Men’s testosterone reserves can diminish into depletion as they age, worsening the effects of aging. Age can cause a host of age-related health problems, making the body’s processes significantly less efficient. This includes brittle bones, slower recovery from injuries, and the loss of muscle definition and strength, among others.
Age also slows down the production of the body’s crucial hormones, including testosterone.
This slow but gradual age-related decline in testosterone production may lead to a condition known as low testosterone, a condition that can trigger a variety of detrimental effects ranging from lower bone density, loss of muscle mass, to a low libido and erectile dysfunction – just to name a few.
But before we get into the meat of the matter as far as how testosterone interacts with hair loss, we need to shed more light on what causes male pattern hair loss.
What Causes Hair Loss?
An array of divergent factors may lead to hair loss, including stress, poor diet, illnesses, infections, and taking certain types of drugs, such as chemotherapy.
Even your choice of hairstyle can lead to hair loss by tugging on your follicles, causing traction alopecia.
Many of these issues lead to temporary hair loss. If it is stress or a dietary problem causing your hair loss, it’s usually possible to grow it back once you address the underlying condition that’s causing it.
However, male pattern hair loss (also known as androgenetic alopecia) is the most common and well-known type of hair loss in men.
Male pattern hair loss, unlike other forms of hair loss (which are temporary), causes permanent hair loss. It typically begins with a receding hairline or a patch of thinning hair around the crown of your head, before leading to greater hair density loss over time.
Male pattern hair loss is quite common, affecting men of all ages around the world. Moreover, it can vary in severity. Some men may only have a patch of thinning hair on their crown, while others may completely lose all their hair.
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
That said, what is the actual cause of male pattern hair loss, and how is testosterone linked to it, if at all? Male pattern hair loss occurs due to an amalgamation of genetic factors and the effects of Male pattern baldness occurs due to a combination of genetic factors and the effects of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone known as a precursor to testosterone.
If you’re predisposed to male pattern baldness, DHT can attach itself to receptors in your scalp and lead to the shrinking of your hair follicles, interfering with the hair growth cycle. The process, known to experts as follicular miniaturization, may lead to follicles that are incapable of producing baby hairs essential for continued growth.
Dihydrotestosterone is a byproduct of DHT caused by the effects of the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme.
This enzyme is responsible for converting a fraction of your testosterone into DHT in your prostate, testes, and skin.
DHT is integral during childhood and puberty for the development genital, prostate, and secondary sex characteristics, such as a deeper voice and facial or body hair growth.
Once you hit adulthood, DHT no longer plays a key part in your body’s physiology. It may cause health issues such as male pattern hair loss and prostate enlargement.
Male pattern baldness treatments often work by inhibiting DHT from the source or at the follicles.
Do Testosterone Injections Cause Hair Loss?
If you’ve been clinically diagnosed with low testosterone, your healthcare provider may put you on testosterone replacement therapy to help increase your serum testosterone, so it rises back within the normal ranges, which range between 300 ng/DL on the low end of the normal spectrum to 1000 ng/DL on the high end of the spectrum.
Taking testosterone can help fight symptoms of low T, such as:
- Sexual dysfunctions such as erectile dysfunction (ED)
- Low sex drive
- Diminished bone/muscle density, mass, and strength
- Sleep disorders such as insomnia
- Development of breast tissue (gynecomastia)
- Increased body fat
- Mental health issues, such as anxiety and difficulties focusing
Testosterone is typically given as an injection, but it has various other forms, including pills, gels, patches, and subdermal implants, for example. Your healthcare specialist will determine the most appropriate treatment based on your medical history, needs, and preferences.
Granted, while testosterone itself doesn’t cause baldness, using testosterone can trigger and exacerbate the rapid progression of male pattern hair loss.
That’s because a fraction of the testosterone present in your bloodstream is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) by the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme..
When you receive testosterone injections, your testosterone levels rise, which means you give the 5 alpha-reductase enzyme more testosterone to convert into DHT. This spike in DHT levels indicates that the effects of male pattern hair loss might worsen at a faster pace.
Testosterone Replacement Therapy: Other Side Effects
Testosterone therapy can be incredibly beneficial if you have low testosterone, particularly for your overall health and quality of life.
But it’s not without its side effects. Here are some of testosterone replacement therapy’s potential side effects as follows:
- Lowered sperm count
- Prostate enlargement
- High cholesterol
- Sleep disorders
- Greater risk of cardiovascular disease
- Exacerbated heart failure
Testosterone therapy may also cause adverse effects if you already have an underlying cardiovascular condition. However, it is unclear whether testosterone therapy also increases your risk of experiencing heart attacks, strokes, or prostate cancer.
Consult your doctor about the potential effects of testosterone replacement therapy if you’re considering going on a regimen of injectable testosterone (or its many other forms).
Getting ED medication has never been easier
Connect with a US-licensed healthcare provider for a FREE evaluation!
Free Express
Shipping
Discreet
Shipping
No Waiting
Rooms
Preventing Male Pattern Hair Loss: Treatment Options
Hair loss can definitely be unnerving, whether you noticed it happen gradually over time, or whether you noticed it after going on testosterone therapy.
Fortunately, male pattern hair loss is largely treatable. There are two primary drugs you can take to either slow down, prevent, or undo the effects of male pattern hair loss so you can keep a fuller, thicker head of hair as you age.
Finasteride is an oral prescription drug that inhibits the effects of 5 alpha-reductase, preventing your body from naturally converting serum testosterone into DHT, and therefore preventing DHT from affecting your hair follicles.
Finasteride can reduce bloodstream DHT levels by as much as 70%, which is more than enough to stop the course of male pattern baldness for most men.
Based on clinical trials published in the American Academy of Dermatology, men with male pattern hair loss showed market improvements after taking finasteride for two years.
Minoxidil, meanwhile, is a topical treatment often given in the form of a topical foam or solution. Unlike finasteride, minoxidil doesn’t inhibit DHT, but rather stimulates hair growth by inducing the growth phase in your hair follicles. Moreover, minoxidil boosts scalp blood flow, allowing your blood vessels to amply nourish your follicles to stimulate growth.
Just like finasteride, minoxidil has demonstrated effectiveness in treating hair loss, especially when used in lockstep with finasteride, and scientific studies support the effects of both substances in helping boost hair growth.
Other Ways to Treat Male Pattern Baldness
Besides scientifically-proven drugs like finasteride and minoxidil, other lifestyle changes and nutrients can help you retain your crowning glory as you grow older, even as you take testosterone replacement therapy to stanch low testosterone.
For instance, you can supplement male pattern hair loss treatment and testosterone replacement therapy with vitamins that promote hair health, such as biotin, vitamin B12, vitamin C, and vitamin D12, just to name a few.
Other lifestyle changes you might want to implement to promote hair growth is to use hair loss shampoos, protecting your scalp from UV damage from the sun, and quitting smoking.
The Final Word on Testosterone Therapy and Hair Loss
If you have been diagnosed with low testosterone, your healthcare provider may put you on a regimen of testosterone replacement therapy to help bring your levels back up to the normal range.
While testosterone won’t cause hair loss in and of itself, increasing your serum testosterone levels may correspond to an increase in DHT levels, which may damage hair follicles and accelerate the effects of male pattern hair loss.
Worried about hair loss? Consider taking hair loss medicines like finasteride and minoxidil to stop baldness before it stops you from enjoying the quality of life that you deserve.
