Stop and Reverse High Blood Sugar Related Hair Loss

Sugar-related hair loss results in androgenic alopecia in both men and women. In men, it's usually referred to as Male Pattern Baldness. Usually this type of balding begins with the thinning of hair at the crown or at the front of the hairline. In women, it tends to be an overall thinning of the hair.

A typical case of androgenic alopecia hair loss in a male.

Sugar related hair loss is based on the two following scientific premises:

1. 1
   Sugar is known cause of hair loss

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   Since the year 2000, several studies conducted in Finland, Taiwan, Mexico and Turkey, have confirmed that eating too much sugar causes hair loss. This means that you should avoid eating sugar of all kinds including white sugar, cane sugar, golden sugar, brown sugar, agave syrup, corn syrup and any type of product made from glucose, sucrose, dextrose or fructose.

   

   Sugar consumption causes baldness.

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2. 2
   High glycemic foods also cause hair loss

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   You should avoid eating foods that are converted rapidly into sugar once they are consumed. These are known as high glycemic foods. They cause sugar in the bloodstream to rapidly elevate, which forces your pancreas to produce excess insulin, which in turn throws most of the systems in your body out of whack. This includes the endocrine system, which produces the hormones that determine the rate of hair loss.

   

   Deep-fried foods are high glycemic and causes baldness.

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Research has found that hair loss occurs with the consumption of sugar because:

• Hair is made of protein and there is no protein in sugar to nourish your hair follicles or hair shaft.
• High glycemic foods cause hormone imbalances that can stunt the growth of hair.
• High sugar levels cause inflammation in many places in the body including the scalp.
• Individuals who consume too much sugar do not have as much control of the way their body produces DHT, a hormone that causes balding, or the way it prevents balding.

Consuming sugar can lead to complete baldness.

There are many symptoms and physical conditions that can indicate sugar-related hair loss. Symptoms that affect your hair and scalp include:

• Hair turning white prematurely.
• Hair turning gray prematurely.
• Hair strands becoming thinner in diameter.
• Hair breaking off at the root.
• Hair falling out in the androgenic alopecia pattern that usually begins with hair thinning at the top of the head, the crown or along the hairline.

Greying hair is a sign of elevated blood sugar hair loss.

You are also more likely to suffer from sugar related hair loss if:

• You eat a diet that consists mostly of sugar and carbohydrates.
• You have a metabolic disorder.
• You have been diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
• You have been diagnosed with Type I or Type II Diabetes.
• You are overweight or obese.
• You suffer from dandruff.
• You are a heavy drinker.
• You drink a lot of coffee.
• You are a smoker.

Smokers risk high blood sugar levels that cause the whitening of hair and hair loss.

1. 1
   Avoid eating sugar

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   This includes all forms glucose, fructose, dextrose and sucrose. Eliminate as much sugar as you can from your diet including natural sugars that you might get from eating too much fruit. Limit yourself to two small fruits a day or one glass of fruit juice to avoid provoking insulin-related spikes in your blood sugar that cause hair loss.

   

   Avoid eating sugar in all of its forms to help prevent hair loss.

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2. 2
   Avoid eating high glycemic foods

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   In general, this includes refined grains, potatoes, rice and starches. You might want to start out by avoiding eating "anything white." There is a complete list of foods that become sugar the minute they hit your digestive system in the section below called A List of High Glycemic Foods to Avoid to Prevent Balding.

   

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3. 3
   Men may take Saw Palmetto

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   This is an herb that blocks DHT in men and reduces hair loss. It may do the same in women, but it can promote unwanted hair growth on the face and other areas of the body.

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4. 4
   Women may want to consider bio-identical hormone therapy

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   This is a treatment administered by doctors and naturopaths that involves supplementing your hormones

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5. 5
   Drink as much green tea as you can a day

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   You can drink green tea in a smoothie, cold or hot. You can also buy it in supplements. Green tea is important for stopping sugar-related hair loss because it helps prevent the testosterone from changing into DHT

   

   Matcha green tea is a powerful blocker of the hormones that produce baldness.

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6. 6
   Replace junk foods and sugar products in your diet with healthy proteins from organic, unrefined sources

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   Hair is made from protein. Steak, beef, shellfish, chicken and turkey are all healthy sources of protein especially if you eat as organically as possible.

   

   Lobster is a good source of protein that helps regrow hair.

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7. 7
   Eat raw pumpkin seeds

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   Raw pumpkin seeds contain constituents that stop the conversion of testosterone into DHT.

   

   Pumpkin seeds help stop the production of DHT, which causes balding.

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8. 8
   Consume egg yolks three times a week

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   Unless your doctor says otherwise, because you are obese or have high cholesterol, eat whole eggs. Egg yolks are a good source of sulphur and biotin, which help regrow hair fast.

   

   Egg yolks are a great source of biotin and sulphur, which helps regrow hair.

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9. 9
   Be sure to consume healthy fats with omega-3 oils

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   These include coconut oil, olive oil and fish oils like cod liver oil. These healthy fats are needed to give hair its tensile strength.

   

   Olive oil helps stunted hair follicles recover and grow new strands.

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10. 10
    Consider taking the herb Giant Dodder

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    This is a botanical remedy that blocks the production of DHT, that has yet to be tested on human but showed promise when tested on human skin cells.

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11. 11
    Avoid stress

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    Chronic stress leads to rapid hair loss. Take time out for yourself and relax by doing meditation, yoga or taking long walks.

    

    Taking time out to relax helps lower blood sugar and reduce hair loss.

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You will get the best results if you avoid the following foods altogether, but you can occasionally substitute with the indicated suggestions. This is not a comprehensive list but these are some of the worst foods on the high-glycemic index.

White bread is one of the worst foods to consume if you want to keep your hair.

Eliminate these foods completely from diet to reverse sugar-related hair loss:

• White bread: substitute with mixed grain or pumpernickel.
• White rice: substitute long grain basmati rice, couscous or boiled cauliflower rice.
• Pasta noodles: substitute with spiraled zucchini.
• Corn flakes: substitute with bran buds with phylum.
• Mashed potatoes: substitute with mashed cauliflower.
• French Fries: substitute with sweet potato fries.
• Pizza crust: substitute with cauliflower pizza crust.
• Pudding: substitute with Greek Yogurt.
• Crackers: substitute with Ryvita rye crisps.

White rice is a very high glycemic food that can cause baldness.

This list consists of foods that are filling and still have the lowest glycemic index, meaning the starches in them convert very slowly to sugar in your body. These common foods are also nourishing for your hair. By eating foods on this list, you can get the nutrients your hair needs to regrow and dispel unwanted DHT hormonal production. By eating a diet with the foods below, you will also stop sugar rushes that cause insulin spikes.

Recommended low glycemic foods that also prevent hair loss include:

• Apples: rich in vitamins A, C and all the B's and halt the production DHT.
• Asparagus: supports the kidneys and helps eliminates excess DHT.

Asparagus blocks the production of DHT and prevents sugar-related baldness

• Avocados: a source of vitamin E and healthy fats that help grow hair.
• Beef: a great source of B vitamins, iron and protein that supports hair health.
• Blueberries: rich in antioxidants that help fight scalp inflammation.

Blueberries help fight the scalp inflammation caused by eating excess sugar.

• Celery: contains magnesium, selenium and other minerals that help hair growth. (only organic celery, as celery absorbs a ridiculous amount of pesticides due to its porous nature).
• Cod: a source of healthy fats and proteins that support hair growth.
• Chicken: a source of B vitamins and amino acids needed to grow hair.
• Cucumbers: a source of vitamin A, magnesium and healthy sodium needed for good circulation to hair follicles.

Cucumbers help keep hair follicles healthy.

• Eggs: a major source of Biotin and sulphur.
• Fennel: a vegetable that supports the liver and kidneys and helps toxins and excess hormones be flushed from the body.
• Flaxseeds: a source of fiber and healthy fats that help keep scalp follicles nourished.
• Lamb: a great source of iron and amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

Lamb is a superb source of protein and iron and helps regrow hair.

• Lemons and limes: high in healing Vitamin C that help scalp follicles recover from hormonally induced inflammation.
• Mushrooms: a good source of iodine, sodium and zinc, all of which support thyroid health and scalp health.
• Olives: a source of healthy fats to help hair grow and retain its tensile strength.
• Lettuce: a source of sodium, calcium and magnesium, all of which are supportive for scalp health.

Lettuce is a good source of magnesium which is depleted by high sugar levels.

• Salmon: a rich source of protein that is high in good fats, calcium and magnesium which help hair grow.
• Sardines: a very high source of protein, high in calcium, magnesium and healthy fats.
• Seaweed: an organic source of iodine and sodium needed to support a healthy thyroid and hair growth.

Seaweed is a very healthy source of iodine and magnesium that can help regrow hair.

• Sesame Seeds: an organic source of iodine that helps support the thyroid and prevent androgenic balding.
• Shrimp: a great source of protein, B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and zinc.
• Spinach: a source of Vitamin C and iron that helps grow healthy hair.
• Tomatoes: a source of beneficial sodium and Vitamin C that accelerates the healing of the scalp.
  

  Tomatoes are a good source of vitamin C which helps reduce scalp inflammation.
• Tuna: a valuable source of protein, B vitamins and minerals that are healthy for the hair.
• Yogurt: a source of friendly bacteria that can help the gut replenish itself with healthy enzymes so that the body can more efficiently rid itself of excess hormones and other problematic substances.
• Turkey: a great source of protein and B vitamins that also contains the stress-lowering nutrient tryptophan, which is good for the heart and cardiovascular system
  

  Turkey is a good source of protein for rebuilding hair.

• Note that you do not have to have a metabolic disorder, pre-diabetes or diabetes to suffer from hair loss due to an over consumption of sugar and glycemic carbs; it's a type of hair loss that can affect anyone at any time, including children
• Do not substitute sugar-free foods with sugar substitutes. These additives can also cause hair loss and thinning hair as well as inflammatory reactions and bloating.

After loosing hair can you stop hair loss and will hair return? Also can metformin. Cause hair loss?

I have hairline and front scalp hair loss. I have lost quite a bit . Was recently diagnose diabetic. I am taking metformin. Can the medicine cause hair loss too? Can I regain the hair loss? How do I stop from losing more. I have tried: Biotin every day, metformin, changing diet. I think it was caused by: Stress of loss of father 2 years ago I thought started it, but now I think k do to blood sugar

VisiHow QnA. This section is not written yet. Want to join in? Click EDIT to write this answer.

Questioning if current hair loss is due to the Metformin ER I am taking?

I was put on Methylprednisolone last November and just came off of it the March 13 for treatment of liver. February this year my doctor said I had medically induced diabetes from the prednisone. I was put on Metformin ER. My hair is failing out every minute - not in clumps but strands. It started about 3 weeks ago. I am trying to eat sugar free. I do eat apples,strawberries,yogurt but have not cut out all breads and I do eat meat. I did not see any mention of Metformin ER in the article as a contributing factor/cause to hair loss as it is used by many doctors when diagnosed with diabetes. I have tried: I just started to take Biotin 5000 yesterday and found VisiHow article today so will try the foods on the listed. I think it was caused by: I have very thick hair so I thought the Metformin ER or maybe stress - lack of fiances at this time, but my hair does not usually fall out in this quantity from previous stress. I always ate chocolate everyday. I thought when I got off of the prednisone my body would hopefully get better. I do have a hypothyroid condition also. Maybe my sugar is worse if that also contributes to hair loss.

Steroids, liver disease, thyroid disease and diabetes cause hair loss. Metformin is supposed to help with hair loss, because it regulates your blood sugar and the hormones causing the hair loss. Financial, medical and physical stress may be contributing to it as well as having three diseases at once. Metformin might accentuate and speed up male pattern balding, but you are not male, so that wouldn't apply here. Cut out all bread and sugar, not just some, to see if that encourages your body to stop producing the cortisol and hormones that might be making the hair loss worse.

If you have problems with any of the steps in this article, please ask a question for more help, or post in the comments section below.

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