Alcohol and Hair Loss, are they Linked?

Whether its a glass of wine in the evening, a beer after work or a glass of champagne on special occasions many of us enjoy drinking alcohol. However, when consumed regularly and in large quantities, your body can suffer in different ways. What is the link between alcohol and hair loss and what are the treatments ?

Summary

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1. Why is Alcohol Consumption Harmful?
2. Alcohol and Hair Loss Due to Increased Oestrogen Levels
3. Alcohol and Hair Loss, How Can it be Prevented?
4. The Roots of my Hair are Already Dead, are There any Solutions?
5. How Can You Treat Baldness Related to Alcohol Consumption?
6. Conclusion

Why is Alcohol Consumption Harmful?

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There are many links between alcohol and hair loss, as it affects the whole body. The cardiovascular system but also the immune system are usually the most damaged.

In addition it dehydrates the body, which has the effect of disturbing the balance of fluids in your body. For healthy hair, a sufficient water balance is essential for the scalp’s blood circulation.

Also be aware that alcoholic drinks usually contain a lot of sugar as the body reacts with glycation and saccharification damaging your hair and skin. Regular consumption of beer, wine and spirits can lead to hair loss and slow growth in general.

Alcohol and Hair Loss Due to Increased Oestrogen Levels

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Alcoholic beverages significantly increase oestrogen levels, which is the main contributing factor for the relationship between alcohol and hair loss.

Too high oestrogen levels can cause an imbalance in the body’s nutrient intake. Hair roots need sufficient nutrients from your diet, otherwise they die. Alcohol can therefore cause the death of the hair follicles, due to the negative repercussions of developing nutritional deficiencies along with causing other health conditions.

Zinc, an important mineral for hair health, is well known to be a deficiency from ingesting too much alcohol. Likewise, the intake of iron and vitamins A, C and E is disturbed by the increase in oestrogen levels.

Negative impacts on protein synthesis

Drinking alcohol can also cause hair loss as it has a negative effect on protein synthesis. Hair is mainly made up of proteins, called keratins and they cannot be produced efficiently with too much alcohol in your system. Proper functioning of protein metabolism is crucial for strong, healthy hair.

Body acidification

When the blood contains too much acid, the ph value drops. The body responds by removing all the basic minerals that are not essential for survival.

In this way, it tries to act against acidification. This also affects the scalp, as for the body your hair is not considered essential for survival. This process thus removes important nutrients from the scalp.

Alcohol and Hair Loss, How Can it be Prevented?

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Obviously, only a sharp reduction in the consumption of beer, wine and spirits can stop the resulting alopecia. Alcohol and stress go hand in hand so it can also lead to telogen effluvium or sudden hair loss along with gradual hair thinning. But also a change in the diet is essential, especially to help with the de-acidification and re-mineralisation of your body as well as the overall health of your body.

Against a zinc deficiency, it is essential to prioritise foods with a high zinc content. For example liver, lentils, crustaceans, poultry and fish. If the zinc requirement cannot be met by food, dietary supplements can also help under medical advice.

The Roots of my Hair are Already Dead, are There any Solutions?

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In the event that your hair follicles are already irreversibly damaged by heavy drinking, bald areas may become permanent. This represents a huge psychological burden for those involved. Especially since baldness often leads to other mental health issues such as a loss of self-confidence and depression.

Even if your roots are already completely dead from alcohol abuse, it is possible that healthy hair will grow back in the affected areas. For this to happen, the only effective and truly long term option is a hair transplant surgery.

How Can You Treat Baldness Related to Alcohol Consumption?

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At Elithair, Dr. Balwi and his team perform the surgery using the FUE hair transplant. The advantage of this technique is that your donor area is preserved unlike with the now outdated FUT method. In addition, it is very painless and leaves only micro scars in the donor area that heal quickly.

At the start of hair implantation, the follicular units are removed from the donor area of ​​your head. The grafts that are recovered are placed in a special nutrient solution. They are then re-implanted in the bald areas of your scalp.

Final result

The implantation in the scalp can be performed with great precision using the FUE method which allows for an aesthetic and natural result.

Once all the hair follicles have been transplanted, it takes several months before your hair begins to grow again. The final result is visible about a year after treatment.

Conclusion

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Alcoholic beverages have many negative effects on the human body and in severe cases alcoholism causes hair loss. Hair health is affected because this consumption dehydrates the body. The disturbance of the water balance has a negative influence on the blood circulation of the scalp.

In addition, while you can still enjoy a glass of wine or a beer, heavy alcohol intake increases oestrogen levels, which can lead to nutrient deficiencies such as zinc deficiency. This mineral is essential for maintaining the health of your hair. If your hair roots are not yet irreversibly damaged, dietary supplements can help prevent baldness.

However, if the hair roots are already completely dead, the hair cycle stops and can never develop again. In this case, hair implantation is the only way to regain dense hair.

Do you have any further questions? Then feel free to contact our friendly team that will answer all your queries. Furthermore they can also propose a free and non binding hair analysis. So don’t hesitate if you want to benefit from Dr. Balwi and Elithair’s expertise for a successful and affordable hair transplant in Turkey!