I’ve been experiencing some thinning in my temple area. The timeframe seems to roughly coincide with two events in the past year:
- Starting lifting weights with seriousness.
- Going through a stressful period of mental and emotional turmoil over a girl.
Concerned, I scoured the Internet for more information, and came across articles saying weight lifting can contribute to, or accelerate, hair loss in men. It seems there is a consensus that there definitely is a risk for hair loss if you use steroids, but whether or not just lifting weights can contribute seems to be up in the air.
The main article that this topic came up, and is often quoted from, is from The Sun, a UK tabloid newspaper whose credibility seems to be questioned? (Any UK people here?) Factually though, testosterone spikes after a workout session, no? And that testosterone gets converted to DHT?
Does anyone have any more information on this subject?
I wanted to get big, and I also just plain enjoy my workout sessions. But I don’t know if I want to do it at the risk of going bald. I’m not big or muscular, but I’m not overweight either. Honestly, I’d rather be not fat with a full head of hair over muscular but bald.
And, before anyone suggests it - no, I’d rather not shave my head. I don’t have the head shape for it and look terrible with my head shaved.
For what it’s worth, I’m 27 years old, Asian (Korean). I’ve read Asians are the least susceptible to male pattern baldness out of any ethnic group save for Native Americans - and based on fellow Asian men around me - all of them under the age of 40 seem to have all or most of their hair. Granted - including the ones who weight train.
My maternal grandfater was bald when he passed away at age 70+, but he didn’t really start losing hair until he was 50+. My father has also lost some hair, but only started after 40+, and still has most of his hair today as he approaches 60. All my maternal uncles have more or less full heads of hair at 50 and 60+.
Any pointers?