Does Smoking Cause Hair Loss?

We all recognise that smoking can have detrimental impacts on our health, with tobacco smoke present in cigarettes and cigars containing as many as 7,000 chemicals, of which 69 have been verified as a potential cause of cancer. [1] But does smoking cause hair loss?

Studies have shown that while smoking cannot independently cause hair loss, in male adults, those who smoked were statistically much more likely to experience androgenetic alopecia [2] – indicating that nicotine and other chemicals may accelerate the speed at which pattern hair loss might otherwise develop.

The major issue is that smoking impacts your respiratory system, impedes the way healthy oxygen and blood flow to your follicles, introduces higher concentrations of carcinogenic compounds, and can impact the health and functionality of follicles.

This guide from the accomplished hair transplant experts at KSL Clinic explains everything you need to know about smoking and hair loss, tackling misconceptions and highlighting some of the many ways that lifestyle factors can affect the health and growth of your hair.

Understanding the Realities About Smoking and Hair Loss

We know that smoking is definitively bad for our health, but is it worth giving up smoking if you’re worried about hair loss, have androgenetic alopecia in your family, or work in a profession or career where you depend on your appearance?

Dr Matee, our Director of Surgical Services, suggests, ‘Giving up smoking is notoriously difficult, and not a challenge we’d underestimate. However, the benefits to your health and your hair may be profound.

For example, if you stop smoking and maintain healthier habits, over time, your risk of a serious health condition will return to the same as a person who has never smoked, and beneficial changes to your lifestyle could make a huge difference to your skin, scalp and hair.

There isn’t any research that proves that stopping smoking will reverse hair loss since this is typically due to androgenetic alopecia, which doesn’t self-correct.

That said, taking action to reduce negative impacts on your follicles may be ideal. This is often combined with topical medications and regenerative hair restoration therapies like platelet-rich plasma therapy, which can reactivate dormant follicles.

If you are considering a permanent hair transplant to replace lost hair, this is also a possible resolution. However, as always, reducing smoking or stopping altogether may optimise the outcomes and ensure your newly transplanted follicles have the highest possible chance of success.’

Oxidative Stress, Hair Growth and Smoking

Smoking is considered dangerous because it boosts the free radicals that circulate in your body. These molecules can cause cellular DNA damage, and an excess of free radicals also causes oxidative stress.

However, there are several other reasons your oxidative stress levels could be elevated, including:

• Exposure to second-hand smoke
• Living in an area with high levels of pollution
• Frequent or extended exposure to radiation or UV rays

When your body experiences oxidative stress, the cells in your hair follicles become damaged, disrupting and halting the normal growth cycles, where follicles enter growth and resting phases.

The outcomes can mean that a reduced blood supply, increased amount of cellular damage and the inability of follicles to enter into an active growth phase lead to either faster hair loss, early-onset androgenetic alopecia, or shedding across your scalp. [3]

Additional Impacts of Smoking on Hair Loss

While further research is needed to clarify some of the secondary or separate ways smoking might expedite or worsen hair loss, some specialists believe that:

• Higher levels of inflammation can cause increased swelling and tissue damage to your scalp, making follicles less able to grow hair or causing long-term inflammation.
• Scarring may occur, impacting the follicles due to higher levels of cytokines, molecules that help to regulate our hair growth cycle and are often associated with alopecia areata.
• Impacts on hormonal levels, where lower oestrogen can prevent hair from reentering the growth phase, promoting shedding, thinning, or more brittle hair prone to breakage.
• Premature greying, with studies finding considerable evidence to show that adults who smoke are more likely to have grey hair before they reach age 30. [4]
• Increased brittleness, where decreased blood flow can impede collagen production, means your hair is generally weaker, more likely to snap, and exposed to shedding and thinning. Likewise, lower amounts of natural oils in your scalp and hair can speed up the pace at which hair dries and ages, replicating the changes most adults see from age 45 to 50. [5]

While we wouldn’t necessarily advise against a hair transplant purely because a client smokes, there are further research projects that have shown how smokers are more exposed to complications during hair transplantation. [6]

Although we would consider this outcome unlikely, the study found that smoking, alongside sun damage and diabetes, is often responsible for lower post-transplant growth.

Correcting Smoking-Related Hair Loss

As always, the best course of action if you are concerned about your hair’s health, indications of hair loss, or the impacts smoking has had on your hair is to schedule a free consultation with the UK hair transplant experts at KSL Clinic

We offer no-obligation appointments at our nationwide clinics and can provide independent, judgement-free advice and guidance to ensure you regain control of your hair growth, appearance, and confidence.