Can steroids cause hair loss? Is there actually a connection between steroids and hair loss? There are different types of steroids. Many people take steroids for muscle mass building and to improve athletic performance. Some others use corticosteroids for allergies, skin conditions, or blood disorders. Since these steroids behave similarly to testosterone, they may lead to hair loss or male pattern baldness.
Steroids and Hair Loss: The Link
Hair loss in men using steroids is primarily found in those taking anabolic steroids, which is a synthetic form of testosterone or male sex hormone. These steroids may cause hormonal imbalance and affect androgen levels, resulting in androgenetic alopecia over a period of time.
Prednisone and Hair Loss
There is another steroid that is linked to hair loss. Prednisone is a steroid taken by people with low corticosteroid levels. This includes lupus, arthritis, and multiple sclerosis. People with certain conditions affecting the skin, lungs, blood, eyes, kidneys, stomach, thyroid, and intestines are often prescribed Prednisone as their body is unable to naturally produce certain steroids
People taking Prednisone often experience hair thinning, depending on the dosage and interaction with other drugs. However, for some prednisone even stimulates hair growth.
How Do Steroids Cause Hair Loss?
Anabolic steroids can stimulate the production of DHT or dihydrotestosterone. DHT is the hormone that is blamed for androgenetic alopecia. this can cause genetic hair loss
Women too may experience adverse effects of anabolic steroid treatment. Such women may report excessive hair growth all over the body, except the scalp. In some cases, excessive use of the hormone may result in irreversible hair loss in women.
How To Prevent Hair Loss Caused by Steroids?
Talk to your doctor if you have concerns about the steroids and hair loss connection. They may prescribe alternative medications.
You must avoid steroids unless there is no other option. Steroid abuse may result in severe side effects in men, including severe acne, infertility, gynecomastia, and prostate cancer. Women may experience problems with menstruation, deepened voice, and increased hair growth. The doctor may reduce the steroid dosage in some cases if the side effects are extreme.
What To Do for Steroid-Related Hair Loss?
A doctor may prescribe Finasteride for patients with steroid-related hair loss. The treatment is based on regulating DHT hormone levels in men. Minoxidil is another drug used for hair growth in people with steroid-caused hair loss.
Hair regrowth takes longer than expected. Hair does not grow overnight. A diet and lifestyle modification can help your cause in the long run. But what is the solution if you are losing hair at present and don’t know how to go about steroid-caused hair loss?
SMP for Hair Camouflage
If you cannot wait for medications and diet to show their effect, scalp micropigmentation can help cover those scalp problems. SMP cannot prevent hair loss but it can hide the site of thinning hair, alopecia, baldness, and receding hairline.
But not everyone can produce the desired results when it comes to scalp micropigmentation. You need expert hands for the procedure. Get in touch with DermiMatch SMP experts in Phoenix for the best scalp micropigmentation experience if you are looking for a solution to steroid-induced hair loss.