Smoking/Coffee/Stimulants and Hair Growth

[dragonfly90]

I've read before that stimulants of any sort are detrimental to hair growth. I was wondering if anyone has experienced this. I've always been a big coffee drinker so I wouldn't know the difference.

[Babyfine]

Well I drink two large mugfuls of coffee in the morning and my hair still seems to grow 1/2" a month. I do take vitamins, eat healthy and treat my hair gently, so that may help.
I don't think the coffee has been detrimental. I have heard that caffeine, ect, negatively affects hair growth, though.
I don't plan on giving up my coffee habit, though.

[Nedertane]

Hmmm, hm hm hm. I'm not a coffee drinker (once a month at the very most), but I am exposed to secondhand smoke every day. I'm otherwise a fairly healthy eater, and I think I still get .5" (maybe a bit more?) per month. I realize that secondhand smoke is different than actually, purposely inhaling the stuff, but I do wonder if there's an effect.

[ravenreed]

I have periods where I don't consume any caffeine drinks at all, and times like now where I drink coffee and tea every day. I don't see any difference whatsoever in growth rate.

[jeanniet]

I doubt coffee makes much difference either way, but smoking could definitely have a negative impact because it constricts the surface blood vessels and theoretically the more blood flow the hair follicles get, the better. If you smoke, it wouldn't hurt to do scalp massages to try to counteract that effect.

[Zabethbartsch]

I doubt coffee makes much difference either way, but smoking could definitely have a negative impact because it constricts the surface blood vessels and theoretically the more blood flow the hair follicles get, the better. If you smoke, it wouldn't hurt to do scalp massages to try to counteract that effect.

Or try to quit smoking, because it's generally not very good for you... :soapbox:

[akilina]

I know heavy smokers and heavy beer/coffee drinkers that have an inch of growth a month! When it comes down to it I don't think anything has to do with hair growth speed but your genetics. Their whole family is like that. To me one of the only reasons someone wouldn't get normal growth is if they are stressed, have a medical issue, or its genetic.
In my 3 years of being here..I have YET to find anything that even makes my growth increase whatsoever.

My bf, and his sisters and mom both have light speed hair growth! Im really jealous. They all three smoke a LOT of cigarettes, drink a ton of beer, and his mom drinks the coffee.

No matter how many cups of coffee or whatever I smoke, I still get 1/2 inch solid every single month. No better or no worse no matter what life style I lead. I had a winter stall but that is normal for this one month.

[Madora]

I can just hear the coroner "Deceased had a great head of hair. Too bad she thought smoking stimulated hair growth!"
Or try to quit smoking, because it's generally not very good for you... :soapbox:

[chen bao jun]

Caffeine may not affect your hair growth but it definitely gives you wrinkles earlier (dries your skin out). As for smoking, forget it, wrinkle city. but maybe you won't mind having wrinkles if your hair is still long...

[spirals]

I drink the equivalent of 6 cups coffee a day (2/3 of that decaf). I have never had dry skin. I get anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" hair growth a month. My kidneys are fine. If I miss caffeine one day, I have no withdrawl symptoms. There's bad press about coffee, but my doc informed me that consumption decreases the risk of dementia, which is good for me because I've had several head injuries. (Once you've had 1, you're more susceptible to them.) So, if you want to have long hair and decrease the adverse affects of accidents, drink lots of coffee. :cheese:

[leslissocool]

I drink coffee like a madwoman. I have an inch of growth per month. I can drink a pot of coffee a day, I cut it down to 2 cups a while back.

I don't have dry skin or wrinkles, I look way younger than average. However for every cup of coffee I drink I have 2 glasses of water.

My hair growth was NOT like this. Diet and smoking affected it, I didn't have enough protein/fat and nutrients. I eat TONS of vegetables and drink protein powders and nuts ect. I do know smokers with long hair, but it doesn't grow as fast as me nor it looks as shiny... It's odd.

Genetically I do have fast hair growth, my family in my mom's side hair grows. My grandmother had knee length hair. So yes, genes have a lot to do.


I drink the equivalent of 6 cups coffee a day (2/3 of that decaf). I have never had dry skin. I get anywhere from 1/2" to 3/4" hair growth a month. My kidneys are fine. If I miss caffeine one day, I have no withdrawl symptoms. There's bad press about coffee, but my doc informed me that consumption decreases the risk of dementia, which is good for me because I've had several head injuries. (Once you've had 1, you're more susceptible to them.) So, if you want to have long hair and decrease the adverse affects of accidents, drink lots of coffee. :cheese:

Yup, let alone parkinsons which does run in my family. TONS of coffee for me too! Plus I have twin toddlers...

[Angelica]

I average about ten cups of tea a day, occasional cup of coffee. My skin is very soft and smooth, so it isn't true that it dries the skin out. I've yet to find anything that can make hair grow faster, but I do believe looking after it better is the way to go. I think that cigarettes can dry skin out and the hair, the smell lingers and there is the danger of cancer.

On the other hand, too much caffeine could give you palpitations, sleepless nights and very stained teeth! :)

[jeanniet]

Or try to quit smoking, because it's generally not very good for you... :soapbox:

Well, it's not really my place to tell someone to quit smoking, especially since I don't know if they've tried in the past. It's very, very difficult to do, and I have to assume that if OP is a smoker, she knows the health risks.

[natural_shine]

If anything, it should make it grow faster, since it accelarates everything. But I don't see any sensible diffrence.

[akilina]

Ugh this is sort of off topic but I had a client that came in because she accidentally burnt the whole front of her long hair smoking out in the wind lol. -_-
I guess smoking can be bad for your length :D
And YES, non cigarette smokers can easily say "oh just quit". I don't smoke cigs, and cant because they make me super sick, but I understand how hard it is to just quit. Its so much easier said than done. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding because I do not have an addictive personality and I believe in "mind over matter" but its definitely not just that easy. I have seen every single one of my friends try to quit multiple times and fail.

[jeanniet]

Ugh this is sort of off topic but I had a client that came in because she accidentally burnt the whole front of her long hair smoking out in the wind lol. -_-
I guess smoking can be bad for your length :D
And YES, non cigarette smokers can easily say "oh just quit". I don't smoke cigs, and cant because they make me super sick, but I understand how hard it is to just quit. Its so much easier said than done. Sometimes I have a hard time understanding because I do not have an addictive personality and I believe in "mind over matter" but its definitely not just that easy. I have seen every single one of my friends try to quit multiple times and fail.

I did quit, but it took me 20 years and multiple tries--and I was not a heavy smoker by any means. It's a very hard thing to do. I tell kids not to ever start, because at some point they'll be really sorry, but I don't ever tell people who already smoke that they should quit. Most of the time they're very aware that they've got the devil in their pocket.

[jacqueline101]

I'm a pop drinker and my hair still grows the same rate.

[jojo]

I am a huge coffee drinker and went a year on decaf , i still got my 6" a year regardless, so im back on caffeine and have no intention of giving it up!

[Rosetta]

I'm also a big coffee drinker and have no intention of giving up :) (You need coffee to survive winters over here, that's probably why Finns are world's biggest coffee drinkers! ;)(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_coffee_consumption_per_capita )



There's bad press about coffee, but my doc informed me that consumption decreases the risk of dementia, which is good for me because I've had several head injuries. (Once you've had 1, you're more susceptible to them.) So, if you want to have long hair and decrease the adverse affects of accidents, drink lots of coffee. :cheese:
In addition to that, coffee also decreases the risk of several types of cancer. :cheer: (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_coffee#Cancer).

[EndlessSunshine]

Addiction can be tough. I have a problem with alcohol and have been sober since April 2011. Now tobacco I can smoke once a month no problem. Coffee I neeeeed! I have been drinking coffe since I was 7 years old and never plan to stop. Lol my hair seems to be growing at the same rate.

[MaryO]

Mmmmm, I've never thought of it before but I used to drink only rooibos tea (for about 5 years) and recently started drinking only coffee and I did see some reduced growth. Might be many other things (less vitamin intake for one!) I actually don't think that I will stop drinking coffee because if it is a possibility it is very slight...

[Rose Angel]

I don't drink much coffee but a lot of tea (not British, ahem! :P) and I had to quit due to the teeth staining issue and honesty speaking, there's no difference in the hair growth :) Still the very same :)

My sleep pattern, however... :(

[wishywashy]

I drink about 2 cups of coffee a day, or if I'm at work one tall or grande mocha. I cannot start my day without some caffeine. I haven't noticed any delays in my growth. I get about 1/2" on average. I quit smoking years ago, and my hair was much more dry, brittle, dull and I had slow growth during my smoking days. Caffeine is a stimulant, but much safer than smoking.