Hair loss is a devastating event in the lives of many men and women. Thin patches and receding hairlines make it difficult to look and feel your best every day. There are many factors that affect hair loss. Is cigarette smoking one of them? How does nicotine affect hair loss? What can those experiencing hair losses do to retain and regrow their natural hair?
Causes of Hair Loss
Both men and women can experience hair loss throughout their lives. Genetics, lifestyle choices, illness, and medical treatments all impact your ability to grow healthy hair strands. These are some of the more common causes of hair loss in men and women.
Alopecia is the medical term for hair loss. It can be caused by a number of events. In women, pregnancy alopecia is hair loss in response to changing postpartum hormone levels. Other hormone problems, like hypothyroidism and polycystic ovarian syndrome, can interrupt the growth process and result in thinner hair.
Genetic factors are one of the biggest indicators of long-term hair loss. Male pattern baldness is a genetic response that causes shedding and thinning around the temples, forehead, and crown. Women are susceptible to genetic hair loss as well. Androgenetic alopecia is similar to male pattern baldness. However, women with androgenetic alopecia tend to lose their hair in a different pattern.
Common medical treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and certain prescription medications can also negatively impact the ability to grow hair. Drug therapies for heart disease, arthritis, and some antibiotics can temporarily disrupt your body's ability to regrow lost hairs. However, these treatments rarely damage the follicle itself. After treatment is completed, hair growth usually resumes.
Lifestyle factors also affect hair growth and loss. Smoking is a lifestyle choice that negatively impacts the body's ability to produce healthy hair. Nicotine constricts blood flow, making it difficult for the scalp to receive enough nourishment to keep follicles healthy.
Nicotine and Hair Loss
While nicotine does not directly discourage hair growth, it does interrupt the growth process in two important ways.
- Nicotine restricts the blood vessels, making it harder for the body to send vital nutrients to its extremities, including the scalp.
- Nicotine and other heavy chemicals in cigarettes and smoking tobacco find their way into the bloodstream. Since the body can't use them, they circulate throughout your system until your body can find a way to release them. Many of these heavy molecules can find their way into cells and organ systems, particularly the skin, and clog pores and follicles.
While nicotine consumption is not a primary cause of hair loss, it is a contributing factor. Smoking can exacerbate other risk factors, making it more likely that you'll experience hair loss.
Treatments for Hair Loss
What options do men and women have for addressing their hair loss? Here are some simple things you can do on your own to help regrow lost hair strands.
- Stop smoking.
- Exercise frequently to encourage blood flow throughout the body.
- Eat a healthy diet on a regular basis.
- Drink plenty of water each day.
- Talk to your doctor about any prescription medications or treatments that may be impacting your ability to grow hair.
At Mane Image Hair, we offer services that address hair loss at every stage of development.
In the early stages of many types of hair loss, men and women can still regrow their hair with minimal intervention. We offer at-home laser hair growth therapy systems, topical products, and trichological treatments that prevent further hair loss and support the regrowth of lost strands.
For more advanced cases, surgical restoration can replace your natural hair and restore youthful looks. We also offer non-surgical replacement options, including high-quality wigs and extensions.
While nicotine does not cause hair loss, it does help create an environment that supports other hair loss factors. Do you need a more personalized assessment of your hair loss? Contact Mane Image Hair to schedule your free hair loss evaluation and scalp analysis today.
