J Cosmet Dermatol

Smoking increases risk of hair loss in men

February 21, 2024

Smoking has been accepted as a risk factor for the development and worsening of androgenetic alopecia (AGA), the most common form of hair loss in men. However, there is scant quantitative evidence on this association. In this meta-analysis, authors identified eight studies that demonstrated smoking does appear to increase AGA risk, although no significant association was found between smoking intensity and severity of AGA.

• Ever smokers are significantly (p < 0.05) more likely than never smokers to develop AGA (pooled odds ratio (OR), 1.82; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.55-2.14).
• The odds of developing AGA are significantly (p < 0.05) higher in men who smoke at least 10 cigarettes per day than in counterparts who smoke up to 10 cigarettes per day (pooled OR, 1.96; 95% CI, 1.17-3.29).
• For men with AGA, the odds of disease progression are significantly (p < 0.05) higher among ever smokers than in never smokers (pooled OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.01-1.60).
• There was no significant (p ≥ 0.05) association between smoking intensity and disease progression.

Source:

Gupta AK, et al. (2024, January 4). J Cosmet Dermatol. A meta-analysis study on the association between smoking and male pattern hair loss. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38174368/