The reward of bodybuilding is there for everyone who wants to put in the time to build muscle and see results, often showcased through well-fitted, muscle fit shirts. However, some bodybuilders face an unexpected challenge: hair loss.
so can bodybuilding cause hair loss? Bodybuilding itself does not directly cause hair loss, but certain factors associated with intense bodybuilding might contribute to it. For example, the use of anabolic steroids, commonly abused in some competitive circles, can lead to hair loss due to hormonal imbalances. Additionally, extreme diets and stress from overtraining can also impact hair health, potentially accelerating hair thinning or loss.
In this article, we look into whether bodybuilding itself leads to hair loss, what factors contribute to hair loss, and what bodybuilders can do to keep their hair while building their body.
Why Do Bodybuilders Have Hair Loss?
Change in hormones, stress and lifestyle factors are known to cause hair loss among bodybuilders. The fact that testosterone levels tend to naturally increase during the construction of muscle is one big factor.
Testosterone is good for your muscle growth, but it can be converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is a hormone that can shrink your hair follicles if you’re genetically predisposed to hair thinning or loss.
In some body building circles anabolic steroids and performance enhancing drugs are used and this can accelerate hair loss. Artificially raising testosterone and DHT levels makes these things more powerful on hair follicles.
Does Building Muscle Reduce Hair?
Although building muscle doesn’t actually cause hair loss directly, the hormonal shifts that come with it could. Testosterone is important for muscle growth, as mentioned, and DHT (the byproduct of testosterone) can harm the hair. That said, not everyone will lose hair from muscle building activities. Genetics play a huge role in deciding what the body will do with excess DHT; will the body thicken or thin hair?
However, it’s important to know that while building muscle can cause some to experience hair loss, not everyone will experience hair loss the same way. The combination of training, hormonal changes and other factors can trigger or accelerate hair thinning in people who are genetically predisposed to hair loss.
Can Bulking Make You Lose Hair?
In some cases, bulking (increasing your calorie intake to promote muscle growth) can cause you to lose hair. It’s because a bulking phase involves extremely fast changes in body fat, metabolism and hormone levels, which can cause stress to the body. In turn, stress is a well known cause of hair loss.
In addition to that, bulking diets (which often consist of tonnes of protein, fats, and supplements) can create hormonal imbalance if not properly taken care of. In fact, hair loss can be made worse by certain dietary deficiencies or by excessive consumption of certain nutrients, when these are used in conjunction with the body’s natural response to bulking and muscle gain.
Do Bodybuilders Lose Body Hair?
While the primary concern for most bodybuilders is scalp hair loss, some might also notice changes in body hair. However, body hair loss is less common and typically associated with other factors, such as the use of steroids or hormonal imbalances. Anabolic steroids can affect hair growth patterns, leading to loss in areas like the chest, legs, or arms.
That said, many bodybuilders prefer to shave or wax their body hair for aesthetic reasons, especially when preparing for competitions, which can give the appearance of body hair loss.
Does Working Out Cause Hair Growth?
In fact, exercise can have positive effects on hair growth. Workouts make the blood circulation regular and in exchange the blood carries a lot more oxygen and nutrients to the hair follicles for better hair growth. Working out also decreases stress that can lead to your hair loss.
Intense training does cause temporary hair shedding as the body is stressed, but moderate and balanced exercise routines are mostly good for health, including hair health.
How Do Bodybuilders Keep Their Hair?
For bodybuilders concerned about hair loss, there are several strategies to maintain healthy hair:
- Lifestyle Adjustments: To manage hair health you can reduce stress through proper sleep, relaxation techniques and balanced workouts.
- Proper Nutrition: Eating foods rich in biotin, zinc and iron can help hair grow. Omega 3 fatty acids are also good for scalp health.
- Avoid Anabolic Steroids: Maintaining hair is essential for those who don't want to use steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. Hair loss is accelerated by these substances by raising levels of DHT.
- Hair Care Routine: Hair can be protected from unnecessary damage by regular scalp care with gentle shampoos and without harsh chemicals.
We at OxCloth know all too well the issues bodybuilders face with maintaining their look, particularly with hair health. For that reason, all of our apparel is crafted with comfort in mind; our products accommodate without excessive stress on the scalp or hairline. You can trust OxCloth to keep your hair healthy while keeping you looking your best, as you push your body to its limits.
Conclusion
While bodybuilding doesn’t directly cause hair loss, factors like hormonal changes, intense training, and lifestyle choices can contribute to it. The good news is that bodybuilders can take steps to manage hair loss by maintaining a balanced lifestyle, paying attention to nutrition, and avoiding harmful substances.
Remember, hair loss doesn’t have to be an inevitable part of bodybuilding, and while looking good is the aim with bodybuilding, look no further than Oxcloth.
We’re not just another clothing brand; they’re crafted keeping in mind the unique requirements of bodybuilders and fitness aficionados. We wanted to create a clothing brand that is for bodybuilders, made by bodybuilders.
Oxcloth clothing is fashioned by designers and created with and around people who like to build and shape their bodies. The patterns for all our products are conducted through the sampling of hundreds of different athletically built men to ensure the absolute best muscle fit clothing on the market.
We’ve done extensive research and no-one creates muscle fitting clothing like us. Forged from the everyday gripes of the athletic male, we struggled to find smart attire that fits our bodies the way we wanted them to.
We wanted to create a catalogue of fashionable clothing that's main function is to fit around your muscular body shape. Never again will you have to order an unnecessarily large shirt in order to fit your chest and arms, leaving your midriff baggy and ill-fitted.
Never again will you fear buying chinos online as they might not fit your quads; Oxcloth provides clothing for athletes and bodybuilders with an exclusive collection including muscle fit shirts, athletic fit chinos, athletic fit jeans and athletic fit shorts.
