Episode Details

Imagine a patient with no complaints whose foot hair has vanished. This episode explains the "hair test"—how absent hair on the toes and feet can be an early bedside clue to poor circulation, peripheral arterial disease, and limb-threatening ischemia in people with diabetes.

It reviews hair follicle biology, how reduced blood flow interrupts hair growth, associated skin and nail changes, limitations of the sign (aging, genetics, friction, shaving), and practical next steps including pulse exam, Doppler, ABI/toe pressures, and vascular referral. Hair is a quick clue, not a diagnosis.