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Does smoking harm hair growth? I know it causes damage to blood flow in smoker but does smoking damage hair (other than the lingering stale smoke smell)does secong hand smoke damage hair? Not a smoker myself and don't mean to offend anyone.
Hi crazyage55,
A statistical association between smoking and balding in men has been shown (Mosley & Gibbs, British Medical Journal, Vol. 313, 21 Dec 1996, p. 1616). Hair follicles are sensitive to many toxins contained in the smoke (just like many other organs). Therefore, it is quite likely that this relationship is not just statistical, but causal in nature.
Second hand smoke is known to cause a lot of damage to the blood vessels, and to lead to the same complications as first-hand smoke. Therefore, I am certain, that second hand smoke is also a risk factor or a contributing factor for balding in men.
Hope that helps. You have a right to enjoy a smoke-free environment.
Best wishes, and happy (smoke-free) growth,
Hans-Uwe
I heard that it slows the rate that your hair can grow..but i havent seen that in myself.
As Hans said, there has been conclusive research conducted about the relationship between smoking and hairloss. Although genes do play a much larger role in this. Maybe smoking exacerbates the occurance of MPB, but i don't think would create it solely. I would be more worried about the detrimental effects of smoking to my health. Things like cancer, various lung diseases and all the other negative health effects are more important to me than hair. I think the effect on hair would be slight, at the most.
I know it causes damage to blood flow in smoker but does smoking damage hair (other than the lingering stale smoke smell)does secong hand smoke damage hair? Not a smoker myself and don't mean to offend anyone.
No, i don't take any offence. If you were blowing puffs of smoke in my face, yeah, i might get nasty, lol.
Here is a photo of my friend. He has long hair, drinks beer and smokes. He is funny.
Well, I am not a doctor and dont know of any scientific facts on the subject, but I a smoker. I started when I was 11 and I am 42 now and I have never had ANY kind of negative effects, rather it be general health or with my hair. Years ago, when I used to go for regular hair cuts, my barber would always tell me how healthy my hair and scalp is. So I guess it would depend on your general well being. Most of the general population would say smoking damages everything, but Iv been smoking for 31 years now and my hair is as healthy and shiny as it was when I was a kid, just a little grayer! LOL.
Good point. Smoking is bad and you shouldn't do it because of the obvious health effects. But, i do hate when smoking is used as the scapegoat for every single illness, disease and other health faliure that could go wrong in this world. It's like some anti-smoking paranoia that people have in their minds. It's like they want to find a link of smoking with everything. Well thats o/t.
My dad smokes and he is bald. However it is in his gene pool to go bald, smoking is just a contributing factor, if even.
Hi 80s,
you got that right. The main factor for MPB is genetics: the androgen receptor gene for hair follicle cells is on the X chromosome, which men inherit from their mother.
Smoking, on the other hand, is (almost) definitely a contributing factor. For some balding men, it is probably "the straw that breaks the camel's back".
Hans-Uwe
