You don’t need us to tell you how bad smoking is for your health. You already know that it causes lung cancer, heart disease, and a whole range of other serious ailments. But even if the risk of such chronic health problems isn’t enough to convince you to quit, perhaps the knowledge that smoking can contribute to hair loss will do the trick.
Research has established a significant connection between the harmful chemicals and other materials in cigarette smoke and hair loss in men and women. Here are some of the ways that smoking can kill your otherwise healthy head of hair.
Damaged Hair Follicles
Tobacco smoke contains a grabbag full of substances that are just awful for the human body, including nicotine, caffeine, acetone, aluminum, ammonia, arsenic, benzene, butane, cadmium, tellurium, carbon monoxide, goroside, and cyanide. Of these, nicotine is the biggest villain in terms of hair loss, as it damages hair follicles, making them weaker and more prone to falling out.
Reduced Blood Flow
Smoking limits the flow of blood in your body and reduces the amount of essential nutrients that make their way to your hair follicles. Without an adequate supply of those nutrients, your follicles will grow weak instead of just growing, and will ultimately fall out.
Increased DHT Levels
DHT is an androgen that helps to give men male traits. Typically, due to genetics or other hormonal changes, hair follicles develop a sensitivity to DHT and begin to miniaturize. As a result, the hair growth cycle is shortened, and eventually, new hair stops growing. As such, individuals with higher DHT levels may be more prone to hair loss. Since cigarettes increase the production of DHT, smoking can make hair loss and a receding hairline more likely.
Increased Oil Secretion
The nicotine in tobacco can accelerate the body’s secretion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that promotes the production of adrenaline. In turn, the increase in adrenaline can cause more oil to be secreted on the scalp. Too much oil can block hair follicles’ ability to get the nutrients they need and make them more prone to falling out.
Schedule Your Appointment for a Hair Loss Evaluation Today
Of course, smoking is hardly the only factor that contributes to hair loss. At the Miami Hair Institute, our world-renowned hair restoration surgeons use the most advanced hair transplant techniques and alternative non-invasive treatments to help patients restore their hair and self-confidence.
To receive a personalized evaluation and treatment plan, contact us online or call our office directly at 305-925-0222.