptoms of high blood sugar? Fatigue.

Relatively, compared to how you used to be, you DO have more energy.

If lo-carb diets work for you then that's great, but as a T1 I'd much rather have a normal diet like everyone else. The fact I'm perfectly capable of eating whatever I like, maintaining bg between 4-8mmol/l pretty much constantly, and more importantly, having a BMI of 19 for the last 5 years, suggests to me that I'm doing just fine, thanks, and I certainly wouldn't benefit from a low-carb diet.

But of course, everyone's different.

[KLD]

I don't want to prolong this discussion indefinitely, Deus, and I certainly wasn't suggesting that you should go on a low carb diet; I was just telling of my own experience. However, I would remind you that many low carbers, including me, get the majority of their calories from fat, a fact you haven't taken into consideration in your analysis. And before you lecture me about my blood lipids, my cholesterol and triglyceride levels are, in my doctor's words, "better than most of my patients, diabetic or otherwise." This after eating low carb for two years.

Karen

[DeusXM]

Not going to lecture you. As I said before, if it works for you, that's great. Doesn't mean its a panacea for everyone though.

As for calories from fat - yeah, it's a source of energy, but again, it takes more energy to metabolise fat than it does for carbs. So the point still stands.

[Rainsunbow]

Thank you everyone for your help.

Marie,
Thanks for all the good info, I will take it all into consideration.

Ella,
I'm not on insulin. I have not been on a low fat diet for a long period. I eat the food pyramid way. Thanks I'll check into the omega oils.

evee and Kat
I have had my thyroid checked, and I don't have any problems.

Deus,
I'm not on the low carb diet. But I was, I have been off for a year and nothing has changed, it is still thinning. Scratch this comment if the first low carb note was intended for KLD.

leigh4095 and rzrbks
I'm not usually stressed. But, do you think if it was stress it would be gradual over three years, or in spurts?

KLD,
I don't think I can go back to the low carb thing, all that meat gets to be too much afer a year. I'm glad it has worked for you for your b/s and hair loss. Take care

Thanks again for all the help and support, I think I will go to a dermatologist soon.
Leigh

[Shalyndria]

Wow Leigh, have you discussed your concerns with your physician; perhaps he/she would have a solution or the means to one?
I think Marie said it all but I'll give it a go:

First of all, does this run in your family? There is a condition called androgenetic alopecia that causes thinning of hair for females beginning in their 20's or 30's, making them slaves (once again) to their genes... ;)
Early hair loss can be a sign of anemia too. This can be diagnosed with proper blood tests.

Proper nutrition is essential to healthy hair. Crash dieting or too little iron, protein, or fat can lead to hair loss. After all, look at Bulemia/Anorexia Nervosa Patients; because of their improper eating habits and lack of proper nutrition, they lose their hair. This can be reversed with correction to diet and nutrition, and stabilization of weight.
My suggestion: address your concerns to your physician. Ask to see a Dermatologist if you feel the need.

On an aside, can we kindly keep to the subject on hand, which is Hair Loss, not Lo-Carb diets? I think that Leigh has raised a great issue here and I would rather the thread be open for everyone to contribute their two cents on the topic, rather than having to close it to any further posting.

Shy

[KLD]

I have said all I have to say in this thread on the subject of low carb diets, Shy, but I would remind you that I raised the subject in the first place because eating low carb helped my hair loss problem, which was very much on topic.

[Eri's mom]

I haven't noticed any hair loss w/ my daughter...she's T1...but her friends sister has alopecia, which is hair loss. It's either an immune problem or some sort of vitamin deficiancy.

I found that flax seed(either oil, tabs or seeds) help to thicken hair.

Good luck!!!