Environmental issues

Can you eat yourself into a full head of hair? Probably not, but environmental 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 exacerbate 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 pollutant contributions to hair loss with topical lotions to block the
effects of the pollutants on the hair follicles.