Could Your Bad Habit Be Causing Your Hair Loss? Smoking and MPB
With the advent of new technologies and topical medications that work wonders against hair loss, it is important to step back and determine what the causes of hair loss are. More specifically, we understand that androgenetic alopecia is the primary culprit when it comes to hair loss. In addition, there are external factors that come into play that involve our habits. Like mechanical damage such as braiding and weaving, another intentional factor that works itself is smoking.
How Smoking Affects Hair Growth
Smoking has been proven to have a profound effect on hair loss by changing the dynamics of hair growth and restoration in the scalp. In essence, it works by promoting the level of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the hair follicles. According to a clinical study by the Harvard School of Public Health, DHT levels in randomly sampled smokers were 13% higher in smokers than in non smokers. In addition, testosterone was about 9% higher in smokers than non smokers, which means there are more levels for the enzyme Alpha-5-reductase to act upon in producing DHT. In conjunction with each other, testosterone and DHT increase the amount and rate of hair loss.
Is Smoking the Only Culprit?
Bear in mind that smoking alone will not cause someone without strong androgenetic alopecia genes to lose hair all of sudden. Quitting smoking will also not make your hair stay on your head if hair loss runs in your family. However, it is important to recognize the fact smoking expedites the hair loss rate. It causes the blood vessels in the scalp to constrict, which accounts for less blood flow. Plus, chemicals in smoke like carbon monoxide limit the bloods ability to carry oxygen. Smoking may even cause your hair transplant situation to become worse since it is known to cause infections and scarring, along with poor growth of the transplanted hair that’s already there. As we all know, blood flow is key when it comes to preventing the baldness cause.
You Could Lose More Than Your Luscious Locks
Cigarettes and tobbaco smokers are also unfortunate candidates for cancer. Cancer may lead to other symptoms that have been associated with hair loss. The leader in diseases that are linked to smoking, lung cancer is the primary cause of cancer death. The figures are startling; with smokers carrying the statistic of being 20 times more likely to get lung cancer than non smokers. Regardless of the stats, cancer can help to produce stress. Given it is a shocking event that may occur all of a sudden (medicinal treatments, counseling); a bout of telogen effluvium (hair loss caused by stressful events) may occur. As you can see, smoking may also indirectly cause hair loss as well.
In conclusion, smoking does not cause permanent baldness, although it has been linked to increase DHT levels. Upon smoking cessation, hair activity can return to normal. Continued smoking can lead to other physical conditions that are synonymous with hair loss, such as stress. Regardless of the circumstances, bear in mind that every time you hold up a cigarette, you might as well be holding a full clump of your own hair.
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