Does Smoking Cause Hair Loss? Why and How to Stop It

Simply put, smoking tobacco is bad for your health. But you already know that. What you might not know is that smoking can cause hair loss. 

Tobacco use can cause oxidative stress, reduce blood flow to your scalp, and damage your hair follicles — all of which can lead to hair loss. In fact, smoking has been linked to several different types of hair loss. 

Below, we dive into how smoking causes hair loss, whether this hair loss is reversible, and hair loss treatments to help you restore your crowning glory.

Yes, smoking can cause hair loss. A 2024 meta-analysis looked at eight studies on smoking and hair loss. It found that smokers were significantly more likely to develop androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) than nonsmokers. 

And the more you smoke, the more likely you are to experience this type of hair loss. 

The study found that the odds of developing male pattern baldness were much higher among those who smoked 10 cigarettes a day or more compared to those who smoked 10 cigarettes a day or fewer. 

Smoking may also cause you to develop male pattern baldness earlier and more severely.

And FYI, research shows that smoking can also cause early hair graying and poor hair growth after a hair transplant. 

Smoking can lead to hair loss, but how does it happen exactly? Well, smoking can affect your hair in quite a few different ways. Let’s dive in.

Smoking Can Lead to Oxidative Stress

Contributing to smoking’s bad PR is the fact that it may lead to oxidative stress in your body — including in your hair.

Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between free radicals (unstable atoms that can damage cells) and your body’s antioxidant defense mechanism. 

This can cause DNA damage and may cause your hair follicles to enter the catagen phase of the hair growth cycle early. FYI, the catagen phase is the transition phase between the growth phase and the resting phase — i.e. you’re one step closer to your hair shedding.

A 2018 paper puts it plainly and states that “oxidative stress appears to play a role in premature hair loss.”

Smoking Can Disrupt Blood Flow to Your Hair Follicles

The hair on the surface of your scalp may be dead, but right underneath it are blood vessels that ensure that your hair gets the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow. They’re also responsible for eliminating waste from the scalp.

The toxins present in cigarettes may harm these blood vessels and damage their structure. 

Over time, these toxic chemicals can cause a buildup of plaque around the arteries in a condition known as atherosclerosis. When this plaque hardens, it can narrow the arteries.

This damage can restrict the flow of oxygen and nutrients to your hair, both of which are necessary for hair follicle development.

Smoking Can Impair Your Immune Response

Cigarette smoke may affect your immune system by being pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive, and it takes these roles seriously. Cytokines and chemokines,  which promote inflammation, are released when smoking.

Likewise, the effectiveness of T-cells, T-helper cells, and B-cells — all of which make up your immune system — are affected by cigarette smoke.

Smoking can lead to autoimmune diseases, and the one that impacts your hair the most is called alopecia areata. This is when your immune system attacks your hair follicles, causing hair loss. 

Smoking is Linked to Endocrine Diseases That Can Cause Hair Loss

Getting your body to work at top form is regulated by a well-connected network of glands called the endocrine system. Well, that is until external factors like tobacco smoke shake things up.

Smoking cigarettes may cause Grave's hyperthyroidism, a condition where the thyroid gland — a part of the endocrine system — produces excess amounts of the thyroid hormone. This condition can lead to hair loss.

Smoking is also linked to other endocrine diseases like diabetes, a known cause of hair loss.

Smoking Increases Cortisol Levels

To help you manage the stress of work deadlines, family demands, and daily traffic, your body produces a hormone called cortisol. This hormone primarily helps you deal with stress, but is also important for the function and regulation of hair follicles.

One of the side effects of smoking is an increase in cortisol levels.

High levels of cortisol can degrade compounds that are necessary for hair follicle development, like hyaluronan and proteoglycan. This can cause stress-related hair loss in the form of telogen effluvium and androgenetic alopecia.

Considering swapping cigarettes for vaping? We’ve got some bad news for you — vaping might also cause hair loss. 

There’s not much research on vaping or e-cigarettes and hair loss. But many vapes contain nicotine — which can harm your hair health — and they may contribute to hair loss in a similar way that cigarettes can. More research is needed to know for sure. 

It’s not entirely clear whether quitting smoking can reverse smoking-related hair loss. 

Some types of hair loss — like telogen effluvium — are temporary, so you may find your hair grows back over time. 

Other types — like androgenetic alopecia — are permanent, so your hair won’t grow back on its own. But you might be able to slow hair loss and promote new hair regrowth with hair loss treatments like minoxidil and finasteride. 

There’s not much research on how quitting smoking affects your hair, but we know that your blood circulation improves as soon as you quit, your blood pressure and heart rate soon follow, and your overall heart health improves too. 

Plus, a 2015 study on 434 smokers found that quitting smoking can reduce levels of oxidative stress, and this might improve your hair loss. 

Even if quitting smoking can’t reverse hair loss, it may help prevent further smoking-related hair loss. 

If you want to quit smoking for your hair health — or any other reason — here are some tips that could help: 

• Remove smoking triggers. Get rid of cigarettes, lighters, and ashtrays from your home, office, and car — or anywhere else you usually smoke. Essentially, remove any reminders about smoking that might trigger a craving. 

• Distract yourself when you get the urge to smoke. Try listening to music, calling a friend, or going for a walk. The urge should pass if you give it time. 

• Reach out for support. Let your friends and family know about your plans to quit or consider joining a support group.

• Speak to your healthcare provider about medication. As well as nicotine replacement products —  like patches and gum — there are also medications that can help you quit smoking and reduce withdrawal symptoms. They include bupropion and varenicline.

Beyond giving up smoking, there are some steps you can take to reduce hair loss and promote new hair growth. Whether you’ve noticed thinning hair, a receding hairline, or a bald spot up top, here are some treatment options to consider. 

Minoxidil

Minoxidil, also sold under the brand name Rogaine®, is available in several forms: 

• Liquid solution

• Foam formulation

• Oral tablet

The medication can slow (and in some cases reverse) hair loss. It does this by acting as a vasodilator, which simply means it dilates your blood vessels in the location where it is applied. This allows for increased blood flow to the area, which can prompt hair growth.

It’s not entirely understood how minoxidil works, but it can also push your hair out of its telogen phase (the resting phase) right before it falls out. It does this to induce the anagen phase (the growth phase) prematurely.

Minoxidil is also able to lengthen the growth phase, making it possible to grow fuller and thicker hair for longer.

In its topical form, minoxidil is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat androgenetic alopecia.

Finasteride

This medication works to improve hair growth by preventing testosterone from breaking down into DHT or dihydrotestosterone.

DHT is a hormone known to lead to hair loss by causing hair follicles to miniaturize. This may eventually prevent them from growing.

Finasteride is approved for use as an oral remedy, but you can also get it in a topical form.

You can use minoxidil and finasteride together, with our combined topical finasteride and minoxidil spray.

Corticosteroids

Tobacco smoke has pro-inflammatory effects, which can cause hair loss.

Corticosteroids are steroid hormones that have anti-inflammatory properties. They can promote hair regrowth in people with alopecia areata. 

Corticosteroids may be applied topically in several forms:

• Cream

• Lotion 

• Gel

• Ointment

• Foam

Oral corticosteroids may also be used and are effective in treating alopecia areata.

So, it turns out the smoking hair loss myth isn’t a myth after all. Smoking does a lot of damage to your overall health, and in some instances that damage can extend to your hairline and hair density.

Here are the key takeaways on smoking hair loss: 

• Smoking can cause hair loss in many ways. It can cause oxidative stress and reduced blood flow to your scalp, for example, and it may lead to an increased risk of early-onset male pattern baldness, stress-related hair loss, or alopecia areata.

• Quitting smoking may help you regrow your hair. There’s no guarantee, but quitting smoking may help you regrow hair. At the very least, it’ll prevent further damage and more hair loss. 

• Hair loss treatments are available. Consider medications like minoxidil, finasteride, and corticosteroids, depending on the type of hair loss you’re experiencing. 

To get a game plan in place, connect with one of our licensed healthcare providers online. They can help you figure out which type of hair loss you’re experiencing and recommend the best treatments to get you back healthy hair — and more of it. 

If you’re looking to cut down or quit smoking (go you!), don’t be afraid to reach out to a healthcare provider for support. It’s never too late to quit and improve your hair and health.