Before considering the question of whether smoking and hair loss are connected, it is important to get a little understanding of what goes on in the hair follicles, the tiny little factories responsible for hair growth.
What's Happening In The Hair Follicle
Hair
The bulb shaped dermal papilla located at the bottom of the hair follicle creates new cells which push upwards forcing older cells even higher. When these cells get to the middle of the hair follicle they die and harden and begin to form a central core which eventually becomes a new hair shaft.
On what is the dermal papilla dependent in order to keep up the production of new cells? A healthy blood supply. The hair follicle is fed by a network of tiny blood vessels which provide the needed oxygen and nutrients necessary for hair growth.
Smoking And Blood Circulation
Now back to the question of smoking and hair loss. What effect does smoking have on the blood supply and the circulatory system?
Here is a short list:
- Nicotine causes an increase in adrenaline which in turn increases blood pressure and suddenly makes the heart beat faster.
- Nicotine causes blood vessels to constrict which in turn makes it harder for the heart to pump blood through the arteries which in turn impacts the blood circulatory system.
- Smoking produces carbon monoxide which inhibits the blood's capacity to carry oxygen.
Seeing a healthy scalp and healthy hair follicles are so dependent on a rich supply of oxygenated blood which can deliver all the proteins and nutrients needed for new hair growth, it is only reasonable to conclude smoking and hair loss can be connected.
Of course, every individual is different and will respond in a different way to foods, substances, drugs and medications. However, as a general rule, smoking can be seen to have a negative effect on hair growth.
Learning From Mice
Interestingly, a report published in the National Library of Medicine from the Section of Hygiene and Preventive Medicine, Department of Health Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy, indicated a connection between smoking and hair loss with tests carried out on mice.
After 3 months of exposure to cigarette smoke, most of the mice developed areas of alopecia and grey hair. The report stated: "Smoke-exposed mice had extensive atrophy of the epidermis, reduced thickness of the subcutaneous tissue, and scarcity of hair follicles."
So if hair loss is causing you anxiety and you are a smoker, you owe it to yourself to take definite steps to stop smoking as soon as possible. (See resource box below for free online guide)
The Whole Body Approach
Of course, smoking and hair loss is just one part of the story. Combating hair loss involves a number of other factors too such as diet, nutrition, exercise and proper breathing.
In his ebook "Hair Loss No More" leading hair loss analyst Jonathon E. Phillips sets out a plan which includes all the factors mentioned above in order to stop hair loss and promote new hair growth.
He strongly discourages smoking in view of the impact it has on the body's circulatory system and gives detailed instructions on how to train the body to breathe properly while doing rudimentary exercises that can make a huge difference, not only to one's general sense of well-being, but especially to the health and condition of the scalp and hair follicles. (See resource box below for more information on this 168 page guide on hair loss)
While there will always be those who contest whether smoking is really damaging to the health, despite the weight of evidence to now support that conclusion, anyone concerned about hair loss surely needs to consider this matter seriously.
From the evidence available it appears there is definitely a connection between smoking and hair loss. In your strategy to cope with hair loss and improve the condition of your head hair, be sure to include a 'Quite Smoking' program if you are a tobacco user.
Smoking And Hair Loss - Is There A Connection?
Mike Jones is a writer and webmaster with over 10 years experience. His recommendations:
Take good care of your hair with the NewHair Biofactors System with deep cleansing anti-DHT shampoo:
http://www.1bodycare.com/newhair.htm
Browse the groundbreaking ebook "Hair Loss No More" here:
http://www.4-hair-loss-solutions.com/hair-loss-no-more-guide.html
Free Online 'Quite Smoking' Guide: