Can weight-lifting increase the rate of baldness?

A more likely cause of hair loss with weight loss is "telogen effluvium." The stress to one's system from sudden or excessive weight loss can throw hair follicles into their resting phase. This is when many hairs are shed. Other stressors like high fevers, childbirth, and even surgery, can lead to telogen effluvium. 

Body building usually causes an increase in testosterone levels. Most body builders know that increasing testosterone levels helps improve power, strength and endurance. Increasing testosterone has a positive effect on the performance in the gym, but it can have a negative effect on hair growth.  Testosterone is a male hormone but it is also present (in lesser amounts) in women. Generally speaking the more testosterone in the body, the more extreme the male characteristics will be.

DHT: a by-product of testosterone

Hair loss occurs far more frequently in men than it does in women.. That is because men tend to have much higher levels of testosterone. DHT is a by-product of testosterone. In general, as we age, more DHT is produced from testosterone. DHT causes hair fall and thinning..

Some people are more susceptible to DHT than others. Some people produce more testosterone than others, and some people will experience more of an increase in testosterone as a result of starting a weight lifting/body building routine.

Weight lifting or body building may cause an increased rate in hair loss, IF you are susceptible to the negative effects of DHT and your weight lifting/body building routine results in an increase in testosterone levels. So, only in some cases will people experience thinning hair as a result of body building.  It depends on the individual and their genetics.

Should you worry about the effects of body building?

You don’t need to worry about the effects of body building on your hair, unless you are taking supplements that are designed to increase your testosterone levels. Some testosterone boosting supplements (below) can have a very negative effect on your hair, therefore these types of products should really be avoided if you treasure your locks.

Young Men Experiencing Baldness

Guest post by David Langer

Why does it seem like more and more young men in their 20s are losing their hair more rapidly than past generations? Is this really happening or is this a mere configuration of our imagination?

Having been on Facebook for over ten years (I am now 29), naturally I have a large group of friends on there, many of whom I went to school and college with. From my friends on Facebook, around 275 are male, most of whom are around my age.

Now, having noticed this trend by fluke, I would estimate that over 50% of my male friends have either started to recede or are on their way to baldness before they even reached 30. I found this quite surprising, especially considering male pattern baldness is meant to be something that affects the minority of men.

According to some statistics floating around the internet, over 60% of men will suffer from some form of hair loss by the time they reach their 40s. Isn't that just crazy? Surely that can't be true, cant it? It would certainly explain why so many of the men in my social networks seem to be losing their hair at such young ages.

So are more men actually going bald?

Unless a very large scale study is performed to compare the men of today to the men of yesteryear, this is a question that we cannot answer accurately. If this is actually the case, then I have a few theories that may explain why.

Society has changed from 20 or 30 years ago, with dramatic changes in lifestyles, diets and health routines. Even though the main cause of male pattern baldness is genetics, it's no secret that stress can play a huge role in losing hair. It's common knowledge that an increasing amount of young men are suffering from stress more than our past generations ever did. Could this be a valid reason why a large number of men are losing their hair so early in life?

Also, due to the technological factor, our diets and lifestyles have changed dramatically, therefore this could play a huge part in the rapid increase of balding in young men. Are we giving our bodies the right amount of key vitamins and nutrients to sustain healthy hair growth?

Based on the theory of genetics, perhaps too many of today's young men have been unfortunate enough to be a part of the wrong genetic pool, of which has cost them their full head of hair at such an early point in their lives.

Can hair loss be treated or cured?

I am not an expert in the field of hair loss, but I know for a fact there is no cure for hair loss, as the market currently stands. The hair loss industry is worth billions of pounds, so it seems pretty evident that many brands and companies are all wanting a big slice of the lucrative cake. But how many of these 'treatments' on the market actually work, and what is it that they actually claim to do?

Like I said, I am not an expert in hair loss of any kind, so don't quote me on this, but having done a little research of my own and spoken to the majority of my male friends on Facebook who are suffering from balding, it seems there are indeed options, in the way of products and treatments, that can enable men to slow down and even prevent baldness.

The affordable treatments for hair loss tend to come in two main forms: the oral tablet/pill, and the topical solution. Some guys use one type of treatment and other guys prefer to go for the double combo. Herbal tablets and pills tend to be the most popular form of treatment, as some of them provide the body with key vitamins and nutrients for hair health. Topical solutions come in the way of serums, shampoos, foams and oils that can penetrate into the scalp and revitalise weak hair follicles.

The only FDA approved hair loss treatments are Minoxidil (a topical solution) and Finasteride (Propecia), but these two products tend to come with nasty side-effects, so try to avoid these two if you can.

Are men actively looking for hair loss solutions?

Of my male friends who I spoke to, I would say only around 10% are trying to do something about their hair loss problem. The vast majority of guys were perfectly accepting of the fact they were going to lose their hair by the time they reached 40, but none were particularly pleased about this.

To me at least, and many of you I am sure, it does seem like an ever-increasing amount of men in their 20s are suffering from balding and thinning hair. We look at the older generation of men in their 40s and 50s, and so many of them seem to have thick hair and strong hairlines. Could this be pure coincidence or is there some truth in this observation?

The main thing to take from this is that if you are a man in your 20s and you are losing your hair, it's always recommended to tackle the issue as quickly as possible. You really don't want to be entering your 40s with no hair on your head, filled with regret that you didn't at least try to do something about it sooner.

So, if you're ploughing through the Norwood Scale, then go to your doctor for some advice. If, like many men, you're a little embarrassed to talk to your doctor about your hair loss, then do some research, try some natural products and treatments, and start your battle with hair loss as soon as possible. The earlier you start, the more chance you'll have of retaining a decent head of hair when you creep into your 40s.

What are the best anti-hair loss treatments?

No one ever said that beating hair loss would be easy - but it is achievable, and you also don't need to fork out for an expensive hair transplant to solve your problem. Over the months we've brought you a range of varied anti-hair loss recommendations, spanning from serums and shampoos, to supplements and electronic devices.


Here, we take you though the ultimate top-eight products to try if you are suffering from early stages of baldness and thinning hair. It should be noted that one cannot use all these products simultaneously, so as a broad recommendation, just pick one or two that you feel will work best for you.

1. HR23+ Serum + Supplement Tester Pack

If you're looking for an effective double defence system against hair loss, then be sure to consider HR23+ Serum and HR23+ Supplement. Containing KGF and Saw Palmetto, HR23+ Scalp Therapy Serum is one of the most potent formulas you will find on the market, but fear not, it is completely safe to use, so you won't suffer from any side-effects. The supplement contains 23 key ingredients that are designed to prevent the rate of hair fall and promote the formation of hair growth. This potent supplement is the fastest growing supplement of its kind on the market.

2. Shea Butter Hair Protein

Hair proteins are becoming increasingly popular, and it's not just women who are purchasing this stuff - men are jumping on the bandwagon too! Weak hair strands crave for protein, which helps strengthen the hair, therefore adding a good hair protein to your hair care routine is actually quite essential, especially if you want stronger, thicker looking hair.

3. TRX2 Lotion & Foam

These two releases are fairly new from Oxford BioLabs, but we are assured they are more effective than the 'hit-and-miss' supplement. TRX2 Lotion and TRX2 Foam are both consistent with the potassium based supplement, but with a more expansive blend. It's still rather early to predict how well these formulas can work for hair loss, but they could well be worth a try if you are suffering from damaged or weakened hair follicles.

4. Nanogen Hair Building Fibres

The hair building fibre is not a treatment for hair loss, but rather a concealer. Hair building fibres give male and female users a great lift in confidence, enabling them to live happier and more productively. For covering bald patches on the scalp, hair building fibres is the ideal quick-fix solution. Many people even use them after undergoing hair transplantation, n order to cover scars and marks as their new hair grows in.

5. OGX Biotin & Collagen Shampoo

Simply the best and most affordable shampoo of its kind on the market. If you're looking for a shampoo that can help prevent unnecessary hair fall and promote stronger, thicker looking hair, then be sure to try OGX Biotin & Collagen Shampoo - which can be purchased from your local Boots stores and most supermarkets.

6. Procerin Tablets & XT Foam

Procerin is the biggest selling hair supplement for men in America. The whole range consists of tablets, foam and shampoo, with the tablets being their best selling product. With a potent blend of ingredients including Saw Palmetto, Procerin can block the formation of DHT (the cause of hair loss) and encourage healthy hair growth. With a 90% success rate (or so their website claims), As low as £15 per bottle, Procerin is well worth a try if you are male and suffering from early stages male pattern baldness.

7. Green Tea Extract

Green tea is a good source of panthenol, which is often used in shampoos and conditioners to strengthen hair and manage split ends. Panthenol, along with the other antioxidants present in green tea, may help in strengthening the hair and making it healthier. Consider adding green tea supplement form into your hair care routine for stronger growing hair.

8. Yuda Pilatory Hair Growth Spray

With apparent positive customer reviews, Yuda Pilatory Spray is distributed globally, and is particularly popular with men battling the common condition of a thinning crown. Yuda claim to use 5% Minoxidil in their spray, which would explain the positive results in customers who have tried this product. Minoxidil is the only FDA approved liquid treatment for hair loss on the market. Containing the hair beneficiary ingredients Herbal Ginseng extract, Angelica extract, and Polagonum multiflorum extract, this product claims to stimulate blood circulation, improve the functioning of hair follicles, control hair loss and promote hair growth.