Does Smoking Cause Hair Loss?

Introduction to Smoking and Hair Health

Although the prevalence of smoking is decreasing at a faster rate than ever recorded, one in eight ( 12.9%) people in the UK still smoke. Nearly half of all smokers want to quit smoking. This may be because smoking cigarettes is the biggest cause of disease and death that you can control. Smoking-related deaths usually occur from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), coronary heart disease (CHD) and lung cancer.

Keeping your hair healthy is important to help prevent premature hair loss/balding. The scalp requires a healthy environment with active hair follicle cells and a good blood supply via the blood vessels to produce healthy hair.

It is important to understand the link between smoking and hair loss as smoking can cause reduced hair growth due to the chemicals in cigarette smoke.

What is the Hair Growth Cycle?

The Anagen phase is the active growing phase of the hair. The hair follicles become "onion-shaped" and eventually new shafts of hair appear on the skin, and grow. In the Catagen phase, which is normally a few weeks long, the hair follicles start to shrink losing a sixth of their diameter. In this phase, the hair follicles start to become dormant. The next phase is the Telogen phase or rest phase, this is when the hair follicles are dormant and hair growth does not occur. This can last from a few weeks up to a year depending on where the hairs are in the growth cycle.

A healthy hair growth cycle helps to keep and maintain thick and vibrant hair. When this is disrupted one of three things will happen:

1. A reduced growth phase, with less time for hair growth

2. Earlier transition phases which are when hair follicles start to become dormant earlier

3. Or the resting phase might be extended meaning more dormant hair follicles with more hair shedding and weaker regrowth of hair. This may give the appearance of thinning hair.

How Does Smoking Impact Hair Health?

Direct Impact on Hair Follicles

Cigarette smoking can cause hair loss due to the toxic chemicals in the smoke leading to a build-up of free radicals. These cause oxidative stress and can damage the DNA in your cells. Hair follicle cells are sensitive to this so if you already have thinning hair, this can make things worse. The chemicals released from cigarette smoking can also change your hormone levels (especially oestrogen), which have a role to play in hair growth.

Nicotine in tobacco smoke can cause decreased blood flow to the scalp and inflammation/damage to the follicles. The scalp and hair follicles require a stable and healthy blood supply to help hair grow properly.

Smoking and the Risk of Androgenetic Alopecia

Early onset androgenetic alopecia (sometimes known as male pattern baldness in men) is when someone begins losing hair before the age of 30. Studies show that smokers have a higher rate of early-onset androgenic alopecia than non-smokers. Implications of cigarette smoking on early‐onset androgenetic alopecia.

For people who have balding scalps, regular smoking can make your hair loss worse according to recent studies as your follicles will be more sensitive to oxidative stress.

Other Hair-Related Consequences of Smoking

Smoking has been shown to increase the likelihood of having premature grey hair and dry or brittle hair which can snap easily due to being malnourished.

Conditions such as dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis must be treated before using hair loss treatments in order to create a healthy scalp environment which is more responsive to medicated treatments. A build-up of dead skin cells or organisms such as Malassezia can be cleared by using clarifying shampoos such as those containing zinc. This will allow for follicles to better absorb any treatments that are applied.

Does Quitting Smoking Help Regrow Lost Hair?

Quitting smoking can lead to you holding on to your remaining hair for longer and result in you having thicker and healthier hair.

Your blood circulation should improve after quitting smoking which means that your circulatory system will be able to better nourish your hair follicles and help to detoxify any waste or chemicals from smoking tobacco.

Supporting Hair Health Post-Smoking

Nutritional and Lifestyle Changes for Healthier Hair

Protein and biotin are essential nutrients for hair growth as hair follicles are made of proteins. Biotin produces keratin which encourages hair growth. Good sources of protein include eggs, chicken, turkey and fish. Antioxidant-rich foods such as berries, kale and avocado support hair growth by protecting against free radicals which can damage hair follicles. Spinach is a handy source of vitamins A, C iron and folate which are important for hair loss. Omega 3 fatty acids and protein from fatty fish such as salmon, herring and mackerel contain nutrients which can promote hair growth.

Exercise increases blood circulation allowing more nutrients and oxygen to reach the scalp. This enriches hair follicles with everything that they need for added strength and health to help your hair grow. Hydration is important to keep the scalp moisturised so that the growth of new strands is stimulated and existing hair remains moisturised and nourished. Increased hydration also prevents the increased risk of dandruff and dry and brittle hair.

Professional Hair Loss Treatments and Remedies

There are a variety of hair loss treatments available with the most common being prescription drugs such as finasteride for male pattern baldness. Minoxidil can be used for male and female pattern hair loss (genetic hair loss). Finasteride is not suitable for women. However, there are other treatment options such as hair transplants, light therapy, steroid creams and injections. Remember smoking can cause complications with hair transplants and may result in the death of skin tissue.

It may be worth speaking to a trichologist or dermatologist to get personalised care recommendations and to discuss your hair restoration or treatment options.

Preventive Measures to Protect Hair Health

Hair can be damaged by the way we shampoo, brush or style our hair. We can take steps to prevent this by, letting our hair air dry, shampooing the scalp - massaging it in, remembering to condition after each shampoo and switching to a wide-toothed comb.

A healthy scalp will lead to healthier hair so it is important to take care of your scalp. Use gentle shampoos, avoid those with sulfates and alcohols and wash your hair less often. Consuming antioxidants can also protect the scalp from damage by free radicals.

Summary and Key Takeaways

Smoking releases many chemicals that affect hair health and can damage hair in different ways causing premature greying, scalp damage, and reducing hair regrowth.

If you stop smoking you can reverse some of the smoking-related hair loss, improve your hair health as well as reduce the other negative health effects such as increased blood pressure and cardiac conditions. Exercising and eating a varied, balanced diet will also help your hair and overall health.

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