Diabetes may result in hair loss for a variety of reasons.

People with diabetes are highly susceptible to skin problems which often lead to hair loss or thinning hair. Some skin problems, such as bacterial and fungal infections, more readily affect diabetics. Other skin problems, including diabetic blisters, diabetic dermopathy, necrobiosis lipoidica diabeticorum, and eruptive xanthomatosis primarily affect diabetics - most often on their extremities.

Because of poor blood circulation, diabetics also heal more slowly and scar more often from injuries, cuts, burns and scrapes.

Diabetes may lead to other conditions such as hormonal imbalances, kidney disease, and rapid weight loss that can cause hair loss.

For more information on Medical Causes of Hair Loss, request our free Medical Guide.

Information on this page, provided as a service by Peggy Knight Solutions, draws upon information from the following sources: the American Academy of Dermatology, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Medical Association, and the U.S. National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health.