Worried about the bad effects of air pollution? You should be, especially if you value your hair. A new study says bad air can lead to baldness.
This shocking revelation comes from University of London researchers who said that men living in polluted areas are more likely to end up bald than those residing in places with clean air.
The study is the first to link the onset of male pattern baldness to environmental factors. It was recently published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology.
Researchers arrived at this conclusion after studying the hair follicles of several men. They discovered that pollutants and other toxic chemicals in the air somehow get into the bloodstream and destroy hair follicles. Hair growth was disrupted by oxidative stress that destroys cells and becomes worse with air pollution.
“The scientists believe toxins and carcinogens found in polluted air can stop hair growing by blocking mechanisms that produce the protein from which hair is made. Baldness is known to be hereditary, but the new research suggests that environmental factors could exacerbate hair loss,” reported Jasper Copping in the Telegraph.Co.UK.
“There are a whole host of carcinogens and toxins in the environment that could trigger this. It suggests that if you live in an area with less air pollution, you may be less predisposed to hair loss,” said Professor Mike Philpott of the University of London School of Medicine.
More tests will be conducted to determine how hair reacts in different environments. This will hopefully pinpoint the exact cause of baldness in those areas.
“This may lead to new methods of treating genetic hair loss. The research suggests that environmental factors like air pollution contribute to hair loss because they introduce elements that are harmful to the normal mechanisms by which the cells work,” said Dr. Nilofer Farjo, one of the researchers.
“There’s undoubtedly genetics involved as well, but now we know there are environmental factors too. If you live in a place with cleaner air, you might be at less risk,” he added.
In the United States alone, 35 million men and 21 million women are suffering from hair loss. Male pattern baldness typically affects men over 30 but it can start earlier.
The good news is you don’t have to put up with this problem. For the fullest, most natural-looking hair possible, go to the specialists at Hair Restoration Doctors Ohio.
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