Does smoking cause white hair?
Disease description:
I've been smoking for 10 years. Recently, I noticed that quite a few white hairs have appeared, which has been really troubling me. I was wondering, could it be caused by smoking? Can smoking really lead to premature graying of hair?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Liu Wenmin
In general, smoking does not directly cause gray hair, but it may increase the risk of developing gray hair.
The formation of gray hair is primarily determined by genetic and age-related factors. However, stress, nutritional status, and lifestyle factors can also play a role. If smoking duration is short and the quantity is low, the accumulation of harmful substances in the body may be minimal, likely having no significant impact on hair nutrition supply, and therefore not directly causing gray hair.
However, long-term heavy smoking introduces large amounts of nicotine and other harmful chemicals into the bloodstream, affecting overall vascular health. These substances can cause blood vessel constriction, reducing blood flow to the scalp and impairing the nutrient supply to hair follicles. When hair follicles are damaged due to ischemia and hypoxia, the function of melanocytes may be affected, leading to reduced pigmentation in newly formed hair, which manifests as gray hair.
In daily life, it is recommended to quit smoking as early as possible and adopt positive lifestyle modifications, such as balanced nutrition, moderate exercise, and sufficient sleep, to promote overall physical and mental health.
