Could your exercise regimen be hastening hair thinning? Is there a chance that weight and resistance workouts might lead to hair fall?
Strength and resistance training can increase levels of DHT, a byproduct of testosterone responsible for male pattern baldness. To prevent hair loss caused by exercise, you can change your workout or focus on blockers and get supplements.
Can exercise make your hair fall out?
Yes. If your workouts are focused on strength building and resistance training, you need to start swapping your anaerobic exercise and include some aerobic workouts.
If you are working out for general fitness, including a couple of aerobic workouts with your anaerobic regime.
Anaerobic workouts can cause spikes in testosterone as you increase muscle mass. This is perfect for your endurance and strength training in an ideal world.
However, your DHT levels are going to increase in tandem, and guess what? You will start to lose hair.
What can I do to prevent hair loss?
Include a schedule of aerobic workouts to counterbalance the levels of testosterone. An average workout increases DHT by approximately 15 %, and it will level at an approximate 8% increase across the year.
If your workout regime is focused on competition, say bodybuilding, you may not want to deplete your energy and use muscle in aerobic workouts.
In this instance, you may consider taking a DHT blocker during your exercise cycle to prevent hair loss.
Finasteride is an effective DHT blocker and stops working pretty much instantly when you stop taking the drug. It is FDA approved and considered safe to use.
Finasteride has some side effects in a small percentage of men, namely erectile dysfunction, but it is a small percentage. You could assume there was nothing to measure the performance.
If you can fit in some cardio work, you will feel the benefits as cardio also reduces the stress hormone cortisol responsible for elevating your DHT.
How should I take care of my hair during exercise?
Have a great hairstyle that is easy to manage. It does not necessarily mean you need short hair, but a good hairstyle will be easy to maintain.
Keep your hair off your skin by tying it up with hair braids. Avoid elastic hair bands; they can cause a lot of friction and cause your hair to crimp and even break.
Avoid baseball caps for keeping your hair out of your eyes. The baseball cap may look good, but it will create excess heat and make you sweat more.
You don’t have to shampoo every day after your workout, and you can rinse your hair with clean water or use a conditioner before the workout and dry with a hairdryer after.
If you’re wearing a hairband, blast your hair with cool air before removing it to untangle any knots to prevent damage.
