When something seems off with your body, it's natural to look for solutions. For many people, hair loss can be a concerning development at any age, and for any gender. There are many reasons for hair loss, including genetics, stress, anxiety, alopecia, and allergies. What many people may not realize is that everyday choices can also have an impact hair health and vitality.
One of these potentially negative forces is nicotine, the main ingredient in cigarettes. Is there any evidence that using nicotine could contribute to hair loss?
Let's explore the hair growth process and take a look at how nicotine works in the body, and how it might impact scalp health and circulation.
The Basics of Hair Growth - Circulation and the Scalp
In order to consider the effects of nicotine, it's important to understand how hair grows. The hair shaft is the visible part of hair that sticks up above the surface of the scalp. It's a continuation of the hair follicle, which is connected to a dense network of blood vessels. Hair falls out each and every day, but in healthy hair there is a constant process of regrowth encouraged by healthy blood flow to the scalp.
Nicotine's Effects on Circulation
One of nicotine's chemical effects in the body is seen in how it impacts blood vessels. You may have heard that nicotine is a factor in increased heart disease, and this is because it's a vasoconstrictor. Basically, this means that nicotine constricts blood flow throughout the body.
How does this affect hair growth? Just like everything else in your body, healthy hair growth is dependent upon sufficient blood flow to flourish. The follicles that we discussed earlier? Nicotine use can cause them to receive less than their fair share of blood flow, which can decrease growth.
Because of this, people who use nicotine may find that when they begin to lose their hair, it doesn't grow back as quickly as before.
How to Combat Poor Circulation to Your Scalp
Quit smoking. Research has shown that not only does nicotine constrict those blood vessels, it has a variety of unsavory impacts on the rest of the body. Quitting smoking can not only help improve blood flow to the scalp, but also improve overall healthy and vitality
Scalp massages. Stimulating the scalp with massage is a great way to get blood and oxygen flowing to your hair follicles, encouraging healthy growth. Another hidden benefit of massage in general is that it can promote relaxation. And major stress can contribute to hair loss, so any source of relaxation is helpful.
Laser hair therapy. It may sound intense, but laser hair therapy is actually a super gentle and safe way to stimulate circulation in the scalp. It can actually stimulate circulation in an area by over fifty percent! Even if you've used nicotine, or experienced any of the other reasons for hair loss, laser hair therapy has been shown to stop the progression of hair loss in 85% of patients. This makes it an incredible resource for people looking for a safe, FDA-approved solution to hair loss.
Trust the Professionals
Nicotine, along with several other factors, can contribute to hair loss. But with a great team of professionals on your side, you can tackle hair loss with a variety of different solutions. From great products that helped stimulate hair growth, to trichology to help understand the roots and causes, the professionals at New Look Institute can help you on your journey to hair recovery.
If you're interested in learning more, please reach out to the professionals at New Look Institute today to schedule a consultation.
