Heres an interesting article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5413382.stm

I know there are many smokers with thick heads of hair out there, but I must say I lost most of my hair when I started smoking at 17 years old. I also developed a bad dandruff problem that disapeared about one week after I quit smoking 15 years later....I guess if we are susceptible to MBP, bad health habits can accelerate the process. Maybe the young participants on this forum should take note.

Well I never smoked and I don't think it's possible to have lost my hair any faster than I did. I was a NW 5 by age 22 when I had my first HT.

Smoking is bad for you period and you should not do it for many other reasons besides your hair.

I think the scalp is full of blood, just cut your head and see, and the smoking risk to hairloss is blown up - JMO.

I think this is interesting but there may be a specific correlation in this study within this population. Although smoking is surely not helpful to your health there are millions of heavy smokers who have full heads of hair.. My uncle is one as well as 75% of the bums on the street.. At the end of the day if you are predisposed to MPB you are going to lose your hair for the most part regardless of smoking

Smoking constricts the nourishment-supplying blood vessels that supply the hair roots, thus perpetuating the damage already being done by DHT. Basically, if you are already prone to hair loss, smoking probably helps accelerate it.

Very misleading topic.

Smoking doesn't do a thing to increase risk of hair loss. Each individual's risk of hair loss is a constant determined at birth by their genetic makeup; I'd expect someone with 300+ posts here to know that

Smoking will accelerate hair loss for those destined to lose hair, true. But it has nothing to do with the "if", rather with the "how" when it comes to MPB.

Everybody here is correct.

Genetic hair loss is not caused by smoking too much though as Robert stated, it is possible that an overall unhealthy lifestyle may accelerate the effects of what DHT is already accomplishing.

Falc

Think about this guys, smoking decreases the amount of o2 your body pumps through it's arteries. Think about smokers and wrinkles and overall skin condition. Your hair lives in your skin and is fed by the blood supply. Smoking chokes the hair. It does not cause hair loss if you do not have the predetermined genetic programming for DHT but it does have an effect on how fast it happens. (Just as it effects how our skin ages)

It also has an effect on hair growth after a transplant. Transplants work in smokers but they seem to grow in slower. There are lots of studies and discussions at the meetings about decreased growth in smokers.

Just an FYI.

Ailene

thankyou ailene.......do you think the same could be said for excessive drinking ?

Funny, I had really good growth at 3 months myself (looked natural and did not need a hat any longer) and I smoke like a chimney.