DHEA and hair loss

[AdamK47]

I've been reading about the benefits of DHEA and the side effects. The one side effect that has me worried is hair loss. I'm 32 years old and have all of my hair. What are the chances of me using DHEA 50mg a day for a year and having hair loss? Is the hair loss with DHEA in line with genetic hair loss that other men have? Does it speed up / increase the hair loss only with those with the genetic trait? If hair loss or thinning occurs, would stopping DHEA reverse the symptoms?

 

[classy]

What are using dhea for, to gain muscle?

 

[AdamK47]

That and to help with general fatigue. I've been exercising and lifting for over a month now and it has helped out quite a bit. I've been thinking about trying DHEA to see if it can help with the fatigue. Especially on off days.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dehydroepiandrosterone#Mechanism_of_action

Sounds like it's snake oil for one in that it's not likely to do what you want, but if you actually get an effect then yea you probably will be more prone to male pattern baldness. Androgens are the key to that occurring and all treatments for it focus on stopping them. Taking anti-androgens or getting castrated will actually stop male-pattern baldness : p

I suggest forgetting about doping to build muscle. Be happy with what you have/get and being healthy.

 

[AdamK47]

I don't play sports what-so-ever, so I'm not worried about "doping". The vitamin store a quarter mile from my work has several brands of it in stock.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Whether it's for sports or not, taking drugs ("supplements") to push yourself is doping.

 

[surfsatwerk]

I wouldn't worry about hair loss.

 

[tedrodai]

I've been exercising and lifting for over a month now and it has helped out quite a bit. I've been thinking about trying DHEA

Sorry if I'm just reading this wrong, but have you only been working out for a month? If so, now's really not the time to start considering drugs, if you do so insist.

 

[AdamK47]

In that case, when? I did some searching and didn't see a timeframe for when to start taking it. Perhaps I missed it.

 

[AdamK47]

Also, I really didn't get a straight answer to my original questions.

 

[surfsatwerk]

Also, I really didn't get a straight answer to my original questions.

I don't have sources but from what I have read DHEA isn't specific in what hormones it eventually becomes. It could increase your test or estrogen or both. And the hair loss effects is completely up to whatever you're genetically predisposed to. But because it can't do much to your hormones to begin with I would not expect any hair loss under the worst scenario.

If you are really interested in managing your hormones there are far better ways to do it, and far better places to go investigate than here.

 

[tedrodai]

Sorry, mine wasn't a good answer to your question, just a general recommandation. It had nothing to do with the drug itself but rather your knowledge and experience level with personal fitness. You said you're not interested in sports/competition, so what exactly are your goals? It sounds like you want every edge you can get, but why? The why doesn't matter to me, I'm just tryin to make sure you've asked yourself. Supplements might help in some cases, but it's not the supplements themselves that improve your body...it's what your diet and exercise regimen consists of (which you know). You're going to get fatigued regardless...your body simply needs proper nutrition and recovery time in order to make the improvements you want. Fatigue level will generally improve as you continue to exercise, however, as your body becomes used to it--again, as long as you're getting proper nutrition and rest.

Your individual chance to experience hair loss from DHEA is probably very low, but as with any drug you simply have to make a choice whether to accept that risk because you want the proposed benefits.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Also, I really didn't get a straight answer to my original questions.

I gave you a source to a straight answer and a straight answer. It's not likely to give you the results you want, and if it does then it's likely to give you hair loss. There's no one on earth that's going to be able to read your message post and give you real odds on hair loss from it; not even someone that double majored in genetics and pharmacology.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

DHEA is not one of those supplements that has a whole lot of good research supporting it. You likely want to start out without supplementation, as suggested, and see what you can achieve there. If you stall out a little bit, much more clinically proven supplements include whey protein and creatine monohydrate. You don't really want to supplement with things that are going to modify your hormones. Everybody thinks more testosterone is better, but only a large swing in testosterone levels (as experienced during puberty or actual testosterone doping) actually results in significant muscle mass increases.

 

[tedrodai]

Wasn't tryin to bash your level of experience/knowledge by the way. But there's just no substitute to the experience, just like for most everything else in life.

 

[Jeffg010]

"That and to help with general fatigue."

I'm not sure why you need to turn to supplements for this. I got to ask you 2 things how much sleep are you getting a night and what is your diet consist of? These 2 things are the most important to get right to help with fatigue. If you are only getting 4 hours of sleep a night or eating junk food and non balance meals you will be sluggish.

I would stay away from drugs/supplements. The only thing I would be ok with is a protein shake. The only thing the shake would do is help build muscle which is something you said you wanted to do.

 

[AdamK47]

I've decided not to take it.

 

[Awkward]

DHEA lowers cortisol, so I would assume DHEA would be more of a pro-hair supplement rather than something bad for it.

http://www.anti-agingmd.com/dhea.html

 

[SociallyChallenged]

DHEA lowers cortisol, so I would assume DHEA would be more of a pro-hair supplement rather than something bad for it.

http://www.anti-agingmd.com/dhea.html

It's not. DHEA is consistently linked in research to balding.

 

[Awkward]

It's not. DHEA is consistently linked in research to balding.

really? can you link some sites that will prove it without a reasonable doubt? because, i can't seem to find anything that remotely proves it. in fact, it's really quite the opposite as dhea combats both cortisol and adrenal fatigue.

note: i'm looking for something scientific not a blog post.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

really? can you link some sites that will prove it without a reasonable doubt? because, i can't seem to find anything that remotely proves it. in fact, it's really quite the opposite as dhea combats both cortisol and adrenal fatigue.

note: i'm looking for something scientific not a blog post.

Luckily, I don't typically post anything other than scientific research for my support Also, research never proves anything beyond all reasonable doubt. Everything has a bias and only works off a 95% confidence. Nothing in science is proven, undeniable fact.

Serum DHEA levels higher in bald males
http://www.eblue.org/article/S0190-9622(87)70075-9/abstract

Baldness associated with conversion of DHEA (DHA in that paper) into androstenedione (AD)
http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v91/n2/abs/5613586a.html

In addition, abnormal metabolism of DHEA linked to baldness (increased DHEA levels may lead to increased levels of defunct products)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022473172900945

 

[surfsatwerk]

But the crap they sell at Walgreens or CVS isn't going to jack up your serum levels

 

[Awkward]

Luckily, I don't typically post anything other than scientific research for my support Also, research never proves anything beyond all reasonable doubt. Everything has a bias and only works off a 95% confidence. Nothing in science is proven, undeniable fact.

Serum DHEA levels higher in bald males
http://www.eblue.org/article/S0190-9622(87)70075-9/abstract

Baldness associated with conversion of DHEA (DHA in that paper) into androstenedione (AD)
http://www.nature.com/jid/journal/v91/n2/abs/5613586a.html

In addition, abnormal metabolism of DHEA linked to baldness (increased DHEA levels may lead to increased levels of defunct products)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0022473172900945

its specific pathways are still unknown. Note in every study it claims to aggravate males previously exposed to MPB; yet no study can exactly pinpoint why DHT levels rise. dhea itself is a weak androgen that's been shown to contradict itself by being both an agonistic and antagonistic to DHT.

OP claims to have a full head of hair, so i highly doubt an OTC supplement is going to cause his hair to suddenly fall out. still, it's best to get your levels checked before or just using 7-keto instead as it's not hormonal and simply a metabolite.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

its specific pathways are still unknown. Note in every study it claims to aggravate males previously exposed to MPB; yet no study can exactly pinpoint why DHT levels rise. dhea itself is a weak androgen that's been shown to contradict itself by being both an agonistic and antagonistic to DHT.

OP claims to have a full head of hair, so i highly doubt an OTC supplement is going to cause his hair to suddenly fall out. still, it's best to get your levels checked before or just using 7-keto instead as it's not hormonal and simply a metabolite.

Just because they can't explain why it happens doesn't mean there isn't a correlation that has been reproduced consistently. You don't have to know the mechanisms to know that it happens. You have to reverse engineer from there to find out why. It doesn't mean it doesn't happen though. You asked for research, I supplied it. If you don't think it's sufficient, that's fine, but I cited research. The burden of proof is now on you to retort.

 

[Artista]

I can speak to this with some level of competency. First of all a comprehensive physical exam with blood work, including hormone levels, DHEA level, thyroid, etc etc should be first. Then you discuss options with the physician. Get a sports physician or anti-aging physician otherwise they wont have the training to be healpful at all on this.

Did you know that since DHEA is a hormone precurser that it can be converted to estrogen or testosterone depending on your own individual body? It has to be monitored like eveything else when you take it.