We have all seen the commercials with the woman or man whose hair looks perfect after a workout. Their makeup isn’t smudged, they’re not out of breath, and their hair looks like they just stepped out of the salon.
Nobody looks like that at the gym we go to.
After an exercise routine, most of us are sweaty, sometimes your hair is plastered to your head by the time you get off the cardio machines, and mostly you just want a good shower. So, does any of that impact your hair health?
Does Exercise Affect Hair Growth?
Maybe. This study showed that “alopecia patients exercise more than the normal population, especially low-intensity exercise” and that hair loss from androgenic alopecia tended to increase with low-intensity exercise. Does that mean exercise will make your hair fall out?
Not exactly. The study posits that oxidative stress occurs when we exercise at low-intensity, but when you exercise at higher-intensity the body creates a natural inhibitor to prevent that from happening. In simple terms, when you exercise harder, your body protects itself from the stress created by exercise.
However, keep in mind that this particular study was looking at androgenic alopecia… meaning that the relationship between the exercise and hair loss might have been coincidental and not caused by the exercise. In short, at a certain age we start tending to do less intensive exercise and that can be about the same time age-related alopecia appears.
Does Lack of Exercise Speed Up Hair Loss?
According to the Australian website Pilot, exercise for me might be linked to staving off hair loss. “Hair loss can be caused by a number of different triggers, from stress and nutrient deficiencies to male pattern baldness. Maintaining a healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise, then, can help prevent hair loss.”
The Pilot website, which is dedicated to men’s health, argues that while excessive exercise can cause problems and hair shedding – both through scalp issues from profuse sweating and from overstressing the body – moderate exercise can help keep the body healthier by reducing stress. In addition, they found that men who worked out regularly were more likely to eat healthier, providing their bodies and their hair with the vital nutrients necessary for maintaining healthy hair.
Can Exercise Help Hair Growth?
Physical therapy and sports medicine experts say yes. Sports Ortho suggests that differing types of workouts can have varying effects.
- Weightlifting promotes the use of DHT to build muscles, taking it away from your scalp.
- Strength-training can reduce stress, eliminating the impact of stress on hair loss.
- High Intensity Interval Training increases blood circulation, helping vital nutrients get to your scalp to regrow hair.
- A mixed exercise routine can promote health, stimulating the production of growth hormones and encouraging hair growth.
Precision Hair Restoration Are the Hair Restoration Experts in the Philly Area
Here at Precision Hair Restoration, we understand that promoting the body’s overall health can help you avoid some of the secondary causes of hair loss. But some causes of hair loss may be beyond your control. No matter what the cause of your thinning or hair loss, our team can help.
Whether you want to adjust your exercise plan to have the best impact on your hair regrowth or want to figure out what to do about pattern baldness, Precision Hair Restoration is your answer to hair loss in the Philadelphia area. Call us today to start your journey to healthier hair.
