This association is mainly due to toxins in the smoke that damage hair follicles and hormones.
So how does smoking affect hair loss?
1.Damaged Hair Follicles
The main components of tobacco are: nicotine and caffeine that have the greatest impact on hair. Nicotine can damage hair follicles during smoking, which not only affects the circulation of blood and hormones in the scalp, but also increases the secretion of androgen, which leads to hair loss.
- Poor Blood Circulation
Hair follicles need oxygen, nutrients and minerals to produce healthy hair. Nicotine in tobacco can shrink blood vessels, which in turn causes blood circulation disorders and impedes blood flow. When the hair follicles don’t get enough nourishment they’re forced to go into the resting stage of their cycle, which then leads to them fall out. - Increased DHT
DHT is an androgen that helps to give men male traits. It is believed that DHT will shrink hair follicles, leading to hair loss in men. Cigarettes increase the production of DHT in the body, leading to an increased chance of hair loss and a receding hairline. - Increased Head Oil Secretion
Nicotine in tobacco can stimulate the body’s dopamine system to accelerate the secretion of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that promotes the secretion of adrenaline in humans, which can cause excitement. When the secretion of adrenaline increases, it will increase the secretion of oil in the scalp, thereby severely blocking the hair follicle, making the hair follicle unable to breathe the air. This can affect your metabolism and disrupt the environment in which your hair grows, eventually causing hair loss. - Damaged Scalp Environment
Most of the harmful substances such as smoke and soot generated during smoking are alkaline. But our scalp is weakly acidic. Smoking for a long time, the smoke dust covering will destroy the pH of the scalp and finally affect hair growth.
So, does smoking cigarettes cause hair loss? Directly or indirectly, it could be a cause of hair loss.