Smoking Increases Hair Loss Risks




hair loss Breaking news from ScienceDaily as of November 19, 2007 informed Asian men that their age-related hair loss could be aggravated by smoking. The news was based on the report released by the Archives of Dermatology.

As a background information in their report, authors of this new discovery stated that alopecia in aging men is a hereditary disorder largely based on hormonal imbalances, more specifically, an excess production of androgen. This hair-loss condition is prevailing among male population and is caused mainly by genetic factors, although environment can also play a significant role.

In the course of research conducted by Medical Doctors with advanced degrees, Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen from National Taiwan University and Lin-Hui Su from the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, 740 local male residents of the average age of 65 were interviewed in 2005. The surveyed respondents reported information about their hair condition, the age when they started suffering from alopecia, if at all, their smoking habits, and other risk factors. The obtained information and clinical observations, combined with conducted measurements of weight, height, and blood composition of the respondents, were used to link their stages of alopecia to smoking habits and other risk factors.

The results showed that the risks for alopecia among Asian men, although increased in direct proportion to their advancing age, were still lower than those of white males. Additional finds showed that, after taking into consideration such factors as family history and age, respondents’ smoking was positively associated with moderate and severe forms of hair loss. The worst degree of alopecia was observed in those Asian men who were ?chain smokers? consuming 20 or more cigarettes a day. 

Previously, no link has been noted between intense smoking and hair loss. This new data can be explained by several mechanisms, one of which is a damaging effect of nicotine on both hair follicles and papilla, which disrupts blood and hormonal circulation that nourishes the hair. Smoking can also inhibit the production of estrogen, a “female hormone” that counteracts an excess secretion of androgen.

This new study should additionally encourage smoking men to quit their unhealthy habit, especially if they are worried about hair shedding and want to keep healthy, thick hair well into their advanced age.

Melissa Mandel

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Posted on November 24, 2007 
Filed Under Hair Loss Reasons

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