Hair loss is a deeply embarrassing problem. It can destroy your self-confidence. Studies have also shown that hair loss is linked to anxiety and feelings of withdrawal. If you’re not careful, this can take you into a very dark place, causing many people to experience depression.

Given these severe side effects, it’s not uncommon to wonder why you are experiencing hair loss in the first place. There is likely a genetic factor. But there is another element to consider—the link between hair loss and steroids. Let’s take a closer look at the connection between these dangerous drugs and hair loss.

Types Of Hair Loss

It’s tempting to think that all hair loss is equal. After all, they all cause the same effects. The truth is more complicated. There are lots of reasons why you might be losing hair. Figuring out the cause will help you figure out how to fight back.

Androgenetic Hair Loss

This is the most common explanation. It’s also known as pattern baldness and it can hit both men and women. This is due to your genetics, and a change in your hormonal balance as you grow older.

This type of baldness is generally slow. It’ll start in your late teens. At this point, you’ll notice a little thinning on top of your head. Over time, though, things will get worse. By the time you reach 50, you’ll notice that your hairline is receding. This pattern will continue throughout your life until all the hair on your head is gone.

Because this type of balding is built into your DNA, there’s not a lot you can do to avoid it entirely. But steroids will just make the matter worse, speeding the process up.

Balding Induced By Drugs

Sometimes, certain medically prescribed drugs can cause you to lose your hair. The most common example of this is with cancer treatments. These stress your body and disturb your hormonal balance. The harsher the drug, the more hair you will lose. The good news is that you should stop losing hair once you stop taking the medication.

Temporary Hair Loss

Some situations can cause you to temporarily lose your hair. This is in response to a circumstance that throws your hormones out of whack. Most commonly, a very stressful situation.  Once the stress has passed your hair should return to normal.

Hormonal imbalances are complex, which makes it hard to pinpoint the reason why your levels are off. For example, iron deficiency has been linked to hair loss. There are dozens of reasons you might be experiencing this. For example, you might not be getting enough iron in your diet. At other times, you might have an intestinal issue that prevents you from absorbing the nutrients. The only way to find the root of the problem is by going to your doctor.

Permanent Hair Loss

This is one of the most devastating options. Usually, this only occurs once the hair follicles have been damaged irreversibly. This stops them from growing back. The good news is that there are ways of fixing this problem. The problem is that you’ll need to have deep pockets. As we’ll discuss later, these treatments can end up costing thousands of dollars.

How Steroids Impact Hair Loss

Hair loss can occur naturally. But steroids will help push the process along, increasing the risks that you’ll lose your hair. Let’s break down the effect these drugs are having on your hair.

How Steroids Cause Hair Loss

Steroids are so powerful because they change your body’s hormonal mix. Often, this means artificially raising your testosterone levels. This isn’t always a bad thing. More testosterone means it’s easier to build muscles. It’s not uncommon for bodybuilders to add several pounds of muscle during their cycle.

But it comes with a massive downside. Your body will stop producing testosterone naturally. This throws your hormones out of balance. As we’ll see, this can cause a range of unpleasant side effects. It will also induce hair loss.

Even worse, the longer you use steroids, the more damage you are inflicting on your hair follicles. Over time, your baldness can become permanent. The only way to get around this is by paying for surgeries.

What Determines Your Risk Of Steroid-Related Hair Loss

Determining your risk of hair loss is complex. Steroid use is important, but it is only one piece of the puzzle. To make this more complicated, not all steroids are made equally. Some are relatively mild. Others are harsh, taking a big toll on your body. But all anabolic steroids will, to some extent, raise your risk of hair loss.

The more intense the steroid, the more likely you will go bald. Sometimes, you might stack steroids. Mixing the drugs can give you better results in the gym. But the side effects become nastier and harder to predict.

The other vital element to consider is your genetic makeup. If baldness runs in your family, you could feel the effects of taking steroids more acutely. In this case, expect faster hair loss.

Next, it’s important to consider how long you have been using steroids. Over time, your body gets used to the drugs. For you to get the same kick, you’ll need to keep increasing the dose. More steroids mean a higher risk of hair loss.

If you are concerned about losing your hair due to steroids, there are a few things to do. First, talk to your doctor. They can help you determine your risk of baldness. There are plenty of tests they can do. For example, they might do a pull test. This isn’t as painful as it sounds. They take around 40 strands and gently pull. If more than six come out, it means that your follicles aren’t deeply rooted. They might also take a drug test, to find out if your hair loss is caused by an underlying condition. Once they have these results, you can chat with them about taking steroids and whether these drugs can cause you to go bald.

Reversing Hair Loss From Steroids

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to completely reverse hair loss from steroids. Do enough damage to the follicles and your hair will stop growing back, leaving you bald. But there are a few ways you can slow the damage down.

Pay Attention To PCT

Post Cycle Therapy (PCT) is vital if you are taking steroids. It allows your body to get used to producing testosterone naturally again. If you don’t do this, you could permanently shut down your ability to naturally produce testosterone. This will lead to serious side effects and rapidly speed up your balding.

The exact PCT you’ll need to take is dependent on the type of drug you have been taking. The harsher the steroid is, the longer your PCT needs to be.  Don’t forget to give your body a break before you start your next cycle. As a rule, your rest should be equal to the total cycle length. For example, if your cycle lasted for 8 weeks and you did 4 weeks of PCT, you’ll need to take a 12-week break.

Get A Hair Replacement Treatment

The good news is that there is a way to fix hair loss. The bad news is that it’s going to cost you. You’ll be looking at a hair transplant. These can end up costing $15,000. If that’s not enough to make you wince, the surgery itself is very painful as each hair needs to be grafted to your head. It’s not uncommon to feel pain for several days after the surgery.

There are less intrusive hair treatment options available to explore. For example, you can use laser therapy. This will need you to wear a helmet, as you use lasers to try and regenerate your hair growth. Though it sounds like something from a B-grade sci-fi movie, it’s safe and has been approved by the FDA. The good news is that you’ll only need to wear the helmet for 25 minutes a day. The bad news is that it can take a long time to see results. You might need to wait for up to six months before your hair starts growing back. Plus, there is no guarantee that this expensive treatment will deliver results.

Try A Medication

Some medications aim to eliminate the effects of hair loss. The most prominent examples are:

• Minoxidil
• Finasteride
• Corticosteroids

Each of these takes a slightly different approach. For example, Minoxidil will increase the blood flow to your scalp, while Corticosteroids aim to eliminate inflammation.

In theory, these should target the effects of hair loss and help you hang onto your luscious locks. In practice, though, the results are far from guaranteed. But it’s worth a try. Chat with your doctor, they’ll be able to help you find the right medication for your needs.

Try A Shampoo

There are plenty of shampoos that aim to eliminate hair loss. These can be broken down into two camps. First, you have caffeine-based shampoos. These aim to stimulate the hair follicles, trying to increase the rate at which they grow. The other option is steroid-based creams. These aim to eliminate inflammation, which damages the follicles. Again, these can be hit-and-miss. They can slow down baldness. But, unlike medications, they won’t be able to address the underlying causes.

Some bodybuilders use Rogaine twice a day. Whether this works is up for debate. The science isn’t available to back it up. But there are plenty of bodybuilders who insist that this drug has helped them hang onto their hair.

Make Some Lifestyle Changes

Steroids aren’t the only reason you experience hair loss. They just speed the process up. Some reasons for balding are set in stone, like your genetic make-up. Others, though, can be addressed and eliminated. For example, you will be able to change the amount of inflammation you experience. This is all linked to the amount of stress you experience.

There are plenty of ways that you can keep your stress levels in check. For example, it might be a good idea to try meditation or yoga. It’s also important to make sure that you are getting plenty of sleep. These actions are essential when you are taking steroids. These drugs can have a major impact on your mood. Many people lose control over their emotions on-cycle, flipping out over the smallest things.

It’s also important to consider your diet. Bodybuilders tend to focus on the nutrients needed to build strong muscles. Don’t forget to include things like Omega-3, Vitamin D, Zinc, and Biotin. These are needed to build strong hair.

Stop Taking Steroids

If you are concerned about the effect that steroids are having on your hair, it’s best to stop taking them entirely. Just because you aren’t taking steroids doesn’t mean you can’t get help building your muscle. Instead, you’ll need to use a natural alternative. Crazy Mass has plenty of options to explore. These will give you the same powerful muscle-building you expect from steroids. But, because they are made with natural ingredients, you don’t need to worry about unwanted side effects, like hair loss.

Other Side Effects Of Steroids

Hair loss isn’t the only side effect of taking steroids. Far from it. In the grand scheme of things, going bald is the least of your concerns. Here are some of the other side effects of taking steroids:

• Fluid retention
• Gynostemia, where men develop female features. The most common example of this is growing man boobs.
• Changes to your sex drive
• Difficulty in going to sleep
• Damage to your nerves, if you are injecting the drugs
• Virilization, where women start to develop male features. There are dozens of unpleasant examples of this. For example, you might get a deeper voice or start growing facial hair.

These are just the short-term impacts. Each time you take anabolic steroids, you place pressure on your kidneys and heart. Bodybuilders who use these drugs over multiple cycles find themselves at greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and cancer.

Conclusion

Going bald is going to be embarrassing, rocking your confidence. Losing your hair is embarrassing. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. It’s one of the many negative side effects of using anabolic steroids.