Environmental issues

Can you eat yourself into a full head of hair? Probably not, but envi-
ronmental factors, including what you eat, can cause hair loss. The
following list breaks down some of the more prominent factors:
 Selenium: The presence of selenium in food and water is
common around the world, but continued intake of selenium
to the point of selenium toxicity produces hair loss, among
other effects.
 Lead, cadmium, mercury, iron, aluminum, and copper:
These are the most common environmental causes of hair
loss. Many of these substances are found in fish, reflecting
environmental contamination in the world’s oceans. Lead may
also be found in hair dyes and paint. Just how much of these
elements must be present to cause hair loss is unknown, and
a direct connection is hard to prove. Some labs will analyze
hair for the presence of these minerals, but their presence
doesn’t necessarily mean they caused hair loss.
 Air pollution and smoking: These factors may also exacer-
bate the genetic process carried by potentially balding men.
Scientists believe toxins and carcinogens found in polluted air
can stop hair growing by blocking the mechanisms that pro-
duce the protein from which hair is made.
Doctors hope that science will discover ways to treat pollu-
tant contributions to hair loss with topical lotions to block the
effects of the pollutants on the hair follicles.