Cigarettes and hairloss

[Benjammin]

Hi all,

Any first hand accounts of the effects of cigarette smoking on accelerating hair loss? Has anyone quit smoking to see a strengthening of their hair line or thickness?

 

[Captain Hook]

Check my thread "Nicotine and DHT" in the Health and Fitness section. Nicotine and it's metabolite cotinine inhibit the 3-alpha-HSD enzyme which prevents metabolism of DHT into a less potent androgen (3-alpha-androstanediol), however this is a reversible reaction and this enzyme catalyses the reaction of 3-alpha-androstanediol back to DHT as well, so nicotine may not be doing much in terms of overall DHT levels just by inhibiting this enzyme.

As for smoking itself, I used to smoke before the onset of Androgenetic Alopecia (back when I was 15-17) and then quit, I noticed no negative effects on my hair. That being said you should still try to quit as smoking has no benefits to your health.

The vasoconstriction caused by nicotine is also thought to mitigate hair growth but if that really had an effect then vasodilators like glyceryl trinitrate would accelerate hair growth, which they don't. Hope this helps.

 

[selmore72]

Hi all,

Any first hand accounts of the effects of cigarette smoking on accelerating hair loss? Has anyone quit smoking to see a strengthening of their hair line or thickness?

When I quit it made no difference to the hair line but my hair was a lot less greasy (DHT ?)

 

[abcdefg]

Like a lot of things people love to speculate on because of lack of real info I think smoking is not a major factor. I know lots of guys that reach ripe old age smoking like chimney with minimal or no hair loss so their hair was genetically susceptible just didnt make much of a difference. I dont think it matters for hair but its certainly not good for you in other ways.
Its all guessing though no one knows. I remember a few studies that said hair loss is related to about 20 different things where one twin lost more hair than the other. Smoking was one factor, but I dont put a lot of credibility in those types of studies. Too much variability for me. I would stick to the androgen theory instead.

 

[labellavita1985]

I just wanted to say thank you to the OP for posting this question, as I've been wondering about this also, and to abcdefg, selmore72, and Hook for responding without judgment.

 

[biddybomb]

smoking will effect hair in that it will leak bad chemicals through your skin, but it won't make you lose hair any faster. When I was a smoker my hair and skin continually looked like sh!t.

 

[I.D WALKER]

LOL. It sounds like someone might be searching for a pretext not to quit. Smoking won't impact hair much, however long term carcinogenic exposure due to smoking will prematurely age/uglify you inside and out. That's no joke.