Smoking increases your risk of developing respiratory illness. But the negative impact of smoking isn’t restricted to your lungs. One of the lesser-known adverse effects of smoking is an increased risk of developing hair loss. Keep reading as we dip deeper into ways smoking may cause hair loss along with other major hair loss causes.
Causes of hair loss
There are numerous hair loss causes. What is causing your hair fall problem can determine whether your hair falls out gradually, thins, can grow on its own, needs hair growth treatment, or requires immediate care to prevent permanent hair loss. Here are the reasons for hair loss:
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- Hereditary hair loss: Both men and women may suffer from this type, the most common cause of excessive hair loss Women get female pattern hair loss. In men, it is called male pattern hair loss. The first noticeable sign of hair loss in women is usually over-thinning or a widening part. Men suffering from male pattern baldness experience a receding hairline or bald spot at the top of the head. Male and female pattern loss is medically termed Androgenetic alopecia. Hair loss treatments in such cases are available to stop or slow hair loss.
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- Age: As you age, there are chances that you notice some hair loss because hair growth slows. If there is no case of a medical condition, age can be one of the reasons for hair loss in women and men. And if caught early, treatment helps regrow their hair.
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- Alopecia areata: This disease occurs when the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles, causing hair loss. Individuals suffering from this condition can lose hair anywhere on the body, including scalps, inside ears, and nose. Some also experience eyelash or eyebrow loss. Hair fall treatment may help stimulate regrowth.
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- Childbirth, illnesses, or other stressors: There are several other causes of hair loss in women. It is normal to lose some hair daily as part of your hair’s usual growth cycle. Sometimes, the lost hair grows back, and you maintain a full head of hair. But hormonal changes, ageing, stress, and inherited conditions can interfere with your hair’s growth cycle. Moreover, certain illnesses that cause hair loss in females include polycystic ovary syndrome and other hormonal conditions. Other illnesses that cause hair loss include thyroid disease. So, if you have an issue with your thyroid gland, you may see thinning hair.
Other hair fall reasons in females include after giving birth or having an operation. Sudden hair loss in women can occur during a stressful period, such as the death of a loved one or a divorce, which may let them notice many more hairs in your brush or on their pillow. Stress is also one of the hair-thinning causes.
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- Smoking: Other than the causes of hair falling out, smoking is also a culprit. Everyone knows that smoking is injurious to health; smoking causes a load of health issues, including bad teeth, yellowing of nails, and a host of other physical complications. Smoking is the reason for a lot of health problems, but can it contribute to hair fall? Usually, the answer is yes! Smoking can contribute to hair loss, but it is not one of the major causes.
Understanding how harmful tobacco leaves impact your skin and body is important. The chemicals and tobacco present in the cigarette contribute to premature greying and hair loss. Your heart and lungs surely undergo a weird force when you inhale tobacco smoke from your throat. Smoking doesn’t matter how much you pursue an elaborate skincare routine or if you are following a healthy lifestyle every day; your smoking habit can ruin it all.
Let’s understand here how the smoking habit can cause a hair fall.
According to several scientific studies, smoking and hair loss have a connection; it has been proved that smoke is a major cause of hair fall in several surprising ways. Especially a chain-smoking accelerates hair loss and premature greying. The toxins in smoke can harm hair follicles and damage hormones, affecting hair health.
Cigarettes can contribute to the thinning of hair and even hair loss in the following ways:
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- The Toxins in smoke cause damage to the DNA of the hair follicles.
- Smoke pollutes the blood, which can take a toll on your blood circulation, shrink blood vessels, and prevent blood flow to the extremities of your body, including the scalp. The hair growth cycle is interrupted when your hair follicles do not receive enough blood. This interruption may lead to noticeable hair loss.
- The toxins in smoke can cause hormonal imbalance, essential for regulating the hair growth cycle.
- Cigarette smoke can damage your immune system, which can contribute to hair fall. A weakened immune system may make you prone to scalp fungal and bacterial infections, preventing hair follicles from producing healthy hair.
- It is not just inhaling toxins in cigarette smoke that can damage hair follicles. If you smoke regularly in your house or car, you could be polluting your place. Polluted air can worsen genetic hair loss.
One can experience a wide range of physical and mental benefits of quitting smoking. Hair fall can also be reversed by simply giving up cigarettes.
Effective hair fall treatment for some types of hair loss is available. You might be able to reverse hair loss or at least slow it with a hair fall solution recommended by your dermatologist.
