Cigar smoking and hairloss

[mentalnorman]

I know the general consensus is that if you have hairloss that smoking cigarettes will speed up the process but can the same be said about cigars. Smoking cigars is one of my main enjoyments in life right now but I recently started avodart and I would hate to think my hobby would prevent avodart from helping me regrow hair and prevent future hair loss. Would love input from both current and ex smokers? Has quitting changed the quality of your hair in anyway?

 

[GoldenMane]

I don't think smoking a little is going to make any difference. I smoke (3 a day), if I thought it would make a difference I would quit.

 

[nyjrb]

I don't think smoking a little is going to make any difference. I smoke (3 a day), if I thought it would make a difference I would quit.

I always find it odd when people say things like "I would/will quit smoking if (insert vain reason here)" Maybe it's because my grandfather died (and suffered till the end) due to cigarettes, not to mention two of my uncles are diagnosed with smoking related illnesses, that I feel this way, but really? I'd quit over hair loss, but not the chance to live a happy/long life?

 

[GoldenMane]

Despite several cosmetic genetic ailments (chiefly male pattern baldness and psoriasis), my family tends to be relatively hardy, quite cancer free and a lot of heavy smokers. I'm cutting down already for the sake of my skin, I will quit, maybe switch to vaping soon. Hair loss is just a lot more compelling a reason than the low possibility of cancer in my middle/old age. Preserving my skin and hair is simply more important

 

[diffuse2007]

Despite several cosmetic genetic ailments (chiefly male pattern baldness and psoriasis), my family tends to be relatively hardy, quite cancer free and a lot of heavy smokers. I'm cutting down already for the sake of my skin, I will quit, maybe switch to vaping soon. Hair loss is just a lot more compelling a reason than the low possibility of cancer in my middle/old age. Preserving my skin and hair is simply more important

second that

 

[mentalnorman]

Golden Mane 3 as in 3 cigars a day? I used to smoke that many as well. Have you had results from finasteride? Reason i ask is i'm worried smoking will decrease my chances of avodart working? Hopefully i'm just being paranoid and there's no real evidence that would back this up. I know Cigars have more carbon monoxide then cigarettes so there's that.

 

[kirk]

My personal experience is that smoking did not effect my hair loss at all. I chain smoked from 16-21 and had a full head. It wasn't until years after I quit 27, that I started noticing hair loss.

 

[dark&bald]

it's like anything else, its effects are different for everyone. Sure, if your talking right down to the number of strands of hair on your head, I have no doubt there will be a difference but a discernible difference? Probably not.

With that said, and with anything, you should consider how smoking cigars impacts your life any weigh the good against the bad. If you really feel that it makes an improvement is the quality of your life either continue or stop.

 

[GoldenMane]

Three cigarettes, occasionally rollies. I've had success with minoxidil and finasteride. Not one of those miracles stories, but solid and noticable improvement. Diffuse thinning -> Full coverage (though not as thick as in my youth) and a bit of hairline regrowth (minus the temples).

I'm sure that it doesn't help, certainly the healthier you are, it has to be better for yur hair, but as a factor it's impact is probably so negligible that it could be discounted. Only reason I want to quit is to prevent wrinkles.

 

[mentalnorman]

ah ok. Well in regards to wrinkles 3 cigarettes a day is really not much at all...next to nothing.
Cigars are a lot bigger then cigarettes and have much more nicotine and carbon monoxide. Although a significantly smaller amount is actually inhaled.

Diffuse thinning to full coverage sounds pretty damn great to me. How long did it take for you to start seeing results and shedding to stop? I have not much recession at all, just diffuse thinning so results like yours would be all i I need really.

 

[GoldenMane]

At 4 months I saw really good results. At 22 months now, still shed occasionally. Was shedding a lot in March, April and May, seems to have slowed down again. Diffuse thinners respond well, wherever there's hair you can thicken it, unfortunately that rules out bald temples.