A Japanese study published in the journal NatureObesity is linked to many diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, but researchers at the University of Tokyo showed that obesity or being overweight may affect hair health as well, and in some cases lead to the loss of hair follicles, according to the Medical Express website.
The researchers explained that a diet rich in fat or obesity leads to the depletion of hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) By stimulating certain inflammatory signals, which prevents the regeneration of hair follicles and eventually leads to the loss of hair follicles, and these cells self-renew for each hair follicle cycle, allowing it to grow with age, but obesity affects the efficiency of the work of these cells and thus thinning hair .
The researchers also found that people who are overweight have a higher risk of developing androgenetic alopecia, as the study noted, after examining models of obese mice, that they suffer from faster hair loss and follicles.
The researchers pointed out that after conducting an analysis on the fate of hair follicle stem cells, the study discovered how obesity affects these cells, given that it leads to increased oxidative stress that affects the regeneration process of hair follicles.
The study indicated that obese mice suffer from an increase in the activity of inflammatory cytokines signals that play an important role in the regeneration of hair follicles, which indicates the risks and complications resulting from excessive intake of fatty meals or a diet rich in fat.