Many well-known “facts” about hair loss are much less factual than most people believe. One of the big ones is that an excess of testosterone causes male-pattern baldness and other forms of hair loss.
This is further complicated because many believe hormone therapy will impact your hair growth, especially testosterone therapy. So we’ve compiled a few facts about testosterone’s effect on hair loss.
Does Testosterone Also Cause Hair Loss?
No, not by itself. Sorry to all those men who claimed their bald spot meant they had more testosterone and were more virile, and that’s not true.
Men with male pattern baldness may have less free testosterone circulating in their bodies and more dihydrotestosterone, also known as DHT. Even DHT alone isn’t enough to cause hair loss, but if you have the right, or maybe wrong, genetic factors, DHT can activate the problem.
Men with a close family relative with male pattern baldness, also known as androgenic alopecia, are likely to have the genetic code that makes their hair follicles more susceptible to thinning. However, men can carry that trait on either side of the family, not just the mothers.
When the hair follicles thin, they gradually become so fine they don’t grow anymore.
Because people have misunderstood the correlation between testosterone and hair loss, some have suggested that hormone therapy might increase hair loss. But the truth of the matter might be the exact opposite.
Does Testosterone Grow Hair Back?
In 2012, researchers tried to determine if testosterone-producing scalp implants would help women who suffered from androgenic alopecia. The results were largely inconclusive, given the size of the study, but some women did report an increase in hair growth.
Confirming that testosterone likely does not cause hair loss, more than 90% of the women in the study reported they did not have additional hair loss.
However, many people avoid testosterone-based hair loss treatments because of potential adverse side effects, including increased hair growth in other areas, especially facial hair.
Many hair loss treatments focus on reducing DHT production as a means to stop the thinning of hair follicles. This can include topical treatments like Minoxidil and the oral medication Finasteride, among others.
So what do you do if you think you may have excessive levels of DHT leading to androgenic alopecia?
Call BayMed Hair and Aesthetics for Help with Hair Loss
At BayMed Hair and Aesthetics, our hair loss specialists can help you determine the cause of your hair loss and the appropriate care. During your initial consultation, we will discuss your family history of hair loss and conduct the appropriate testing to identify how your body is destroying its hair follicles. When you call and schedule a consult with BayMed Hair and Aesthetics, we will help you understand the cause of your hair loss and the best course of treatment to address it.
