Many people are aware of the negative effects of smoking on lung health and breathing, but some may not have considered the ways in which it impacts the entire body. Nicotine is a potent substance, and inhaling it damages more areas than just your throat and lungs. In fact, studies show that nicotine smoke contains more than 7,000 unique chemicals, more than 100 of which can cause lung cancer. When you breathe in these chemicals, they travel from your lungs to your blood stream, which then transports them to other parts of your body.
In the following article, we answer the question does smoking cause hair loss and cover a few related topics such as is hair loss from smoking reversible.
Smoking is thought to cause hair loss in a number of different ways, primarily by damaging hair follicles. The nicotine that most cigarettes contain can also spread to other parts of the body via the bloodstream.
If you are a smoker who is experiencing hair loss or thinning hair, chances are the two are linked. Smoking causes hair loss over time by reducing blood circulation, weakening the immune system, and increasing oxidative stress.
The chemicals present in tabacco can have a severe negative impact on your health and blood flow. Specifically, nicotine is the chemical in cigarettes that is the primary culprit. Nicotine causes your blood vessels to constrict or narrow, which limits the amount of blood that flows to your organs. Over time, the constant constriction results in blood vessels that are stiff and less elastic. Constricted blood vessels decrease the amount of oxygen and nutrients your cells receive.
While inhaling smoke from a cigarette is the primary culprit for hair loss, the environmental pollution caused by the smoke is also another deciding factor. Hair loss can be genetic, but it can also be environmental. Furthermore, the rate at which a person loses hair can also be sped up significantly by consistent exposure to smoke.
The best way to reverse hair loss caused by environmental pollution from smoke is to try to stay away from it. Try your best to avoid public spaces in which people seem to smoke quite often. If you live closely with a person who smokes and find it difficult to get away from them, try spending more time outdoors on your own or invest a hair loss solution.
Cigarette smoke can damage the immune system and leave you more susceptible to diseases and illnesses that contribute to hair loss. A few of the most common conditions known to cause hair loss are thyroid disorders, anemia, and scalp infections. For a complete list of infections and conditions known to cause hair loss, you can take a look at our blog here.
Smoking increases the body's production of free radicals, elements that react negatively with other chemicals in your body, sometimes even causing significant damage to your cells.
Oxidative stress occurs when the body is under significant tension from an excess of free radical activity. Most often, it is the product of exposure to the following harmful elements:
Smoking weed may cause hair loss by inhibiting the growth of hair follicles, although the jury is still out as there is not enough substantial evidence. If smoking weed does cause hair loss, it is likely due to the marijuana within it which contains over one hundred chemicals called cannabinoids. The two most popular cannabinoids are THC and CBD, both of which are highly prevalent in marijuana. The THC in marijuana attaches to receptors and can inhibit the growth of the human hair follicle. This means that cannabinoids can inhibit proper development and growth of the hair shaft, thus inducing hair loss.
Hair loss from smoking is reversible as long as it is treated before the hair has completely fallen out. In most cases, you can reverse your hair loss by simply quitting smoking.
Looking for other hair loss treatment options? Check out our blog where we discuss a few of the most effective hair loss remedies including hair transplants, hair implants, shampoos for hair loss, and follicular unit strip surgery (FUSS).
One of the most effective and widely available hair loss treatments is the medication finasteride. Finasteride is a prescription medication that comes in a bottle and works to increase the number of scalp hairs. You can get a prescription for finasteride today and have your medication delivered to your doorstep in just 2-3 days!
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Multiple studies have shown that smoking causes significant hair loss, with nicotine being the main culprit. A few of the other ways in which smoking can cause hair to fall out include:
