Comments on: Can weightlifting cause hair loss?

By: Jammy

Jammy — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 15:41:58 +0000

Iam 33 and completely agree with the above statement. I first lifted weights when i was 18 for 6 months and my hair reduce almost 1/3rd. My hair didn’t grew back but was stable until i again started lifting weights when i was 27, my hair started falling like hell and i was almost half way bald. By now i was pretty sure that weight lifting was the root cause. Just 6 months back i gain wnet to the gym for 2 months and lost more hair, you can say iam almost bald now. What more evidence is required that i only loose hair when i lift weights.
But that doesn’t mean all of the will loose hair who do weight training. I guess if its in your genes or if you have stressful life then it increases your DHT level with increase in testosterone level for muscle repair. In other words your testosterone gets converted into DHT unlike other lucky males who can carry a full head of crop with bulging biceps. No wonder why girls get attracted to men with muscles and good hair, as we are DHT infected.

By: Blake aka - FutureHTDoc

Blake aka - FutureHTDoc — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 05:04:20 +0000

Lee,

Most information about weight lifting supplements and hair loss is anecdotal at best. However, it’s always a good idea to review any new supplements with a personal physician before beginning a new regimen.

Blake (Future_HT_Doc)
Editorial Assistant

By: Lee

Lee — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 11:55:13 +0000

Hi everybody,

I would like to share my experiences with hair loss and heavy lifting exercises.

I am 30 years old, and have been working out since I was 18. Even during my busiest times I hit to gym at least 3 days a week, and regularly 5-6 times a week. I do cardio, heavy weight lifting, and some toning depending on the season.

My father and uncles have full set of hair. My mother’s father is a bald man though, he has been bald since his mid 30s.

I personally do not believe that weight lifting causes hair loss. However, the supplements can be very damaging for your hair. I used creatine when I was 22 (for almost 6 months), and witnessed an incredible shedding. Then I stopped using creatine, and my hair recovered in couple of months. For me, the use of whey protein (isolate+concentrate) does not cause any hair loss, furthermore makes my hair thicker and shinier. Interestingly, amino complex pills cause hair loss, so I also don’t use them at all.

So, for me, the magical formula is intensive training and whey protein. With this combo, I feel great and my hair is healthy.

By: S Gamer

S Gamer — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 00:42:27 +0000

Sean M ..any update after u stopped taking supplements? ..did ur hair start to grow again/strenghten?? ..

By: Corey

Corey — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 17:35:10 +0000

Hello all, I have been reading over your posts and having a little giggle to myself. There are so many myths that people just make up over time as to what causes hair loss. It is genetics. There is a chemical called DHT that is associated with higher levels of testosterone. Not like one man has more than another but like you have more than you did before maturity. If you have the gene for male pattern baldness when your body starts is mostly genetic, but can be increased by stress. No not the stress of excercising,but like worrying type stress. If you are going bald it has nothing to do with weight lifting unless you are stressing about it so much that it keeps you up at night and gives you a stomache ache.

By: anthony

anthony — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 04:32:46 +0000

your testosterone naturally peaks in autumn.. its your bodies mechanism to make sure babies are born in the summer, so therefore more test = more hairloss

By: SeanM

SeanM — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 17:47:16 +0000

Blake – Thank you for your reply.

As you mentioned, there is the possibility of coincidental timing – its one thing I definitely can’t rule out. That being said, I am more inclined to believe that it may be altered hormonal levels that are causing my rapid hair loss as a result of the whey protein and or extra testosterone being produced as a result of the strength weight training and subsequent increased DHT levels.

I’ve typically never paid attention to how many hairs I lose in a comb or due to running my hands through my hair during the course of a day. I slowly became aware of it when my hair began to lose its natural styling properties. It began to sit differently over the course of 1 year and would not hold its “shape”. It became much flatter and thinner… this is when I started actively watching how much hair I was losing.

I will take your advice and consult my physician regarding the matter as well as the prospect of taking Propecia and or Rogaine. For the time being I will lay off the whey protein, but continue my workouts twice a week and see how it goes.

I’ll be back here to update my results in a few months… hopefully with good news!

By: Blake aka - FutureHTDoc

Blake aka - FutureHTDoc — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 23:46:34 +0000

Hi Sean,

Sorry to hear this issue is causing you anxiety; hopefully we will be able to help!

Although it’s been speculated for quite some time, there has never been any conclusive link between whey protein, exercise, and hair loss. However, if any of the supplements taken did have a component that altered normal hormonal levels, this could cause accelerated male pattern baldness.

As to why you’re seeing the hair loss now, it could be because you’re simply paying more attention to your appearance or could be that you began experiencing more hair loss coincidentally, but it’s unlikely that it’s from whey protein or lifting weights.

Furthermore, if you really want to effectively stabilize your loss and regain some of the growth and density, I recommend utilizing proven products such as finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine). However, I highly recommend a consultation with a personal physician or a hair loss expert (http://www.hairtransplantnetwork.com/Consult-a-Physician/hair-loss-doctors.asp) before using any of these medications. A physician will be able to perform a thorough evaluation of your scalp and work out routine, and suggest the best course of action.

I hope this helps!

Blake (Future_HT_Doc)
Editorial Assistant

By: SeanM

SeanM — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 20:11:46 +0000

I’m 32 years old and have noticed my hair started thinning consistently and considerably since the fall of 2010. In early 2010 (Jan/Feb) I started working out at home… nothing serious, push ups, sit ups and some free weights. I also began taking a weight gainer supplement called Muscle Juice, which didn’t produce very drastic results (other than high levels of back acne) but I didn’t think it was hurting. Closer to the end of 2010, I’d been on a fairly consistent work out regiment of about an hour every second day for nearly the entire year. I was feeling good about my body’s appearance, but I could tell I was losing far more hair than I had ever before. Suspecting it may have been related to the muscle juice, I stopped taking the stuff. Early on in 2011 I decided it was time to take it up a notch and join a gym so I could achieve a more comprehensive workout. I also started taking a strictly protein based (no creatine or steroids) shake supplement mixed with milk after each workout in place of the muscle juice I’d previously taken. I was assured by the guy at the supplement place that it was as “natural” as a post workout supplement gets. So I’ve been going to the gym twice a week for about an hour each visit since the beginning of the year and honestly my hair loss has increased two fold over the time when I was just doing free weights at home. It’s falling out so fast right now, it’s scary. Aside from a very slight receding hairline that began to manifest itself since my early twenties, I’ve never been one to lose so much hair in such a short period of time. The hairs themselves seem to be thinner and break easier than they ever did before. I’ve even taken steps to prevent the hair loss like DHT blocking shampoos and tonics, but they don’t seem to be helping much. I’ve always had a head of thick, full hair up until the last year and a bit and the ONLY lifestyle change I’ve made has been to lift weights (along with the post workout supplements). All of the men in my family have kept their hair throughout their adult lives and into old age. Barring of course the unavoidable and eventual receding hairline and thinning that inevitably comes with old age, but I’m taking about the things that occur at age 60 and over. I have absolutely no other possible explanation as to why I’ve been losing so much hair so quickly. I don’t want to stop working out, because I feel great! Maybe it’s the protein supplement shake that’s contributing to it? I don’t know! Help!

By: joe

joe — Sat, 21 May 2011 14:26:41 +0000

i started takin creatinewhey,glutamin and had a hair transplant 1 year ago wil creatine affect my newly transplanted hair