Air pollution may be linked to hair loss… here’s how

It’s no secret that outdoor air pollution is really bad for you: it’s been linked to higher rates of cancer, heart disease, stroke, and respiratory diseases such as asthma. As if that wasn’t already depressing enough, new studies have unearthed pretty strong evidence in favour of air pollution leading to hair loss. Keep reading to find out how.

First off, what exactly is air pollution and how is it caused? Simply put, air pollution describes a wrongness in the atmosphere, or the air we breathe. This wrongness could be caused by a number of factors: exhaust fumes, chemicals from factories, dust, pollen, and ozone, which causes smog. Because these chemicals and particles are dirty, they are harmful, sometimes even dangerous, to breathe in. Unfortunately, air pollution is pretty common, especially in big cities – the situation is especially bad in India.

How has air pollution been linked to hair loss, then? According to the American Hair Loss Association, two-thirds of men under the age of 35 in the United States are affected by hair loss. And while the causes are unclear (with researchers thinking that genetics might play a big role), we are only now looking into the environmental factors and understanding how they may be a trigger to the issue.

Recently, new research has been undertaken to look into exactly how air pollution may lead to hair loss. According to Medical News Today, the study was presented by its leader, Hyuk Chul Kwon, at the 28th European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology (EADV) Congress. Titled: "Effects of particulate matter on human dermal papilla," the paper looked into the effect of something called particulate matter, which is a mix of solid particles and small liquid droplets that we inhale, on the cells at the very base of hair follicles.

In the new research, analysis was used to examine key hair-growth proteins that had been exposed to this particulate matter. Scientists made the discovery that the particulate matter lowered levels of the proteins significantly. The proteins affected were beta-catenin for hair growth, and cyclin D1, cyclin E, and CDK2 for hair growth and retention.

The more polluting particulates the scientists exposed the proteins to, the more they decreased. Commenting on the findings – again reported by Medical News Today – Kwon said: "While the link between air pollution and serious diseases such as cancer, [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease], and [cardiovascular disease] are well established, there is little to no research on the effect of particulate matter exposure on the human skin and hair in particular."

“Our research explains the mode of action of air pollutants on [HFDPCs], showing how the most common air pollutants lead to hair loss."

More research is clearly needed to determine exactly how the pollutants in the atmosphere cause hair loss – and if there’s any way to reverse the process. It’s likely that Kwon’s report has opened the door to future scientific discovery, so we’ll keep our eyes peeled for more news as it comes.

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. We’re learning how to avoid creating air pollution, and more and more of us are taking the necessary steps to reduce it through our own actions. An easy way to do so yourself is by taking public transport, walking or riding a bike instead of using your own car to get around (or an electric car is a good alternative, if you’re fancy enough).

You can also improve your own home’s efficiency so that less energy is wasted – a clear win-win for you as well as the environment as it’ll mean you save out on needless energy bills. You can’t go wrong with recycling your rubbish, either, and pressuring your local government to create more green, open spaces in your town or city.

So, the future isn’t all bad for air pollution. Someone wise once said that you can’t fix a problem until you’ve recognised that it is one, and we’ve at least reached the point of recognition with air pollution by now. Hopefully, some day in the future, air pollution will have been massively reduced, and we’ll have more hair (and better lungs, healthier bodies and all the rest of it) as a result.