Does Caffeine affect hair loss?

It is often asked if there is a correlation between the consumption of caffeine and hair loss. Caffeine can have a number of different effects on our bodies including; raising blood pressure, insomnia, and headaches. Caffeine also has an effect on the rate of which our hair grows.

Hair loss can be caused by a variety of different factors; male pattern baldness which is the most common type of hair loss is caused by the hormone dihydrotesterone (DHT) which is a by-product of testosterone. The hair follicles are sensitive to DHT and when they are exposed to the hormone for a long period of time the follicles begin to shrink and eventually stop producing hair.

Caffeine is a naturally occurring chemical stimulant which is found in beverages such as tea and coffee. There have been a number of studies on the effects of caffeine and the hair. The results of the studies have highlighted that caffeine has a positive effect on hair growth, and does not contribute to hair loss or baldness.

Caffeine can help to promote hair growth as the chemical works by targeting DHT, the hormone that is responsible for hair loss. When DHT attaches itself to the hair follicle it prevents the vitamin, proteins and minerals from providing the follicle with the nutrients needed to keep the hair growth cycle going.

The effect caffeine has on the hair follicle is positive, the caffeine causes the hair cells to produce more ATP – which is the energy of our biological cells. The heightened production of ATP helps the hair follicle in the active growth phase, which results in the hair continuing to grow rather than the follicles shrinking.