We’ve all heard time and time again that smoking is one of the worst habits around. In fact, smoking damages almost every organ in the body - from your fertility to the strength of your heart, lungs, and bones. Maybe there is no fountain of youth, but there is a surefire way to look older. Smoking changes the skin, teeth, and hair in ways that can add years to your looks.

• This stinks: The most obvious and immediate effect of lighting up? Your hair smells like smoke, period. (ewwwwww!)

• Dullsville: Smoking can cause your strands to turn brittle and dull-looking; smoking constricts your blood vessels, restricting oxygen flow and nourishment into the scalp.

• Hair loss: If hair loss is an issue, it might be because smoking causes premature thinning of the hair — even balding in some cases, especially ones who smoke more frequently. This is most likely attributed to the fact that smoking damages the hair follicle and interferes with circulation and hormone production in the scalp.

• Premature graying: A study proved a link between puffing up and premature graying; this can be attributed to the fact that the toxins contained in cigarettes can not only cause damage to hormones, but to hair follicles as well. Also, once hair does start to go gray, it can take on an unwanted yellow hue thanks to tar and nicotine contained in cigarettes.

These may not come as a complete shock, but sometimes it helps to look at things in good old black and white. The choice is yours and you should know better. Smoking and hair loss are directly related to each another. Kicking butts can not only make you healthier, it also noticeably improves your appearance in several ways.

Love Your Hair,
Jane