i have been on testosterone repl. therapy on and off for 7 years. i get a 300mg shot every 2 weeks and use androgel in between. i have noticed rapid hair loss in front and on top in a 3 week period. the doctors office called and said my t level was over 2200mg. would this cause the hair loss and will it grow back when levels are back down thanks
Your situation is described on the New Hair Institute website:
The specific relationship between testosterone and hormonally induced hair loss was discovered by a psychiatrist early in this century. At that time, castration was commonly performed on patients with certain types of mental illness. The rationale behind this procedure was that it was believed to be a treatment for mental illness at a time when there were no other forms of real treatment. Castration seemed to have a calming effect upon many patients and castration reduced the sex drive of patients who had no outlet for their desires. The doctor noted that the identical twin brother of one patient was profoundly bald while the mentally ill twin had a full head of hair. The doctor decided to determine the effect of treating his patient with testosterone, which had recently become available in a purified form. He injected his patient, the hairy twin, with testosterone to see what would happen. Within weeks, the hairy twin began to lose all but his wreath of permanent hair, just like his normal twin. The doctor, then, stopped giving the testosterone to see whether the process would be reversed, but the balding process continued and his patient never regained his full head of hair. It was apparent to him that eliminating testosterone will slow, or stop, further hair loss once it has begun, but it will not revive any dead follicles.
In short, you are experiening androgenic hair loss or male pattern baldness. Stopping your testosterone replacement therapy will not make your hair grow back.
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