Hair loss, do drugs speed it up?
Cocaine and Hair loss: There’s much to be said about the bad habits that can speed up hair loss. From everyday stresses and strains that reportedly affect our hairlines through to diets that are continually emphasised as integral to our health.
However what is not so publicised or spoken about is the impact of recreational drug use. So here we clear up a drastically under discussed topic of cocaine and hair loss. Today we answer the question as to whether drug use could indeed be speeding up thinning hair and receding hairlines.
So, just what does the science behind drug use, cocaine and hair loss say?
Recently researchers have found that a very specific form of hair loss can be caused by drug use. Known officially as Telogen Effluvium this form of hair loss occurs due to the stress. Stress processes this in the body undergoes once drugs are ingested. What Telogen Effluvium specifically results in is a disruption to the hair growth cycle which means that hair follicles, quite simply, stop any hair growth dead in its tracks, as well as resulting in the shedding of any existing hair.
Telogen Effluvium: A little more detail
Telogen Effluvium hair loss is effectively the result of a sudden shock to the body’s systems. This doesn’t just occur when someone uses drugs. Rather it is created when we undergo a stressful situation and what’s more it goes beyond being caused merely by cocaine use, and can include a wide variety of recreational drugs.
The symptoms of Telogen Effluvium
Telogen Effluvium is defined by symptoms that reflect androgenic alopecia and male pattern baldness; the former of which may see hair loss beginning just above the temples – creating an ‘M’ shape, and the latter of which may typically feature thinning hair upon the crown.
Going beyond Telogen Effluvium
Cocaine use does not merely result in Telogen Effluvium hair loss, but can actually be subject to a wider range of effects upon our bodies that can cause the hair to thin. Not least of which is the tendency for cocaine to suppress appetite, which can go on to cause malnutrition. This, in itself, can then affect the health and thickness of our hair.
As well as this, the more moderate cocaine user will generally experience factors that result in poor overall health.
Heavy use of cocaine and hair loss: A case study
There are a number of high profile story that underlines the dangers of cocaine use upon the hair line is that of Paul Sculfor, the British model and actor who had gone public about his previous cocaine habits, and the impact it had upon his hair.
Paul is then the perfect example of just what recreational drug use can do to the hairline. However for many the hair loss experienced is permanent and acts as an enduring reminder of a long since stopped drug habit.
Skalp are busy repairing the otherwise damaged follicles of their clients through micropigmentation treatments. Skalp® micro pigmentation can create the perfect, attractive and youthful look of a closely cropped hair style. Through advanced equipment and comprehensively qualified experts, the results are fantastic. Their clients are amongst the most satisfied of all within the hair loss industry.
Skalp® has clinics around the world. We have clinics in New York, Los Angeles, London, Manchester, Edinburgh and Dublin.
