June 25 2009, 11:32 am PT | Posted in: Hair Loss Causes
I am a current smoker (10/day), who has for months been in a constant battle of giving it up and starting it back again. Aside from the obvious health risks, I’m feeling a kind of burning pain in my scalp where my hair is thinning, and I am wondering if this burning might be precipitated by the nicotine. I’ve read studies that purport nicotine can increase the levels of DHT.
My questions: 1) Is the burning in my scalp a sign of hair loss. 2) Could this burning be related to the nicotine’s effect on DHT levels?
Sidenote: During periods of intense smoke, the burning in my scalp increases, primarily where I’m losing my hair. Conversely, the burning subsides whenever I lay off the accursed habit for more than a week. Any thoughts?
You just answered your own question, as you show clearly a relationship between your smoking and your symptoms. What can I add in the face of such a clear association? Scalp burning isn’t necessarily a sign of hair loss, but if you’re seeing your hair fall out while you feel this sensation, it might be connected.
For further reading, check out this NY Times article — The Claim: Smoking Can Cause the Loss of Hair
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For those interested, please see the following link:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Could-Your-Bad-Habits-Be-Causing-Your-Hair-Loss?-Stress—Smoking-And-Baldness&id=459895
Summary:
Smoking has been proven to have a profound effect on hair loss by changing the dynamics of hair growth and restoration in the scalp. In essence, it works by promoting the level of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) in the hair follicles. According to a clinical study by the Harvard School of Public Health, DHT levels in randomly sampled smokers were 13% higher in smokers than in non smokers. In addition, testosterone was about 9% higher in smokers than non smokers, which means there are more levels for the enzyme Alpha-5-reductase to act upon in producing DHT. In conjunction with each other, testosterone and DHT increase the amount and rate of hair loss.