Can Hair Loss From Anabolic Steriods Be Reversed?
Can hair loss from anabolic steroids be reversed? When I was in college I experimented with a couple of cycles of anabolic steroids. As a baseball player most of us used them to compete. Luckily I came to my senses in my senior year and stopped cold turkey. I noticed during that time that my hair began to thin. It continued to thin several months after I stopped using and then the shedding just topped. It’s now four years later and while my hair has not gotten worse, the hair I lost never grew back. Is it possible to reverse hair loss caused by anabolic steroids or is this just one of the adverse side effects of steroids use that I will have to live with?
Anabolic steroids can accelerate hair loss in men or women genetically predisposed to androgenic alopecia. Certain medications could possibly reverse your hair loss, but it is not likely. These medications include Propecia and Minoxidil. At some point your hair loss may begin to progress again. Medications can help prevent or slow down the future thinning or loss of hair. You could try a course of medications for 6 to 12 months to see how you respond. If there is no improvement after one year, you are not likely to see any future benefit in terms of increased hair though progression of hair loss might be limited by
future use of medications. If you still desire to restore your hair at that point, you might want to consider an evaluation for you suitability for hair transplant surgery.
John Cole, MD
Member, International Alliance of Hair Restoration Surgeons
Member, American Hair Loss Association
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