|
Can
DHEA supplements cause pattern baldness
It may be possible. DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is a popular
food supplement and widely available at health food stores. DHEA
is claimed to be helpful in rejuvination and delaying the effects
of old age. This may or may not be true, some research suggests
that those with a deficiency in DHEA production may benefit from
supplementation. However, what the manufacturuers fail to tell you
is that DHEA may also a promotor of pattern baldness.
We all naturally produce sulfated DHEA (DHEAS) in our bodies. It
comes from our adrenal glands that sit on top of our kidneys. The
adrenal glands are small, yellow, and look rather insignificant
but they produce a variety of hormones and have a powerful effect
on our health. DHEAS is the most common type of steroid androgen
in our bodies. DHEAS can be converted to DHEA by an enzyme called
steroid sulfatase and from there it can be converted in several
steps to testosterone. Natural For men, DHEA contribution to pattern
baldness pales in significance compared to the production of testosterone
by the gonads, but it has been suggested that DHEA may contribute
to pattern baldness developing in very young men. DHEA in women
is probably a key contributor to the onset and progression of female
pattern baldness.
Artifically adding DHEA through pills to the degree that any deficiency
in natural production is overcompensated may increase hair loss
in someone who is already affected by androgenetic alopecia. There
have been some anecdotal reports of DHEA supplements leading to
accelerated scalp hair loss in both men and women at keratin.com.
However, there have been no medical journal articles published that
directly support the idea. Only a few people have indicated hair
loss as a side effect of DHEA supplement use. Most have no adverse
hair growth effects.
Can
DHEA supplements cause pattern baldness references
- Pitts
RL. Serum elevation of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate associated
with male pattern baldness in young men. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1987
Mar;16(3 Pt 1):571-3.
- Arlt
W, Callies F, van Vlijmen JC, Koehler I, Reincke M, Bidlingmaier
M, Huebler D, Oettel M, Ernst M, Schulte HM, Allolio B. Dehydroepiandrosterone
replacement in women with adrenal insufficiency. N Engl J Med
1999 Sep 30;341(14):1013-20
- Callies
F, Arlt W, Siekmann L, Hubler D, Bidlingmaier F, Allolio B. Influence
of oral dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) on urinary steroid metabolites
in males and females. Steroids. 2000 Feb;65(2):98-102.
- Redmond
GP, Gidwani GP, Gupta MK, Bedocs NM, Parker R, Skibinski C, Bergfeld
W. Treatment of androgenic disorders with dexamethasone: dose-response
relationship for suppression of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate.
J Am Acad Dermatol. 1990 Jan;22(1):91-3.
|
