Alcohol & Hair Loss: What You Need to Know
Is your happy hour habit quietly sabotaging your strands? While alcohol doesn’t directly cause hair loss, it can set the stage for thinning by disrupting the body’s nutrient balance, hydration, and hormonal harmony. Here’s how:
Nutrient Deficiency: Alcohol interferes with absorption of zinc, copper, iron, and protein — all essential for strong, healthy hair

Hormonal Imbalance: Chronic drinking can disrupt thyroid function and elevate cortisol, which may trigger shedding

Dehydration: Alcohol is a diuretic. A dry scalp and undernourished follicles = fragile hair

Inflammation & Oxidative Stress: Excess alcohol can inflame the body and scalp, weakening follicle resilience

Diet Displacement: Sugary drinks and alcohol often replace nutrient-rich meals, starving your hair of what it needs to thrive

🔍 Top 5 Causes of Hair Loss
Whether you’re a stylist diagnosing thinning or a client seeking answers, these are the big five:

Genetics (Androgenetic Alopecia)
Hereditary pattern baldness — often starts at the crown or temples

Hormonal Shifts
Pregnancy, menopause, thyroid disorders, and PCOS can all disrupt growth cycles

Stress (Telogen Effluvium)
Emotional or physical stress can push follicles into a resting phase, causing sudden shedding

Nutritional Deficiencies
The body treats alcohol as fat, converting alcohol sugars into fatty acids. Alcohol use inhibits absorption of nutrients. Not only is alcohol devoid of proteins, minerals, and vitamins, it actually inhibits the absorption and usage of vital nutrients such as magnesium, zinc, thiamin (vitamin B1), vitamin B12, and folic acid.
Medical Conditions & Medications
Autoimmune diseases (like alopecia areata), chemotherapy, and certain prescriptions can trigger hair loss

✨ Empowerment Tip: Hair loss is often reversible when the root cause is addressed. At Kolazh, we believe in blending science, artistry, and wellness to restore confidence — strand by strand.