The Link Between Alcohol & Hair Loss

29 Jan 2019

It’s normal to lose 50 to 100 hairs per day. But if you’re noticing more significant hair loss, you may be looking at your lifestyle habits and wondering what’s the culprit. Is it possible that too many happy hours or nights out are the root of your thinning hair? Can drinking alcohol cause hair loss? Keep reading to learn more about the link between alcohol and hair loss.

And while you address the root of your hair loss, Toppik Hair Building Fibers can help you to instantly disguise thinning hair and regain your confidence.

Is There a Link Between Alcohol and Hair Loss?

There is little direct link between drinking moderate amounts of alcohol and hair loss. However, very heavy drinking can lead to a number of vitamin deficiencies that can lead to hair loss. This can happen for two reasons:

Heavy drinking often tends to go hand in hand with a poor diet. When you’re not eating enough micronutrients — aka vitamins and minerals — your hair follicles can slow or even stop growing new hair.
Alcohol can interfere with the body’s ability to absorb, store and metabolize certain nutrients that are critical for hair growth.In particular, heavy drinking can lead to deficiencies of iron, zinc and copper.

A 2013 Korean study suggested that an iron deficiency could be a contributing factor in some types of female hair loss. While another 2013 study published in the Annals of Dermatology indicated that zinc and copper deficiencies can play a key role in hair loss.

In other words, alcohol can lead to hair loss if chronic drinking has created a deficiency of iron, zinc or copper in the body.

Dehydration and Hair Loss

However, you don’t have to be a heavy drinker for alcohol to have some kind of effect on your hair. Alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it affects the way your body absorbs water.

Thus, drinking alcohol can lead to dehydration. Water is essential for delivering nutrients throughout the body, including to your hair follicles. And without enough water in your system, your locks can suffer. Chronic dehydration can lead to dry, brittle hair that breaks off easily. While drinking water won’t help to grow hair directly, it will help reduce hair loss and breakage caused by dehydration.

Disguising Hair Loss

If you’re suffering from hair loss, the best thing to do is make an appointment with your doctor, such as a dermatologist. Your doctor can help you to pinpoint the cause of your hair loss, whether that’s from an alcohol-related vitamin deficiency or for another reason.

You can also follow these hair tips to help your hair look fuller and thicker:

Get a new haircut. In general, shorter hair looks thicker because long lengths weigh hair down.
Switch to a lightweight conditioner. Toppik Hair Building Conditioner moisturizes dry, brittle hair on the outside to help prevent breakage. But its lightweight formula won’t weigh down fine or thinning hair.
Use a thickening serum. Toppik Hair Fattener Advanced Thickening Serum maximizes every strand, lending your hair a fuller appearance.
Try hair fibers. Toppik Hair Building Fibers utilize keratin fibers to instantly disguise sparse areas and scalp show-through. You’ll be amazed at how they instantly improve the appearance of thinning hair! See our tips on how to use Toppik Fibers.

Heavy drinking not only can lead to the deficiencies that can cause hair loss, but it causes a number of other dangerous health problems too. If you suspect you have a drinking problem, always see a doctor or other professional for treatment and support.