Is Drinking Causing My Hair Loss?

Many people enjoy a glass of wine over dinner or a cocktail with friends after work. Alcohol, after all, provides the social lubrication for so many of our encounters. Saint Patrick’s Day is another reason to hit the pubs and celebrate. But have you ever stopped to wonder if booze is behind hair loss? You may need a drink before you read any further…

Seriously though; if you drink responsibly then you shouldn’t have to worry too much; six medium glasses of wine or six pints of beer per week shouldn’t have too much effect. But if you drink beyond that then you can expect problems.

Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to an increase in risk of heart disease stroke, liver disease, and even certain types of cancer. And as for our hair? Sheesh.

Dehydration

You don’t need to be a doctor to know that alcohol leads to dehydration – it’s a diuretic for goodness sake. But water plays a major role in our health. If the skin isn’t hydrated then we lose strength and elasticity – and that can damage our hair follicles. The problems don’t stop there either; dehydration leads to dry skin which can lead to itching, damaging the scalp even further.

Acid Build Up

We already consume acids via cheese, meats, and veggies, all of which affect the body’s PH levels. Alcohol also contains acids and so once the body has too much acid in it, it has to burn it off. Keratin, used to create hair follicles, plays a huge role in this process but we need that Keratin to stop our hair becoming brittle and easier to break. Once it’s diverted to help with PH levels, our hair suffers.

Preservatives

Too much booze in your system can affect the levels of good bacteria that keep our hair healthy – and that’s because alcohol contains preservatives. Preservatives destroy bacteria – good and bad – which can lead to inconsistencies in gut bacteria. Once you mess with gut bacteria you can expect health problems – including hair loss.

Zinc Loss

Drinking can lead to mineral and vitamin deficiencies. Low nutritional levels can also lead to hair loss because zinc is necessary to create Keratin (which we now know is imperative for hair follicle formation). Zinc deficiency can ultimately lead to follicle hypoplasia, a fancy term for follicles that can’t develop correctly.

Sleep

Booze also interferes with sleep that can lead to stress – which, in turn, can interfere with the flow of oxygen to the hair follicles. It can also lead to neurogenic inflammation and cytokine imbalance, both of which can lead to some very bad hair days.

All this to say that excessive drinking can lead to hair loss in a variety of ways. But you can also always turn to Reviv3 products to help hydrate your scalp and protect your valuable hair follicles too.

MEND, for example, is designed to strengthen, revive elasticity, repair damage, control frizz and limit chemical stress of all hair types while giving you shine and ease of styling.

BOOST, used twice daily, provides low-density density areas with a Tri-peptide dermal respiratory complex designed to increase cellular turnover and return scalp skin to a more youthful state. 

And don’t forget our 3-Part System Starter Kit; it’s one system for all hair types, natural and chemically treated hair, for men and women in one convenient kit.

Have a great St. Patrick’s Day and if you’re heading out, drink safely and responsibly!