Yes, ZYN nicotine pouches could cause hair loss. There is no scientific evidence that correlates ZYN or any other nicotine pouch to hair loss. However, researchers have analyzed the effects of nicotine on your body significantly, and it all points to hair loss.
It might sound surprising, but cigarette smoking could leave you as bald as Dwayne the Rock Johnson and Vin Diesel combined. While research on the subject is limited, we looked at every resource to identify every aspect of hair loss and potential solutions.
Does ZYN and Nicotine Pouches Cause Hair Loss?
Yes, ZYN or any other nicotine pouch can cause hair loss. ZYN nicotine pouches are relatively new, with almost no detailed research papers on their safety. However, these pouches contain nicotine, which could create DNA adducts and reduce the nutrient supply to hair follicles.
It hinders the repair and replication process of your cells, which starves your follicles. Nicotine can also travel through the bloodstream and clog up your hair follicles, causing hair thinning and loss. While research on the topic is still scarce, the overall consensus points towards a link between nicotine pouches and hair loss.
Different Forms of Nicotine and Hair Loss
Yes, ZYN pouches could cause hair loss, but it isn't the only form of nicotine. Vapes, hookahs, cigarettes, and every other form of heated or smokeless tobacco product can also affect your hair. You'll be surprised at the effects that some of these nicotine products have on your hair.
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1. Cigarettes and Hair Loss (High hair loss)
Cigarettes are poison for your body, including hair. The smoke produces free radicals that damage your follicles and prevent new growth. It's why most smokers have thin hair and low scalp health.
According to research in the NCBI, smoking affects androgen hair patterns. The risk of alopecia and hair thinning is more extreme in people who smoke regularly. Cigarettes also constrict your blood vessels, damaging your hair follicles and hair.
In the report, the researchers used various pieces of literature, which included previous animal studies. According to it, mice exposed to nicotine and smoke had severe and moderate patterns of alopecia. The study also found that smoking significantly affected people with Androgenic Alopecia, exacerbating their hair loss.
2. Vapes and Hair Loss (Medium hair loss)
Vapes have glycol and other oils that are even worse for hair. Like other nicotine products, vapes contain copious amounts of nicotine, which can constrict your blood supply. It means your hair follicles get low amounts of blood and weaker hair.
Vapes also contain propylene glycol, which, when exhaled in smoke, can irritate the scalp. It may also cause redness, mucus generation, and unreal alopecia. This effect may become more drastic in teens with the increasing popularity of vapes among youth.
It's even more alarming when you consider puberty and its impacts. Hair growth, strength, and quality have a lot to do with your hormones. Vape use among teens, with already volatile hormonal changes, could cause significant long-term problems.
3. Hookahs and Hair Loss (High hair loss)
Hookahs has substantial amounts of nicotine and tobacco. Plus, the whole smoke is just a combination of vaporous fumes, flavors, and certain aldehydes. This heated smoke can irritate your scalp from the outside and the inside.
The excessive toxin and nicotine concentration can clog your hair follicles, while the toxins increase the CO2 levels in your blood and narrow your blood vessels. The combined effect reduces the nutrient supply to your hair roots and leads to hair loss.
Overall, smoking and hair loss go hand in hand. While the cause of hair loss is multifactorial, smoking has a significant effect on the rate of PHG and AGA, both of which affect well over 160 million people worldwide.
4. Snus and Hair Loss (Low hair loss)
Snus and nicotine pouches are often used to quit smoking. They're used to circumventing the negative effects of cigarettes like lung cancer, gut microbe imbalances, CVD, etc. However, snus and nicotine pouches also contain copious amounts of nicotine.
The nicotine absorbed from nicotine pouches is greater than that from other nicotine products. For example, cigarettes could inject about 0.8 to 1.5 mg of nicotine into your body, while nicotine releases more than 2 mg on average. Because of this, nicotine pouches and snus have a much more alarming effect on your hair.
While this is true, snus and nicotine pouches do not affect your arteries. They also act as substitutes for cigarettes and prevent the health risks of heated tobacco. Considering that, we could say snus doesn't impact hair significantly compared to the other nicotine products. It still isn't the best option for people with thinning hair.
Nicotine and Types of Hair Loss
Nicotine can bring about some amusing changes in different people. Before we go further, you must understand that different people have varying hair loss levels. For example, people with genetic hair loss will lose their hair even without nicotine.
However, nicotine can speed up the process and cause odd patterns. We'll look at some of these patterns below.
1. Androgenetic Alopecia
Androgenetic Alopecia or male pattern baldness, is very common among people who use nicotine. This type of hair loss is mainly due of inherited genetic features. However, different external factors like nicotine, can increase the rate of hair loss.
According to research in the NCBI, stimulants like nicotine react with the nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and desensitize them. This activates the cell death pathways in Keratinocytes and leads to hair follicle destruction.
According to the report, out of 500 smokers, 85% had grade 3 or 4 of AGA. 47% of people had grade 3 AGA and 24% had grade 4 (severe) AGA. Out of 500 non-smokers, only 10% had grade 3 or 4 AGA, and 20% had grade 2 AGA.
2. Alopecia Areata
Alopecia Areata, also referred to as spot baldness, is when a certain area of your body loses hair. According to research published in PubMed, there is an increased risk of Alopecia Areata in past smokers compared to non-smokers.
Remarkably, the Alopecia Areata spots were prevalent in the temple, vertex, and top of the head. Past smokers had a 14% more chance of developing Alopecia Areata. When you stop smoking, these patterns of baldness won't go away naturally and you will require medication.
3. Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia
Frontal Fibrosing Alopecia causes hair loss on the front and sides of your scalp. According to research, there are no incidences or correlations between hair loss and FFA. Nicotine has nothing to do with FFA, however it may speed the process.
While hair loss is a concerning effect of nicotine, it isn't the only one. Nicotine can also turn you into a hermit with a head full of grey hair.
Does Nicotine Cause Grey Hair?
Yes, nicotine can cause grey hair by quickening oxidative damage and reducing melanin production. Researched conducted in 2013, observed the effect on a group of 207 people. According to that research, smokers had premature hair graying or PHG.
Smokers were 2.5 times more likely to develop PHG compared to past smokers or non-smokers. This effect is mostly because of a reduced melanin production, which also effects the skin. It's also why smokers have grayish skin compared to non-smokers.
While this research was only for smokers, the main ingredient that causes this effect is nicotine. Based on extrapolation, we can infer that other forms of nicotine like ZYNs, nicotine gum, vapes, smokeless tobacco, etc can also produce the same effect.
Possible Solutions to Hair Loss From Nicotine
Only a verified dermatologist can give you a permanent and effective solution to hair loss. However, there are some things that you can do to slow the process and improve hair health. We'll look at these below.
1. Smoking Cessation for Smokers
There is a clear link between smoking, nicotine, and hair loss. Quitting smoking or nicotine could significantly improve your health hair. Quitting cigarettes from the get-go is a bit hard so settle down for nicotine replacement therapy to improve your odds of quitting successfully.
It should also help you reduce the nicotine withdrawal symptoms. You should see the positive effects in 3 to 4 weeks, and it will stop further the damage from nicotine.
2. Eating Foods Good for Hair
We aren't dietitians, but there are countless studies that show how diet can create healthy hair. Here's a quick list of foods that have various effects of hair:
| Salmon | Improves Hair Shine and Strength |
| Greek Yogurt | Improves Hair Growth |
| Cereal with Iron | Prevents Hair Loss |
| Spinach | Prevents Brittle Hair |
| Poultry (Without Fat) | Makes Hair Thicker |
| Guava | Prevents Hair Breakage and Splitting |
| Cinnamon | Improves Circulation and Rejuvenation |
| Eggs | Improve Growth |
Overall, any foods with lots of Vitamins, Iron, and Minerals will improve hair growth and prevent breakage. Eating healthy foods will improve your hair health and the overall growth of your body. It also flushes your system of nicotine.
3. Hair Supplements
There are countless off-the-shelf hair supplements on Amazon and local marts. Using most of these can improve your hair health and prevent further damage. For example, Keratin based shampoos can increase the strength of your hair.
Scalp rejuvenating conditions can increase the health of your follicles. There are also countless serums, loaded with Vitamins that can make your hair much stronger. But please use these supplements under the supervision of a doctor.
Using strong supplements could have a counter-effect on your hair. Some supplements might rob your scalp of natural nutrients and increase the hair loss. Always consult a dermatologist before using supplements.
4. PRP and Hair Transplant
PRP and Hair Transplant are effective ways to combat hair loss and get a full flock of hair back. Hair transplant is when hair from other parts of your body is transplanted on your head. It's a long and arduous process, which has worked for most people.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) is a great way to reduce hair loss and rejuvenate dead follicles. Over time, your follicles become clogged and dormant. PRP extracts plasma from your blood, which is injected into your scalp.
The nutrient rich plasma rejuvenates your follicles and strengthens your currently active follicles. It's a cheap and great way to increase the strength of your current hair.
Conclusion: Does ZYN Cause Hair Loss
Nicotine is highly addictive and has a negative impact on your hair. Countless studies have linked nicotine abuse to hair loss. The effects are more pronounced in cigarettes and vapes, followed by snus, nicotine pouches, gums, and other forms of nicotine.
The easiest way to reduce the effects is by quitting cigarettes, with a less harmful alternative. After that you can reduce the use of nicotine pouches. To combat hair loss and promote hair growth, use different supplements and consult a dermatologist.
These are the most effective ways to combat hair loss due to nicotine. You should also remember that hair loss is mostly a result of inherited genes. Quitting nicotine won't necessarily prevent hair loss, so identify the underlying cause of hair loss and consult a doctor.
