Asian men should kick their smoking habit if they want to save their hair locks. A new study has linked smoking with age-related hair loss among the Asian males.
According to Lin-Hui Su, M.D., M.Sc., of the Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, and Tony Hsiu-Hsi Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D., of National Taiwan University, Taipei, the risk for the condition is largely genetic, however some environmental factors may also play a role.“Androgenetic alopecia, a hereditary androgen-dependent disorder, is characterized by progressive thinning of the scalp hair defined by various patterns,” the authors wrote as background information in the article.
“It is the most common type of hair loss in men”, they added.
The two had surveyed 740 Taiwanese men age 40 to 91 (average age 65) in 2005, where at an in-person interview, information was gathered from the men regarding their smoking habits.
They were also asked about other risk factors for their hair loss and if they were suffering from alopecia, and if so, at what age they began losing their hair.
Using clinical classifications, their degree of hair loss was assessed, height and weight were measured and blood samples were taken for analysis.
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“After controlling for age and family history, statistically significant positive associations were noted between moderate or severe androgenetic alopecia and smoking status, current cigarette smoking of 20 cigarettes or more per day and smoking intensity,” the authors wrote.
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“Patients with early-onset androgenetic alopecia should receive advice early to prevent more advanced progression,” the authors conclude.
The report was published in the November issue of Archives of Dermatology, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Source-ANI
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