Experiencing hair loss? Now, you can blame it on air pollution, instead of only your genes.

A team of researchers at the University of London has linked the onset of male pattern baldness to environmental factors like air pollution and smoking.

According to the study, the toxins and carcinogens which are found in polluted air can actually stop hair growth. “Any pollutant that can get into the bloodstream or into the skin and into the hair follicle could cause some stress to it and impair the ability of the hair to make a fibre,” lead researcher Mike Philpott from the University’s School of Medicine at Queen Mary, said.