Is this true..

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Estellaa

Estellaa

Well-Known Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
My mum who was helping me dye my hair today, said that i seem to have lost alot of hair, as i had mentioned that my hair was coming out more than it usually should.
so she said it was to do with my diabetes and i need to sort it out.
all very well mother but its difficult ??
anyhow is she correct, does your control over your diabetes affect your hair?
 
Mine started coming back a few months after being diagnosed xx
 
yup its true a while ago when i washed my hair clumps would fall out and i was very worried my control was not as tight as it is now and all seems to be fine x
 
I think it is possible - but dont forget that there is a *normal* shedding of hair through the seasons and it could be this that is also contributing. Perhaps if you mum feels that you need extra help you could work with her to get your levels under control (although I do know how difficult this is - so not being critical).🙂Bev
 
i used to have realy thick hair but over the past 6 or 7 years my hair has got very fine and comes out in clumps aswel.
 
Another factor could be underactive thyroid which isn't uncommon for a diabetic to suffer as it's another autoammune disease...

Thyroid are generally part of your regular bloods tests though..
 
I started losing a little hair when I was put on Simvastatin at diagnosis. I stopped taking simvastatin when I reduced my cholestrol to below the guideline figure via diet - and my hair returned.

However I now realise it may have been getting my blood sugars under control - and HbA1c under 5% - that led to the return.

Richard
 
There is a correlation between hair loss and diabetes even in patients who's control is exceptionally well.
 
Northerner said:
Not sure that's true Ellie - they've never done a thyroid test on me.
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I dont think its a general test, but ive had mine tested a few times. As its common in diabetics they tick that box occasionally when i get my full lot of bloods done.
 
I'm going to really annoy you lot 😉 I started losing hair when I was 14 (after a visit to Canada and a rather painful insect bite to the head) but 4 years later after starting on Insulin my hair started growing back, slowly at first but I now have an alomst full head of hair with just the standard slight receeded hairline that all men get at the front.

Another point, I have an underactive thyroid, and can easily tell if I forget my thyroxine in the morning as not having enough means I am lethargic all day and begin to feel depressed by about 2pm (depressed as in wanting to cut myself) I was initially (during the very first blood test for the big D) diagnosed as having an OVERactive thyroid but this was quickly re-assesed by the hospital (GP did first test) who started me on Thyroxine in June 2000.

Now one question, what results do we all get for our cholesterol levels? Mine are 2.5-3 every time, never higher :D Aren't I good 😉
 
Interesting Dale, although male-pattern baldness is generally due to an excess of testosterone - generally, men who lose the hair in their head will have hairier bodies and be able to grow beards on a daily basis. I'm the opposite - no hair loss whatsoever at 52 (nor has my dad, at nearly 83), but I couldn't grow a beard if I didn't shave for a decade! 😱 It may be that your testosterone levels have declined as you have got older from when you were a teenager. Also, you have problems with insulin and your thyroid - all are components of your endocrine/hormone system so this might explain why your hair grew back (possibly - just speculation!).

As for cholesterol, mine fell to 2.4 when I was on statins, but I wasn't happy with it being that low. The doctors seemed to like it, but as cholesterol is actually a key component of cell structure I'd rather it was a little higher so I stopped the statins. Is your cholesterol naturally that low? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, if you are happy with it that's fine! 🙂
 
Northerner said:
Interesting Dale, although male-pattern baldness is generally due to an excess of testosterone - generally, men who lose the hair in their head will have hairier bodies and be able to grow beards on a daily basis. I'm the opposite - no hair loss whatsoever at 52 (nor has my dad, at nearly 83), but I couldn't grow a beard if I didn't shave for a decade! 😱 It may be that your testosterone levels have declined as you have got older from when you were a teenager. Also, you have problems with insulin and your thyroid - all are components of your endocrine/hormone system so this might explain why your hair grew back (possibly - just speculation!).

As for cholesterol, mine fell to 2.4 when I was on statins, but I wasn't happy with it being that low. The doctors seemed to like it, but as cholesterol is actually a key component of cell structure I'd rather it was a little higher so I stopped the statins. Is your cholesterol naturally that low? I'm not saying there's anything wrong with it, if you are happy with it that's fine! 🙂
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That is a natural level for me, even eating foods with a fair amount of fat (not a great deal, just occasionally) and a healthy amount of red meat (beef or Gammon mostly)
I don't go out of my way to eat completely healthily, I just make sure I don't eat foods that will ruin my glycaemic control.
 
Garthion said:
That is a natural level for me, even eating foods with a fair amount of fat (not a great deal, just occasionally) and a healthy amount of red meat (beef or Gammon mostly)
I don't go out of my way to eat completely healthily, I just make sure I don't eat foods that will ruin my glycaemic control.
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That's excellent then Dale! 🙂 I wonder if you have any ancestors from the Far East? They have naturally much lower cholesterol levels than people usually do in the West.
 
I always thought the thyroid was part of the routine bloods they take, for the last 20 odd years they taken bloods for thyroid every time they taken blood for my diabetes..
 
Ellie Jones said:
I always thought the thyroid was part of the routine bloods they take, for the last 20 odd years they taken bloods for thyroid every time they taken blood for my diabetes..
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I've only been diagnosed 2.5 years, but they usually just take lipids, liver/kidney function test and HbA1c for my reviews, perhaps it depends on whether the doctor feels they need to test for something, or perhaps they always used to 20 years ago and have continued for you?
 
i would love to ask my mum for help, alas she has a 4 month old and 4 year old to look after.
cholesterol is usually fine, but i havent had an appointment since august, and that was only to introduce me to my new doctor so techincally i havent had a proper appointment since may perhaps? which is bad for me.
Thyroid testing, i have never had done although i am only 16 so that might make a difference?
My mother said she is worried about me and wants me to see the doctors about other stuff as well, which surprised me as she never says these sorta things.
anyhow i think i might make an appointment at the doctors sometime soon.
 
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