Smoking excessively causes hair loss and diffused thinning in men and women. If you’re a smoker and have thinning hair, the two could be linked. You’re probably well aware of how harmful the chemicals in cigarette smoke are to your body, but did you know they may also contribute to hair loss and premature greying? According to a number of scientific studies, there are several surprising ways cigarette smoke can trigger hair loss. Hair follicles need oxygen, nutrients, and minerals to produce healthy hair. The toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke can take a toll on your circulation, shrinking blood vessels and impeding blood flow. When your follicles don’t receive the blood they need for nourishment, the hair growth cycle is interrupted. The hair growth cycle consists of four phases: the growth or anagen phase, the transitional or catagen phase, the resting or telogen phase, and the shedding or exogen phase. Any interruptions to this cycle can lead to noticeable hair loss. Cigarette smoking can damage your immune system, which can lead to diseases or illnesses that cause hair loss. A poor immune system may also increase your chances of a bacterial or fungal infection on the scalp, both of which can prevent your follicles from producing healthy hair. It’s not just inhaling cigarette smoke that can harm your hair follicles. If you regularly smoke at home or in a car with the windows rolled up, you could be creating environmental pollution. While most hair loss is genetic, research links thinning hair to environmental factors. Polluted air can exacerbate genetic hair loss, and the carcinogens in smoke-filled air can obstruct the mechanisms that produce the protein from which hair is made.
the mechanisms that produce the protein from which hair is made. The best way to reverse the hair loss caused by smoking is to quit. Once you stop exposing your hair and skin to the toxins in cigarettes, your hair should start growing again. However, quitting smoking can be very difficult as it’s highly addictive. Often, it takes several tries to give up the habit for good.
