There are countless people who are confused and curious about the relationship between testosterone and hair loss. Does low testosterone cause hair loss or is the opposite true? Will it impact various parts of your body or just your head? Are there natural methods for combating hair loss, whatever the cause?
This blog will answer these questions in simple English, while also offering a more nuanced take on the hormone and how it affects hair. It should help you get a better perspective on this unique, yet relatively easy-to-understand aspect of (mostly) men’s health.
What causes hair loss? The role of genetics and DHT
It’s important to note that the primary causes of hair loss in men is genetic predisposition, otherwise known as androgenetic alopecia or male pattern baldness (or female). Having this genetic predisposition will make your hair follicles more sensitive to miniaturisation when they come into contact with DHT. Basically, if it runs in your family (especially your mother’s side), there’s a good chance it will affect you at some point.
What’s DHT? Well, it’s actually where testosterone comes into play.
What is DHT?
DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) is a male sex hormone that originates in testosterone, which converts after coming into contact with 5-alpha-reductase (5-AR) in the skin, prostate or hair follicles. It’s essentially testosterone that’s even more potent. When it binds to androgen receptors on hair follicles, it can cause the aforementioned miniaturisation in the genetically predisposed. This means the follicles get smaller, producing smaller, finer, shorter and lighter hairs, resulting in thinning and possibly baldness eventually.
Does high testosterone cause hair loss?
Having high T is generally considered a healthy thing, but does testosterone cause hair loss? If so, doesn’t that put men (and women) in a fairly complicated paradox? In reality, very high testosterone levels might well contribute to hair thinning and loss, but only if you’ve already got the gene for male pattern baldness. Your genetic makeup will always be the primary factor that determines how your hair is impacted by high T and the DHT that follows. This is especially true for people going through TRT.
Does low testosterone cause hair loss?
It’s clear that high testosterone has a relationship with hair loss, but what about the inverse? Low testosterone is generally not linked to male pattern baldness, however, having low testosterone doesn’t make those with the predisposition safe from thinning. In some cases, very low levels can result in body and facial hair reduction, but it’s not the same thing as experiencing male pattern baldness.
How to combat hair loss, regardless of testosterone
Men’s health treatments have become a lot more comprehensive in recent years, with there being a range of pathways for combating hair loss, such as:
- DHT treatments like Finasteride, Propecia and Dutasteride to regulate DHT conversion
- Hair follicle treatments like Minoxidil that promote blood flow and stimulate the follicles to slow or reverse miniaturisation.
Remember, the relationship is nuanced, with genetics being the primary influence on your head, whoever you are.
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