Lifestyle factors and hair loss
Going bald is no big deal for some guys. Others find the first sign of thinning hair or a receding hairline shatters confidence and is a source of real anxiety.
Hair loss is extremely common. It affects up to 30 per cent of men by the age of 30, and 50 per cent by the age of 50.
The Hairmop team are the experts on balding, what causes it, and what you can do about it. They are often asked about the impact that lifestyle factors can have on hair loss.
Food and alcohol
There is very little evidence that your diet has any effect on hair loss. Eating well is definitely great for your skin and body, but it doesn’t really impact the hair on your head.
Alcohol consumption, on the other hand, can definitely affect hair growth and hair health. Having more than the recommended number of standard drinks a day can cause nutritional deficiencies and problems with hormones, which can all lead to balding.
Smoking
Smoking can be bad for your skin and hair. Extensive research shows that it’s directly linked to poor hair health and baldness. Men who smoke are twice as likely to be bald, and more than four times as likely to have grey hair. If you smoke, quitting is a great idea to improve your hair as well as your health. Learn more here.
Hormones and steroids
Male pattern baldness is hormonally driven. People therefore often wonder if ‘testosterone boosting’ activities like exercise and sex could speed up hair loss.
Not at all! Those activities definitely don’t boost testosterone enough to affect balding. And if you’ve ever claimed to be bald because you “have more testosterone”, unfortunately that isn’t really true either.
If you use steroids or peptides to work out, though, these almost certainly do contribute to hair loss.
PrEP
Lots of guys are now using PrEP (or Truvada) to reduce the risk of HIV. Some people notice some hair loss and thinning after starting PrEP.
If you do experience hair loss on PrEP, talk to your doctor about solutions to stay protected and help keep your hair.
Myths
There are plenty of myths about what causes balding. While some people think washing your hair often or using lots of hair product can make you go bald, there’s absolutely no correlation.
Baldness is due to a mix of hormones and genes, not a mechanical process. You might notice some shedding when you wash your hair, but you’re not pulling hair out, it’s shedding by itself.
The bottom line
Going bald is normal. There is still no cure for baldness, but there are many successful treatment options to stop hair loss and help you regrow your hair. You can talk to your doctor, or get started with Hairmop, an Australian online hair loss clinic.