Why smoking cigarettes could cause hair loss
It’s certainly not a secret that smoking cigarettes can lead to an increased risk of cancer and also that it has a range of significantly damaging health effects. Smoking can discolour your teeth, cause problems for your skin, and can even impact the quality and health of your hair. Here, we take a closer look at the relationship between smoking and hair loss and explain what you can do to improve the health of your hair.
Does smoking cause hair loss?
Smoking cigarettes isn’t good for the health of your hair, and the habit can damage your hair follicles. A study into the relationship between smoking and androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) found that the nicotine and other chemicals within cigarettes can be a direct cause of the increased incidence of hair loss. Although not able to draw definitive conclusions, the study highlighted the potentially negative effects that smoking can have on those with a genetic predisposition to hair loss.
It’s also known that smoking cigarettes can lead to what is known as oxidative stress – a condition that limits the flow of blood to the hair follicles on your head. This can be a direct result of the fact that smoking can increase the prevalence of free radicals in the human body, and a scientific review found that cells within hair follicles are particularly sensitive to oxidative stress. This further highlights the damaging relationship between smoking and hair loss.
While these studies don’t show that smoking directly causes hair loss, there’s no doubt that smoking cigarettes can exacerbate hair loss and is problematic for the quality of the hair on your head. It’s the harmful chemicals within cigarettes that are so damaging to your hair, which is why quitting smoking can be beneficial to your hair.
How to treat male pattern hair loss
If you’re a smoker, the best thing you can do for your hair is to kick the habit. While this is easier said than done, you can turn to various products to help you, such as nicotine patches. There are also support groups that you can join to help you quit smoking with the support of peers and others in the same situation. In addition to quitting cigarettes, eating a balanced diet is important, so including more fruits, vegetables, and legumes in your diet is a good place to start. Regular exercise is also good for your health and can contribute to the growth of hair on your head.
If you’re worried about the growth of your hair, you can also turn to supplementation to help. For instance, a Biotin supplement can help with the prevalence of keratin in the body, which is a naturally occurring protein that plays a part in the health of your nails, hair, and skin. There is also a range of other products that you can turn to if you’re hoping to treat male pattern hair loss, all of which can be effective.
You can find a range of clinically proven hair loss treatments at Sons, be it Finasteride, Minoxidil, or even a DHT-blocking shampoo that you can add to your daily routine. The bottom line is that smoking doesn’t necessarily cause your hair to fall out, but it can negatively impact the health of your hair, so quitting the habit is an important first step.
