The short answer
Smoking is linked with hair loss: studies find smokers are more likely to have earlier and more severe male pattern hair loss, and to go grey younger. That shows a link rather than proof. There’s no good research yet on vaping and hair loss. Nicotine narrows blood vessels, so it may play a part, but most hair loss in people who vape has another cause.
Does smoking cause hair loss?
Smoking isn’t a direct cause of baldness, but it doesn’t help. Studies have found that men who smoke are more likely to have more advanced male pattern hair loss than non-smokers. The likely reasons are that smoking reduces blood flow to the skin, damages cells through chemicals in the smoke, and ages the skin, including the scalp.
Smoking is also linked with going grey earlier, and it can leave hair dry, dull and smelling of smoke.
Does vaping cause hair loss?
There’s no good evidence that it does. Vaping is too new for long-term studies. Many vapes contain nicotine, which narrows blood vessels, and some theories suggest this could affect the follicles, but that hasn’t been shown. If you’ve started losing hair since you started vaping, it’s more likely to be a coincidence of timing with something else, such as stress, illness, diet or hormones.
What else could be causing it?
- Telogen effluvium: shedding all over, two to three months after illness, stress or a crash diet
- Male pattern hair loss or female pattern hair loss, which run in families
- Low iron, a thyroid problem or another deficiency
- Patches of hair loss: alopecia areata
Will my hair grow back if I stop smoking or vaping?
Stopping is good for your skin, circulation and health in every way, and it removes one thing working against your hair. But it won’t reverse pattern hair loss on its own. If you’re still losing hair after stopping, the cause needs finding.
If something isn’t right with your hair or scalp, a consultation is where I take your history, examine your hair and scalp closely and give you a written plan.
Questions
Does nicotine cause hair loss?
There’s no proof that nicotine on its own causes hair loss. It narrows blood vessels, which may affect the scalp, but most hair loss has another cause.
Does smoking make you go bald faster?
Studies link smoking with earlier and more advanced male pattern hair loss, though they don’t prove it’s the cause. Genes matter most.
Can smoking turn your hair grey?
Smokers are more likely to go grey early, probably because of the damage smoke does to cells, including those that colour hair.
Is vaping better for your hair than smoking?
Vapes don’t contain the tar and smoke of cigarettes, but there’s little research on hair. Stopping both is best for your health.