Recently, there is a myth going around among hair loss people. Right away, ‘exercise increases male hormone levels and causes hair loss’. Does exercise really make your hair fall out? Let’s take time to ‘fact check’ the correlation between exercise and hair loss.
A man exercisingㅣSource: Getty Image Bank
Does exercise increase testosterone levels? Yes!
It is true that exercise increases male hormone levels. Testosterone, a male hormone, plays a role in developing and maintaining muscles. When we exercise, our bodies secrete testosterone to restore damaged muscles. In a 2007 study published in the Journal of the Korean Society of Sports Science, ‘The Effect of Exercise Intensity on Growth and Testosterone Secretion’, 17 male college students were asked to exercise with weights, and then testosterone levels were tested before and after exercise, for 10 minutes in the recovery period, and for 40 minutes in the recovery period. Secretion levels were analyzed. As a result, testosterone secretion increased immediately after exercise and during all recovery periods, with the most noticeable increase in testosterone levels in the 40-minute recovery period after exercising at maximum intensity.
In particular, aerobic exercise increases male hormone levels. According to the research results of Seoul Paik Hospital professor Yeo Yu-kyun and Park Min-gu’s research team published in ‘The World Journal of Men’s Health (WJMH)’, an academic journal of the Korean Society of Men’s Science in 2018, the results of cardiorespiratory fitness tests showed a significant correlation with testosterone levels. . The research team said, “If you do aerobic exercise that can strengthen your cardiorespiratory fitness, the level of male hormones increases.”
Does exercise cause hair loss? No!
Many people think that an increase in testosterone, the male hormone, causes hair loss. However, the biggest cause of hereditary hair loss is ‘dihydrotestosterone (DHT)’. The reason for the misunderstanding about male hormones is that DHT is a modified substance of testosterone. Testorterone is converted into DHT by 5-α Reductase in the hair follicle, and DHT adversely affects the hair follicle, resulting in hereditary hair loss.
Haidak Dermatology Counseling Doctor Kim Sang-min (Maxwell Dermatology Jong-ro) said, “Everyone has DHT regardless of hair loss, but only when hair follicles react to DHT causes hereditary hair loss.” In other words, if the hair follicles do not respond even if there is a lot of DHT, hair loss does not appear. In conclusion, hereditary hair loss does not appear suddenly by exercising.
Director Kim Sang-min explained, “Rather, moderate exercise prevents hair loss.” Stress is one of the factors that exacerbate hair loss, and exercise lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Also, when you exercise, blood flow to the scalp increases, which is helpful for scalp health. In fact, there are also research results that exercise helps improve hair loss symptoms. The research team led by Professor Yumeng Jiang of Central South University, China, announced in 2020, evaluated 592 hair loss patients after exercising for 6 months. As a result, scalp itching, scalp greasiness, anxiety and depression symptoms were improved, and hair loss symptoms were alleviated. The research team said, “Exercising for more than 60 minutes every day helps to delay the progression of hair loss and improve symptoms.”
However, if you sweat a lot during exercise, sebum and dead skin cells can be mixed with each other and clog the pores of the scalp, so it is good to wash your hair immediately after exercising. Also, when exercising outdoors, be careful not to irritate your scalp with UV rays.
Help = Haidaq Counseling Doctor, Director Kim Sang-min (Maxwell Dermatology Clinic, Jongno Dermatology Specialist)
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