Hair Transplant for Diabetic Patients

Many times we have been asked the following question: is hair transplant procedure available for diabetic patients?

Some patients believe that hair transplantation are impossible and unacceptable procedures for patients who suffer from diabetes.

We are here to inform you that hair transplantation for diabetic patients have a completely different procedure:

• Taking under consideration the hormonal tests.
• Blood sugar rates should be in the normal rates one day prior to the procedure to seven days after the procedure if it was done using the FUE method, and twenty days after the procedure done using the FUT method.

We have mentioned earlier in our blog the side effects of the hair transplant procedure such as infections and necrosis. Here we provide you with an article about the necessary precautions that diabetic patients have to consider when going under hair transplant procedure.

Can diabetics get hair transplant?

People with diabetes are taught and believe they cannot undergo a hair transplant, even though they can. While diabetics must take extra caution throughout the procedure, it is not completely impossible. Furthermore, because diabetes is a progressive metabolic disease, patients in their early stages are more likely to benefit from a hair transplant. Even people who have had diabetes for a long time but have kept it under control by diet, exercise, and medication may be deemed safe. To summarize, please ask more about this topic at your visit because the only thing you should do if you have diabetics is to take better care of yourself.

Is hair transplant safe for diabetics?

For the most individuals, hair transplant operations are safe and effective. This includes diabetics, although whether or not they are able to achieve a successful outcome is highly dependent on if their diabetes is under control or not. It also depends on the type of diabetes you’ve been diagnosed with. If you’re diabetic and planning a hair transplant, there are a few things you should keep in mind and talk with your doctor, such as the possible effect of your diabetes on the healing of your wounds following your operation and your level of hair loss as a result of your diabetes.

:Categories of Diabetes

Diabetic patients can be divided into the following categories:

• Those who have diabetes in the family medical history but are not sick themselves; i.e patients who don’t depend on insulin NIDDM (Non Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus ); that can be also divided into two categories:
• These two categories are candidates for the hair transplant procedure:

1. Diabetic patients with average blood sugar levels, who control the disease with a diet and without using medication.
2. Diabetic patients who need medication to control their blood sugar levels.

These three types are not candidates for the hair transplant procedure at all, and are always informed about the hazards of going under such a procedure.

• Diabetic patients who are insulin dependent IDDM Insulin dependent Diabetes Mellitus
• Type 3/a diabetic patients who need insulin along with other medications to control blood sugar levels.
• Type 3/b patients who use all the above mentioned ways to control their blood pressure levels and still couldn’t.

Clinical Effects:

During the procedure:

Hair transplant procedure takes from 6 to 8 hours and sometimes it is extremely exhausting to patients because of the anxiety and anesthesia. In short hair transplant procedure leads to the increase in the levels of cortizol and glucagon and the growth hormone so on so forth, all these hormones lead to the increase of sugar levels, with the low production of insulin at the same time. That is why the request of insulin is going to increase during the procedure.

At the same time, an insulin dose through the vein prior to the procedure does not necessarily make any difference. This may not cause a decrease in the rate of blood sugar, but may lead to the increase of the normal rate in 5-4 hours. So in order to perform hair transplant procedures to diabetic patients the following requirements are a must:

• Regular and practical monitoring to the blood sugar rates, which means waiting for a blood sample to be taken to the laboratory and brought back the next day, is not needed.
• Insulin management. Preferably as injections depending on the blood sugar levels and is applied when needed according to regular monitoring and regardless of the preceding doses that the patient normally takes.
• A colugos injection should be prepared in case it was requested to stabilize blood sugar levels.

As an ethical responsibility, the doctor performing the hair transplant procedure should follow up with his patient in the healing phase and continuous follow up until full recovery.

Side Effect of Hair Transplant Procedures on Diabetic Patients:

• Ketoacidosis acid sugar
• Blood sugar decrease
• Blood sugar increase

These symptoms and side effects normally happen in procedures using the FUT method, meanwhile procedures using the FUE method the duration of the procedure is much less. Concerning modern hair transplant procedures, it is important for doctors to consider these symptoms and circumstances and be prepared from the very beginning.

High Levels of Blood Sugar:

Blood sugar levels for patients who control their diabetes by exercising, food diets, medications or insulin during hair transplant procedures using the FUE method may not be controllable for five days. Anxiety could also lead to increasing blood sugar levels. That is why diabetic patients normally need higher standards of treatment. Patients who don’t need insulin injections prior to the procedure are those who don’t need insulin in their daily life. All diabetic patients must provide total consent prior to the procedure.