Hair loss is a common problem around the world and affects people’s psychological well-being. Many factors contribute to hair loss, such as hormones, nutrition, and psychological stress. Smoking is known to be associated with hair loss. Many researchers have explored the correlation between smoking and hair loss. However, why smoking could impact hair loss is unclear. In addition, the mechanism of smoking as a cause of hair loss and the relationship between duration and number of cigarettes smoked with hair loss are unclear. In this review, the relationship between smoking and hair loss, the effect of smoking on clinical parameters of hair, and pathogenesis of smoking hair loss are discussed. Understanding the relationship between smoking and hair loss is important for dermatologists and for carrying out health education to the general public.
Smoking is the major environmental cause of a multitude of human diseases inducing pathogenic changes in myriad tissues. Interestingly, smoking negatively affects hair clinical parameters, and it seems to be related to hair loss. Consequently, smoking may lead to different types of hair loss. However, the underlying mechanism is unclear. In this paper, the relationship between smoking hair loss, the effect of smoking on clinical parameters of hair, and pathogenesis of smoking-associated hair loss are reviewed.
Oxidative stress has been proven to be the most important pathway of smoking’s toxicity. The induction of hair loss is due to both acute effects and chronic build-up. Does Smoking cause hair loss the generation of free radicals. This halts the phase of anagen, creating premature aging. It induces premature aging in all parts of the body, including skin and hair. Genetic polymorphisms also play a crucial role, as they shift host responses in diseases in the direction of hypo- or hyper-production of local cytokines. These cytokines, such as interleukin-1 (IL-1), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon-γ, and IL-8, are marked by an altered pattern of linkages with each other, activation of the immune system, and suppression of the antioxidative protection of the host. Chronic hyper-inflammation leads to oxidative stress-related diseases due to persistent responses in excessive or perpetual chronic responses. The theory of harm by the dominant allele, also known as Th2, is a facet of the general, but largely unnoticed, harm pattern of predisposing diseases.
Several studies have identified some biological mechanisms that connect smoking hair loss. Current and former smokers have less food intake, and hence lower levels of absorptive nutrients known to enhance hair growth. For example, smokers have reduced circulating levels of vitamins, and intricate roles of vitamins and minerals in hair loss have been described. Iron is another essential micronutrient. The link between chronic telogen effluvium and reduced ferritin (storage protein of iron) has been proposed. Moreover, smoking has been shown to reduce circulating and storage of iron. Additionally, oxidative stress induction via any material or any environmental factor eventually leads to hair loss.
Since the 1940s, many case reports have suggested a connection between smoking and hair loss, although doubt has been raised by the quality of this information. Only the current cohort study is sufficient to analyze this issue by measuring smoking exposure and incident and enlarged androgenetic alopecia. In this research, men and women have no significant association between smoking status and AGA, but cigarette consumption is associated with a significantly increased risk of alopecia in a dose-dependent manner. When the possibility of surrogate behavior, individual medical conditions, and clinic medications was reduced, the association remained, suggesting a possible causal relationship between smoking and hair loss. In 2017, I was unable to discover any relevant literature. In response to this, we designed a case-control study to examine the greatest correlation between smoking and male pattern baldness, and set it in an actual random sample to focus nationwide incident cases separately.
Does smoking contribute to hair loss has been researched as early as the 18th century, the association between tobacco and hair loss has been recognized. In the United Kingdom, after the first king applied a tobacco tax, the hair loss of upper-class men and affecting women has spread to the royal lineage (primarily to Folata). Smoking opponents in the United States have accused smokers of selfishly supporting a $150 million-a-year lawsuit industry while the government subsidizes themselves for their smoking claim. The cost of research required to minimize the damage to others has never been put on the consumer.
Japanese men show an earlier onset of pattern hair loss than white men, and the onset of hair loss is associated with the progression of alopecia areata in the male population. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of progressive hair loss in men, and hair loss is accompanied by sebum hypersecretion, hyperandrogenism, and insulin resistance, which significantly affect the onset and progression of alopecia areata. Does smoking cause hair loss? Smoking must increase the resonance-induced acceleration of the plasma motion in the roots of the HF-active nerve trunk along the stancore hair follicle receptive surface. Normally, plasma follows the curling cross-section of the hair around the stancore hair follicle, contributing to hair growth and formation of the hair inner layer. Also included in the adhesion are nicotine acetylcholine receptor subunits with transcript structures that restore the adhesion layer. Therefore, smoking should have an inhibitory effect on hair growth and an increase in hair loss.
The use of finasteride or dutasteride has been proven effective in treating androgenic alopecia and promoting hair regrowth. However, there are no guidelines that clearly limit the use of this treatment to non-smokers, since they are the foundation for successful hair transplantation surgery in androgenic alopecia cases. Therefore, the effective prescription of finasteride remains a suitable and important treatment goal for young adults with alopecia and other existing hair loss problems. To understand the limitations of drug use and the synergistic effects of smoking and drugs, a series of animal-based experimental trials with laser stimulation of and modification of the administration dose are necessary
In future research, the effects of tobacco-derived hair extracts on the cell cycle, cell apoptosis, and the pathway still require further investigation. Details on the quantities of tobacco smoking, exposure to SHS, and the use of e-cigarettes also require further consideration. The general importance of recognizing the impact of environmental exposures (with a special focus on SHS in children or in utero) in identifying/quantifying human requisite risk factors for hair loss disorders should be well explained in the future. With growing individual concerns about the scalp and hair appearance, the development of hair follicle exploratory observations (particularly concerning reliable, validated, and reproducible self-reporting tools) might further illustrate this field. The identification of individuals with increased hair loss risk is important not only to investigate risk reduction strategies but also to recognize potential systemic conditions that associate with hair loss. Large-scale, controlled prospective studies are needed to establish and validate the relationship between tobacco smoking and SHS exposure with the risk of hair loss. Data from such studies will be of interest for both clinical practice and public health messages.
In summary, smoking hair loss is significantly correlated with hair loss in the general population. However, the optimal cut-off value of smoking as it relates to hair loss is not definite. Most research results have shown that smoking promotes the severity of hair loss, but some contradictory results prove that smoking exposure has no significant influence on hair loss according to some detailed measures or that it even has a moderate protective association, particularly in AGA. When considering personal health issues, other health damage caused by smoking should be tested, and thorough measures should be taken to stop smoking. Although the relationship between smoking and hair loss has been researched several times, the sample sizes of some studies were too small to draw a definitive conclusion. Based on the characteristics of different ethnic populations and diagnostic methods, researchers need to conduct more detailed analyses and achieve more consistent results.
