“I Masturbate Every Day – Could It Be Causing My Hair Loss?”

Reader question:
This is a bit embarrassing to ask, but I masturbate pretty much every day and I've recently noticed my hair thinning around my temples. I've read online that ejaculating too often can increase testosterone and DHT, and I've also seen people say you lose protein and nutrients through semen. Could masturbating every day actually be causing my hair loss? Would stopping help my hair grow back?

Hair Loss Review Centre answers:

Let's get the awkward bit out of the way first.

No, there is currently no good scientific evidence that masturbation causes hair loss or makes you go bald.

This is one of those hair-loss myths that refuses to disappear, largely because there are a couple of theories behind it that sound vaguely plausible when you first hear them.

Neither has been shown to cause hair loss.

What about masturbation, testosterone and DHT?

This is probably where most of the confusion comes from.

Dihydrotestosterone, better known as DHT, really is important in male pattern hair loss. In genetically susceptible men, DHT contributes to the gradual miniaturisation of scalp hair follicles. The affected hairs become finer and shorter over successive growth cycles.

So the internet theory goes:

Masturbation → more testosterone → more DHT → more hair loss.

The problem is that human biology isn't that simple.

Sexual activity can be associated with short-term hormonal fluctuations, but there is no evidence showing that masturbating regularly produces the sustained changes in DHT necessary to cause androgenetic hair loss. Reviews of the question have similarly found no scientific evidence connecting masturbation with balding.

More importantly, male pattern baldness isn't simply a case of having "too much testosterone". Genetic susceptibility and the sensitivity of your scalp follicles to androgens are crucial.

Am I losing protein every time I ejaculate?

Technically, yes. Semen contains protein and other substances.

But the amount lost during ejaculation is tiny in the context of your overall nutritional intake.

You aren't draining your body of enough protein every time you masturbate to starve your hair follicles. The protein-loss theory simply doesn't provide a credible explanation for male pattern baldness.

The same applies to claims about masturbation dramatically depleting nutrients required for hair growth.

So why am I losing my hair at the same time?

This is probably the more important question.

If you're noticing gradual recession at your temples, particularly if you're a young man with a family history of hair loss, male pattern hair loss is a considerably more plausible explanation.

The timing can create a false connection.

Someone might masturbate regularly throughout their late teens and twenties — which also happens to be an age when genetically susceptible men can begin noticing changes to their hairline.

One happening alongside the other doesn't mean one caused the other.

Would giving up masturbation make my hair grow back?

There is no convincing evidence that abstaining from masturbation will reverse male pattern hair loss.

If your follicles are gradually miniaturising because of androgenetic alopecia, stopping masturbation doesn't address the underlying process.

Rather than worrying about how often you're ejaculating, look at the hair itself.

Take clear photographs of your hairline, temples and crown under consistent lighting and compare them every few months. If recession or thinning is progressing, consider speaking to your GP, dermatologist or an appropriately qualified hair-loss professional about the likely cause and available options.

What actually causes hair loss?

There are many possible causes.

Male and female pattern hair loss are extremely common, but excessive shedding can also occur following illness, significant stress, rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, hormonal changes and certain medications.

Sudden patches of hair loss or significant scalp inflammation require a different assessment again.

That's why identifying the type of hair loss you're experiencing is much more useful than blaming an everyday activity simply because the two things happened at roughly the same time.

Conclusion

Masturbating every day has not been shown to cause hair loss.

The theories about ejaculation depleting your protein or masturbation increasing DHT enough to make you bald aren't supported by good evidence. Current medical understanding instead points towards factors such as genetics and follicle sensitivity to androgens in pattern hair loss.

So if your temples really are receding, don't waste six months avoiding masturbation to see whether they come back.

Concentrate on finding out why your hair is thinning.

That's much more likely to give you a useful answer.

This article is for general information only and isn't intended to diagnose or treat a medical condition. If you're experiencing persistent, sudden or unexplained hair loss, seek advice from an appropriately qualified healthcare professional.