Do Bald Men Have More Testosterone? (Based on Science)

No, balding doesn’t mean you have high testosterone, and the myth could be as old as the ancient Greeks [1].

A similar theory also came up in the 20th century.

The whole idea was that castrated men don’t produce any testosterone, and therefore if they didn’t go bald, then it had to be testosterone that influenced the hair follicles.

But how much testosterone you do or don’t have doesn’t dictate whether or not you will go bald earlier or later in life.

What affects bald men has a lot more to do with genetics than testosterone levels.

Let me explain.

In reality, it’s the impact of certain genetic markers that determines the strength of hair follicles and, ultimately, hair loss [2].

While T-levels play a role in this, it’s not the amount of testosterone that determines when men lose hair or how fast they lose it.

Here’s what that means.

There are enzymes that transform testosterone into a more active form, which directly shrinks hair follicles.

And dozens of genes influence how receptive follicles are to this process [3].

More on this process later.

So what does testosterone do in men? Men with both high or low T-levels could have the type of genes that make them more susceptible to balding.

While burly bald men might find it easier to attract female sexual partners, it’s not their testosterone that’s doing it.

Related Articles:

• What Causes Low Testosterone Levels in 30 Year Olds?
• Does More Body Hair Mean More Testosterone

“It’s often said that bald men are more virile. The popular theory is that they have higher levels of the male hormone testosterone, which makes them more masculine and increases their sex drive.”

- Claudia Hammond, Writer at BBC.com

The Hair Loss Myth

There are probably more medical myths around what’s happening to bald men than any other aging effect.

And unfortunately, one reason I believe these myths are still circulating comes down to the lucrative industry of hair loss treatments.

Overly simplistic ideas going back to the ancient Greeks might be a convenient way to do your marketing. But it’s not the way to approach scientific research. 

Many bald men jump on the idea of sex hormones to grow more hair and buy into the concept of hormone creams and pills.

The endocrinologist who helped me with the research for this post also pointed me to some research on alopecia in men.

This research has shown that baldness in men can be linked to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a more potent androgen responsible for developing male traits [4].

As mentioned before, this form is basically an offshoot of testosterone, as it is a result of its conversion through an enzyme called 5-alpha-reductase [5].

So, it’s partly true that hormones can influence the growth of new hairs, but just not in the way that most people believe.

It’s also important to note that for medical conditions like alopecia, there may be good reasons to opt for hair loss treatment. But that’s something you should discuss with a doctor.