It's really "bald"! Microplastics may cause hair loss?

It's quite "bald"

Some friends lamented: I am still single.

Join the hair loss army first

Hair loss, baldness,

Receding hairline

…

"Because of my hair loss, everyone gave up their seats for me"

"You are not smart, but you still want to imitate others"

Seemingly a joke

It also expresses the sadness of countless people

What I didn't expect was

There are many reasons for hair loss.

Microplastics may be one of them

What are microplastics?

Microplastics refer to plastic particles with a diameter of less than 5 mm . They mainly come from the decomposition, wear and tear of various plastic products and by-products of the production process.

These tiny plastic particles are widely present in the environment , including air, water, soil and in the food chain.

How do microplastics cause hair loss?

Polystyrene microplastics (MPs) are a type of microplastic that is ubiquitous in the environment and is easily absorbed by humans and animals. They have become a common material in microplastic research due to their simple preparation, stable properties, low cost, and wide range of applications.

Ultraviolet radiation can cause aging of polystyrene microplastics and change their physical and chemical properties such as functional groups, surface roughness and contact angle.

A study found that feeding mice raw and aged polystyrene microplastics caused damage to the skin and hair follicles, leading to diffuse hair loss.

The specific mechanism is that microplastics and aged microplastics enhance oxidative stress (ROS) and inhibit the activity of antioxidant-related proteins, resulting in damage to the tight junctions between cells in the hair follicles, increased hair loss, and delayed hair growth period.

It is particularly noteworthy that aging microplastics can induce higher levels of ROS and aggravate the damage of tight junctions within hair follicles.

At present, scientific research has not clearly confirmed the direct causal relationship between microplastics and hair loss, but some potential mechanisms may be related to this. Microplastics may directly or indirectly affect scalp health through inflammation, oxidative stress, endocrine disruption or physical stimulation , but most conclusions are mainly based on cell or animal experiments and have not been verified in humans. Hair loss itself is the result of multiple factors such as genetics, hormones, stress, diet, etc., and it is difficult to attribute it solely to microplastics.

How do microplastics enter the human body?

1. Dietary intake

Dietary intake is the main way for microplastics to enter the human body.

Drinking water: Microplastic particles in drinking water mainly come from the wear and decomposition of plastic parts such as plastic bottles, pipes, faucets, etc. When people drink water containing microplastic particles, these particles will enter the human body.

Contaminated food: The use of water contaminated by microplastics for irrigation in agriculture will cause a large amount of microplastics to enter the soil, which will then be absorbed and accumulated by crops such as cereals and lettuce. Plastic waste in the ocean will be broken down into microplastics, which may be accidentally eaten by fish and other seafood. People will also ingest microplastics when eating these crops and seafood.

Food packaging materials: Large amounts of microplastics may also be produced during food processing and packaging, further increasing the risk of people ingesting microplastics through their diet.

2. Breathing

Microplastic particles in the air can enter the human body through breathing along with other inhalable particles.

These microplastic particles may come from weathering of plastic waste, tire wear, industrial emissions, etc.

3. Skin contact

Microplastics are also found in some personal care products, such as facial cleansers, cosmetics, etc.

When people use these products, microplastic particles may enter the human body through skin contact.

Are there other health risks from microplastics?

Microplastics have entered various organs of the human body through the blood flow. Microplastics have been found in the liver, intestines, heart, brain, bones and other places.

A few years ago, due to widespread concern about microplastics, WHO specifically reviewed the issue of the health risks of microplastics and produced the first summary report on the impact of microplastics on humans.

The core content of the report is that microplastics are everywhere, including in the ocean, fresh water, drinking water, food and air, but there is insufficient evidence to prove that they pose a risk to human health.

In recent years, there have been many research reports on microplastics at home and abroad. Some existing studies have shown that microplastics may be associated with some inflammatory bowel disease, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson's disease, infertility and other diseases, but these associations or causal relationships have not yet been clearly confirmed.

Image source: Tencent Medical Dictionary

At present, the specific impact of microplastics and their dose-effect relationship still need further exploration. Although there is no sufficient evidence to show that such microplastics can cause human diseases, given their increasing presence in the environment and human body, further evaluation and response to these potential health hazards are needed. To prevent microplastics from happening, we should try to reduce our exposure to microplastics.

How to reduce exposure to microplastics?

In the face of the health threats of microplastics, we can take the following measures to reduce exposure:

1. Reduce the use of disposable plastics: Avoid using disposable plastic tableware, straws, and packaging bags to reduce the generation of microplastics.

2. Correct garbage classification: Classify plastic waste and dispose of it separately to reduce the pollution of the environment by plastic waste.

3. Reduce plastic food packaging: Try to avoid eating takeout food, choose to bring your own lunch boxes to reduce the use of plastic food packaging.

4. Pay attention to personal hygiene: use laundry bags when washing clothes to reduce the shedding of clothing fibers; clean dust at home regularly to reduce the accumulation of microplastic particles indoors.