Are there connections between drinking and hair loss?

Heavy drinking can cause a lot of health problems. Long-term excessive drinking can lead to insomnia, high blood pressure, stroke, cancer and cirrhosis of the liver among other things. Another side effect that many people may not be aware of is hair loss. 

How much drinking is excessive?
Many people enjoy a drink with dinner or after work with colleagues or friends. How much is too much? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines heavy drinking as "consuming 15 drinks or more per week," for men. Drinking more than that amount on a regular basis can have a number of effects on your overall health. 

"Excessive alcohol can impede your body's ability to absorb nutrients."

Your hair, like every other part of your body, needs nutrients in order to grow. Excessive alcohol in your system can impede your body's ability to absorb zinc, iron and folic acid, all nutrients that normally contribute to healthy hair growth. Your liver is one of the most important parts of the aging process. A weak or damaged liver can neglect the skin and hair of vital nutrients, giving you an older, less healthy appearance.

Your liver and folic acid
A healthy liver gets all the important nutrients to your skin and scalp, so your follicles have all the minerals they need to grow healthy hair. Folic acid in particular helps your hair follicles repair themselves when damaged. Without enough folic acid, hair can start to grow in gray or stop growing altogether.

If you are interested in professional hair replacement treatments on Long Island, schedule a consultation with Marotta Hair Restoration today! Dr. Marotta is a dual-board certified facial plastic surgeon with expertise in medical treatments for hair loss. Check out the rest of our website to learn more about all of the different hair restoration treatments that we offer to our clients.