what about cigarettes and hair?

[brok3nwings]

Do you think they influence their growth? health? I did remind asking because of the caffeine and this is something i wanted to ask. Does anyone know? I know that if does bad for your health it will also do for your hair but besides that general factor is there anything more severe? :cool:

[akurah]

I doubt in most cases that cigarettes will slow growth noticeably enough that you'd see a vast improvement if you quit. Nonetheless, you should probably quit anyway (says the chainsmoking aku). The biggest problem I've had with cigarettes is wisps of short baby hairs getting into my lighter flame.

[brok3nwings]

this is a love/hate problem of mine... I know i should quit, havent done the mental thing so thats not for tomorrow...eheh but anyway, hair is important to me, of course i wouldnt quit ONLY because of hair but it is intersting to know.
One of the things that i notice is that it makes your hair smell terribly and it gets durty quicker!!

[Tabitha]

I'm sure smoking does adversely affect hair growth as it isn't good for the microcirculation/tissue oxygenation. It certainly has a bad effect on skin and wound healing time.

[Peggy E.]

If nothing else, since quitting twenty-plus years ago, my hair smells infinitely better than it did when full of grimy nicotine smoke sludge!

But you have got to be there mentally to quit and every smoker knows the score. Addictions are tough, tough, tough....

[freznow]

Logically, it would. Scalp massages increase growth for some people, because of increase blood flow and oxygen. So if cigarettes decrease oxygen flow, then logically it would follow that they decrease growth.

But then there's the normal disclaimer - it's different for everyone. Some people's hair may be affected more by it than others. But I say, you don't know unless you try, and there seems to be enough reasons that it might grow faster, so I think hair is as good a reason as any to quit smoking.

[Forever_Sophie]

I googled after getting a response about caffeine & hair, and found this: http://www.hairboutique.com/tips/tip600.htm
Very interesting...

[LadyLongLocks]

Cigarettes don't do anything good IMO. It also makes the hair smell bad and needs washing more which could be bad for the hair. Thank goodness I live in a state where smoking is now banned in public places. My hair absorbs the smoke like crazy if I am around it and I must wash it asap, which is bad :(

[Iylivarae]

I think they cause the blood vessels to tighten, so the blood circulation in your scalp wouldn't be as good as if you quit smoking. For a good circulation is necessary to bring minerals and other stuff to the roots, it could be that smoking slows your growth.

[ChloeDharma]

I think it does. I used to be a non smoker and in the years before i started my hair grew like a weed and was nicely thick to the point that i was known for both of these things.
After starting, well....i didn't notice anything immediately, but over time my growth rate slowed right down to a fraction of what it used to be....i'm talking about an inch per month down to 1/4 inch per month.
As has been pointed out, smoking effects the circulation and healing time, it also robs the body of nutrients....and we know how bad both those things when decreased can be for hair growth.
I do smoke still, unfortunately, but don't intend to carry on much longer....it's vile, makes me feel unclean on the inside and if you look at alot of older smokers you can see the effect on their skin, especially that look many get where their mouths start to look like an anus, the colour just doesn't look good and it develops a slackness.....if it does this to the skin, that really can't be good for hair growth, anagen phase length, quality of hair produced....and the smell....well you don't need a scientific study to know how rank that can be.
Sorry for the rant, i actually really hate smoking and hate that i was ever so ridiculously stupid that i got addicted to the toxic stuff.

[Magdalene]

I know cigarettes caused my grandmother's hair to yellow unpleasantly (from absorbing the smoke). She had to get it blued more frequently.

[galen]

The Claim: Smoking Can Cause the Loss of Hair (http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/20/health/20real.html?ex=1368936000&en=f109fbe13a2f4cbe&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink)

"Scientists have long speculated cigarette smoke may accelerate hair loss and premature graying. The association was largely attributed to toxins in smoke that can harm hair follicles and damage hormones. According to epidemiological studies, that appears to be the case. A report in the journal BMJ looked at more than 600 men and women, half of them smokers. After controlling for variables, the researchers found a “significant” and “consistent” link between smoking and early graying."

[vampodrama]

I quit smoking 3 months ago and my hair growth for those 3 months has been about 4 millimeters per month. not kidding.

so... people are indeed different ;)

but quitting smoking will be good for you anyway so there's nothing to lose in trying!

[brok3nwings]

well, indeed, smoking is a terrible terrible thing...its ridiculous with what we know presently to keep with such a stupid addiction. Yes i hate how my hair smells, my skin feels...i dont breath as well as i should, and i am still very young! 22... its scary to see how many things it can do to your general health. I have to stop, besides, loving long hair would be a really good reason to add to my list of "why stop smoking"...i dont want to have my greys right not, i dont want to have thinner hair or hair that grows slowly ...
I cant believe myself for not having the strenght of ending with this right now!!!

[ajr]

I'm a recreational smoker. Not addicted but it's fun to light up every now and then. My sisters beena serious smoker for 6 plus years now and her hair is still gorgeous, and grows nearly twice as fast as mine. I'm sure their is some negative impact but it's not enough to be noticeable for us.

[BeatlesFanGirl]

I quit smoking a year ago, and it made me shed the half of the amount I used to before, it was very significant. :) Yeah, giving up smoking is something that your body is very happy for. :)

[Little_Bird]

Well... I am a vicious anti-smoking person so I just have to shout : Smoking is bad! Period.

Really, if you smoke, stop. You will age faster, your voice will get so much weaker, you'll have doubled wrinkles, your hair will frizz because of the smoke, it will be weaker, it's more probable you'll get cancer, like to everyone around you even if they don't smoke...

Come on, even if it's hard to stop... isn't it worth all the rest I just said?
Think about it :flower:

[Checkers]

I know an addiction won't be stopped by anything we say here, but honestly I'm not sure if smokers know how bad they smell. Their clothes, breath, homes, cars, and hair! I truly don't say that to be mean. I think non-smokers are just so sensitive to the smells and the smoke that it's really obvious who smokes. I walked by some employees on break outside of a large store the other day. They were well away from the entrance and trying not to bother anyone with their smoke. But I walked about twenty feet from them to get to my car and felt overwhelmed by smoke.

[renarok]

I am not aware of cigarrettes having a negative effect on hair personally, but in my work as an xray tech in an orthopedics group, I can tell you that more malicious than the horrid odor is what cigarrettes do to your bone density. If you break a bone it takes much longer to heal. The older you are and the longer you've smoked the worse your bones get. I have patients who have lingering painful fractures that are a direct result of smoking. Hair is just hair. Healthy bones determine how long and comfortable your life will be.

[Peggy E.]

I quit smoking 3 months ago and my hair growth for those 3 months has been about 4 millimeters per month. not kidding.

so... people are indeed different ;)

but quitting smoking will be good for you anyway so there's nothing to lose in trying!

Congratulations to you on this difficult and life-affirming achievement! Keep at it, for it does take a while for all the poisons to get out of your system.

Which might well be why you haven't noticed any change in your hair just yet. Even if it doesn't grow more quickly, it will be much healthier simply by no longer being encased in oily smoke!

[shrimp]

As others have said - it really can't help the hair but that's not the thing to worry about really :shrug: I know you know this already and I know it's an addiction that is hard to break.

I'm an occaisional smoker (I enjoy the odd cig in the same way some enjoy the odd glass of wine, I've never craved them or felt like I *need* one), but recently it has become less occaisional (from having coffee and socialising with a friend who smokes quite a lot - the smoking ban gives us an excellent oppurtunity to sneek away from groups for a while) and I'm going to make the decision to give up.

I haven't seen any effects on my hair from starting to smoke again and I don't notice things like the smell on me - but when said friend sneeks off for a crafty *** I can always smell it on him and it smells awful (we won't even start on the tobacco stained fingers or the smell and feel of some of his cds, the fact that he plays with a hair stick and I don't want to put it back in my hair...)!

However, I think the thing which has really persuaded me to quit now is having him complain about how sick he is of smoking just before lighting up, then continuing to smoke 10 cigs in an hour or two. For someone who values being a free spirit as much as he does it's just sad.
I don't want that to be me.

[ChloeDharma]

However, I think the thing which has really persuaded me to quit now is having him complain about how sick he is of smoking just before lighting up, then continuing to smoke 10 cigs in an hour or two. For someone who values being a free spirit as much as he does it's just sad.
I don't want that to be me.

I bolded the "i don't want that to be me" bit......

Good for you, and trust me, you don't want it to be you. So many smokers actually get upset at how dependent they are on it. I know i definately do, it makes me feel imprisoned and like your friend i value that i don't accept being forced to do anything but smoking i feel almost a slave to....which is a horrible awful scary feeling. I hope anybody who reads this or the other thread on smoking in the health board who hasn't started smoking takes notice. It IS addictive, it does vile things to your body and i am sure i've read (but definately have found from experience) that it negatively effects your mental health too.

[shrimp]

And your bolding abilities :wink:

Are you going to try again CD? I remember your thread on the old forums.

Is there one here yet?
(oops - apparently it also affects my reading abilities - off to track down thread)

[ChloeDharma]

And your bolding abilities :wink:

Are you going to try again CD? I remember your thread on the old forums.

Is there one here yet?
(oops - apparently it also affects my reading abilities - off to track down thread)

Ooops! That was a bit embarassing! Fixed it now though ;)

Oh yes, i'm definately going to try again hun, i've also been told by my doctor that if i don't give up then i can expect to have lost a leg by the time i'm 40, i'm planning on doing it like....this week as long as i get some money sorted out and am not living off my dad anymore (long boring story).
I started a couple of threads i think, and have had a few goes at giving up but very recently that NEED to give up has come back quite strong.

[shrimp]

:grouphug: Good luck hon!

You can do it!

[ChloeDharma]

:grouphug: Good luck hon!

You can do it!

Awww thanks hun :grouphug: and so can you! xxx

[danacc]

I quit smoking 3 months ago and my hair growth for those 3 months has been about 4 millimeters per month. not kidding.

so... people are indeed different ;)

but quitting smoking will be good for you anyway so there's nothing to lose in trying!

Congratulations on breaking away from smoking!

[ole gray mare]

especially that look many get where their mouths start to look like an anus

Okay that made me literally lol. :bluebiggr :D

[jojo]

Hair growth is genetic so in other words we are individually programmed to grow a certain length, but just as taking vitamins can help us maximise our in build in growth rate if we are deficient smoking has the opposite affect as it causes vassal constriction which decreases oxygenated blood from reaching our cells. so in effect the less oxygen circulating the less chance we have of reaching this programmed growth rate.

Although there are of course circumstances which people have extremely fast growth rates and smoking only reduces this a little but in my opinion smoking does have the possibility of causing slower than normal hair growth.

And I am a smoker too, really need to stop!

[brok3nwings]

Smoking....
well there should be a LOT of music made by those who smoke...
it is a huge pleasure, it is a huge disappointment for my inself. I´ve been smoking everyday for about 2 years now. Not so much. I´ve always seen myself as an anti-smoking person. I see no good comming from it...and i was still an anti-smoking person when i smoked only one cigarret about once a month just for fun. Thats the problem! When you enjoy cigarrets for fun you will eventually get yourself into a situation of smoking more than one...it can be a boyfriend that smokes, an emotional breakdown...whatever....
its only been 2 years and i´ve always intended to stop. I hate myself for smoking almost everyday .... ALL ALL ALL of my friends smoke like if there was tomorrow and MOST of them say that they will never stop...and there is no regret. I regret myself... I cant feel this way about myself.
Its bad for my body but the addiction is terrible for my spirit

[shrimp]

You can give up! :grouphug:

I have not had a cigarette since last tuesday. Sadly then I was smoking as a way of getting away from a crowd to have some alone time with a friend, sadly because it was not like I gave into cravings, not sadly because hey! it wasn't the cigarette I was craving but a bit of time out.

To be honest I haven't wanted one at all since then. I bought a packet last week out of habit and they are sitting here unopened still on my desk and my cigarette case is still full from being refilled on tuesday (I was smoking friends cigarettes on tuesday night :oops:)

I've been out to keep friend company while he smokes and just sat there with my cup of tea.

[lapushka]

I don't think you can generalize. My aunt smokes, has smoked all her life. She's 51, looks about late 30ies and has very thick, wavy BSL length hair that she has highlighted every few months. She has gorgeous hair, and she's beautiful!

[NeilTheFuzz]

Some people would tell you that smoking even leads to thinning (and premature baldness in men). I'm not sure they actually KNOW that though. One thing is for sure though - quitting smoking would do all kinds of good for YOU and possibly your hair.

Neil

[Ursula]

Never mind how it affects growth - if you smoke, and you wear long hair loose, there is the risk of your hair catching fire!

Smokers tend to be casual and unthinking of where their lit cigarettes wind up. Gesturing while holding the cigarette, etc. If you smoke outdoors, there is the risk of the wind blowing your hair into your cigarette, and if you are in a public smoking area, the risk of someone else accidentally brushing their cigarette against your hair.

I remember, a few years ago, someone here reporting that their hair had caught fire when someone at their kid's ball game was careless with their cigarette. Fortunately, the accident was immediately noticed, and there was no injury. But there was a significant scare.

Hair burns. Keep it away from sources of fire. That includes lit cigarettes.

[krash1980]

Even if they did, I wouldn't care. I love the scent it leaves in my hair and clothing and I value smoking more than my hair. This is why I haven't bothered to investigate it's negative effects on hair.

Regards.

[Sarahmoon]

Apart from the bad effect on your health, think about the cigarette smoke smell in your hair... terrible.
I'm happy smoking in clubs and restaurants and such is forbidden now here. I can finally go out without having to wash my hair again immediately when I come home.

[burns_erin]

I definitely vote in on the everyone is different side of the vote. i am a veteran (16 year) pack a day or better smoker. Since i have been measuring my hair has grown an inch a month except for this one which was 0.75 of an inch. I have really thick shiny hair and minimal shedding except during the beginning of summer which seems a logical time to shed and is actually when i tend to smoke the least as it is when i am busiest.

That being said long hair and cigarettes are definitely a fire hazard. And general healthwise it would be good if I or most anyone quit. Though there are no studies that prove causation of ill health effects from ciggarettes, there is a high enough correlation that it certainly could not hurt.

In short, if you are going to quit, do it for alot of reasons, but don't expect it to make a noticeable difference in your hair. I have found from my own previous attempts to quit smoking that if you hinge a quit attempt on something that does not work out you are very likely to start back up.

[krash1980]

I'm a recreational smoker. Not addicted but it's fun to light up every now and then. My sisters beena serious smoker for 6 plus years now and her hair is still gorgeous, and grows nearly twice as fast as mine. I'm sure their is some negative impact but it's not enough to be noticeable for us.

Medically there isn't any negative impact on hair, it only adds a pleasing fragrance to it, I have been a smoker for 4 years and I am always receiving compliments.

[Isilme]

well, if not for the health risks, smoke stinks, in clothes, in hair. I know, bf's parents are heavy smokers, thank god he has moved out now. Smoking is just disgusting. Sorry to be blunt but that's the truth.

[basak]

Medically there isn't any negative impact on hair, it only adds a pleasing fragrance to it, I have been a smoker for 4 years and I am always receiving compliments.


Hi krash. You said that you haven't bothered to investigate smoking's negative effects on hair on your previous post and now you're saying there isn't any negative impact, medically. I wonder where you got that information and would like you to post the reliable medical source proving it.

[rockkcor]

I am a hard smoker for years now - is it influencing the growth of my hair? I guess I should quit first and then tell you what happened :)

[Ursula]

Medically there isn't any negative impact on hair, it only adds a pleasing fragrance to it, I have been a smoker for 4 years and I am always receiving compliments.

While you may enjoy the fragrance on your own hair, as a smoker, odds are most people around you who are nonsmokers don't enjoy the smell. Depending on the brand of cigarette, I find it anywhere from unpleasant to nauseating.

So if you only care about how you smell for yourself, that's valid, but if you're trying to make any sort of impression on others, then avoiding smoking and the smell of smoke about you would be a better way to make a good impression.

A better way to scent your hair would be to use a scented leave-in conditioner, or a drop of perfume oil.

ETA: Like others, I'd also like to see a cite for your claim that there is no medical impact of smoking on hair.

[Samikha]

Hi krash. You said that you haven't bothered to investigate smoking's negative effects on hair on your previous post and now you're saying there isn't any negative impact, medically. I wonder where you got that information and would like you to post the reliable medical source proving it.

I would also like to know if there is a source for this.

[GlassEyes]

I think that hair should be the least of a smoker's worries, to be honest.

However, I have heard it does increase the chances of hair loss, but yeah...breathing, hair loss...

One of these things is more important than the other. xD

[nisolu]

I was a long time smoker, 17 years and then quit for a year and a half. I felt great, although I did gain 30 pounds! I don't have any excuse for myself, I started smoking again 3 months ago and I have noticed my hair does stink if I have it down. That being said, I'm not a medical anything so couldn't give any advice on the affects regarding hair. I do know smoking is very bad for me and any one around, I do smoke outside. If you are trying to quit, which I will be again soon. Make sure to give yourself rewards. I saved all my cigarette money and when I had about $800 I went and blew it. Anything I wanted! It was fun! Don't just quit for hair, do it for total body health!

[sky]

I don't know if smoking cigarettes does anything systemic to hair.....it does make your hair stink, and you can accidentally burn your hair if you're not careful where you wave the cigarette around.

sky

[shelivade]

Hi krash. You said that you haven't bothered to investigate smoking's negative effects on hair on your previous post and now you're saying there isn't any negative impact, medically. I wonder where you got that information and would like you to post the reliable medical source proving it.

I have not looked into the the matter carefully because I know from experience that smoking does not have any negative impact my own hair. I find the odor pleasant and I also like the mild frizziness cigarette smoke leaves in my hair.

Regards.

[shelivade]

well, if not for the health risks, smoke stinks, in clothes, in hair. I know, bf's parents are heavy smokers, thank god he has moved out now. Smoking is just disgusting. Sorry to be blunt but that's the truth.

I disagree, that is your opinion, not the truth.

[shelivade]

While you may enjoy the fragrance on your own hair, as a smoker, odds are most people around you who are nonsmokers don't enjoy the smell. Depending on the brand of cigarette, I find it anywhere from unpleasant to nauseating.

So if you only care about how you smell for yourself, that's valid, but if you're trying to make any sort of impression on others, then avoiding smoking and the smell of smoke about you would be a better way to make a good impression.

A better way to scent your hair would be to use a scented leave-in conditioner, or a drop of perfume oil.

ETA: Like others, I'd also like to see a cite for your claim that there is no medical impact of smoking on hair.
Where did you get that silly notion from? If they find cigarette smoke unpleasant or nauseating, then they don't have to stand within my presence.

Only if there were parliament full flavor leave-in-conditioner.....

[sky]

If they find cigarette smoke unpleasant or nauseating, then they don't have to stand within my presence.

And I don't.

[Ursula]

Where did you get that silly notion from? If they find cigarette smoke unpleasant or nauseating, then they don't have to stand within my presence.

Only if there were parliament full flavor leave-in-conditioner.....

"Not standing in your presence" isn't always an option - co-workers don't have a choice, and various others, depending on the situation.

But I deliberately distinguished between what you like, and what others like. There are times when you want/need to make a certain impression - job interviews, for example. In that type of situation, smoking because you think it will make you smell better is counterproductive, because odds are good that the person you are trying to make a good impression on doesn't share your admiration for the scent of cigarette smoke.

You can like the scent of cigarette smoke - just don't expect others to treat you as if you smell nice or attractive.

[florenonite]

I've got a friend who smokes (though not particularly heavily) and he's got reasonably healthy long hair, though I suspect it might be nicer if he took better care of it, though it may just be mechanical damage, and not from the smoking. That said, he's absolutely minging when he's just gone out for a smoke, as I like to inform him, and generally receive a sarcastic response. I suspect that most non-smokers do dislike the scent of cigarette smoke and it really seems to cling to hair, which may not be something you want.

[bunnii]

Well yeah smoking pretty much is gross, and people who smell of cigarettes make me feel physically sick you can smell it from quite a distance, like Ursula said you can't always move away from them, like at a bus stop i'm going to lose my place in the line because someone wants to enjoy their smoking? lol. Now my mum has quit I can stand to be around her because she doesn't stink anymore and her hair looks better oh yeah and her skin, also the smokers hacking up snot cough has gone. so other than making you stink and making the hair dull I can't see how smoking can be bad for your hair. For your health in general and socially it's more of a problem, unless you like people avoiding you because of the smell.