Can Excessive Exercise Cause Hair Loss?

Key Takeaways:

• Does exercise cause hair loss? There is no good evidence which supports that ordinary exercise or resistance training damages healthy hair follicles.
   
• Why do some people notice shedding at the gym? Multiple factors may contribute to this scenario. A demanding training routine can come with rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies as a result of under-eating, or poor recovery. These can contribute to stress shedding of hair. 
  
• Does working out raise DHT and cause baldness? Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a known cause of pattern baldness. Strenuous exercise may temporarily increase naturally occurring (endogenous) DHT levels, but this has not been shown to have any impact on the progression of pattern baldness. Instead, it requires a genetic sensitivity rather than simply an increased level of DHT.
  
• What about very intense training or crash diets? Rapid weight loss is a known trigger for stress shedding (telogen effluvium)¹
  
• What should I do?  Stay active, but be mindful of your body’s needs for adequate food intake and recovery. Arrange an assessment if the shedding is continuous, patchy, painful, or you notice it comes along with other changes in your health.

You may be wondering if your workout is causing your hair loss. Oftentimes, if you notice hair shedding or loss alongside a new gym routine, it is merely coincidental.

The real cause might be due to having a calorie deficit, illness, a scalp flare-up, or noticing the early stages of pattern loss, which can often mistakenly be put down to being caused by exercise. 

Does Exercise Cause Hair Loss?

Exercise in itself does not cause hair loss. It is a perfectly normal and healthy way of improving your fitness and overall health. The concerns around exercise and hair loss centre mainly around poor recovery after exercise, not getting enough nutrition, and the potential use of certain steroids and hormones as part of your exercise regimen.

When you are linking exercise and hair loss, it is most likely you are suffering from either androgenic alopecia or telogen effluvium. 

• Telogen effluvium causes an increase in hair being shed from across the entire scalp, following a physical or nutritional trigger. It is non-scarring, which means the follicles are undamaged and retain the possibility of regrowing new hair once the trigger has been resolved. 
  
• Androgenetic alopecia, also known as pattern baldness, occurs more gradually. It is also non-scarring but can progress over time; as the condition advances, some of the hair follicles eventually lose the ability to produce hair.

You can experience both at the same time. For example, a period of heavy shedding may reveal underlying pattern thinning. It is easy to jump to conclusions about the cause, but this is a prime example of why it is best to get a proper scalp assessment to know for sure what is causing your hair loss.

“Many of our patients often ask us whether exercise causes their hair loss. It often isn’t the cause and they mistakenly link it if they are losing hair and exercising a lot. Most commonly, patients are suffering from other common hair loss conditions like androgenic alopecia where the hairline and crown can thin over time.”

Dr Dilan Fernando, Co-Founder and Hair Transplant Surgeon at The Treatment Rooms London

Does Exercise Raise DHT Levels and Cause Baldness?

Exercise has been shown to raise naturally occurring (endogenous) DHT levels post-workout, but the effect is temporary and unlikely to contribute to hair loss.²

Dihydrotestosterone, or DHT, is a potent hormone derived from testosterone which is linked to male pattern baldness. It can bind to hair follicles through their androgen receptor and cause hairs to become shorter and thinner over time. This usually happens only to follicles that are in some way susceptible to its effects genetically.

Oftentimes, these are the follicles that are located across the scalp in areas where you usually see hair loss in male pattern baldness.

Does creatine or anabolic steroid use cause baldness?

In a short study on whether creatine causes hair loss in men, it was found that there was no difference in DHT levels between those who took creatine or not. This does not establish whether it may cause hair loss with longer term use. 

Anabolic steroids actively expose the body to external (exogenous) sources of androgens. As studies suggest, this has the potential to cause hair loss, most likely through significantly increasing DHT levels in the body.³

This can accelerate pattern hair loss that would naturally happen over a longer time period. If you are noticing hair loss and taking Testosterone supplements, do not stop any prescribed steroids or testosterone without discussing it first with your doctor. 

“Some of my patients do take Testosterone or anabolic steroids as part of their exercise regimen. I have to explain to them that this dramatically increases the risk of future hair loss and that they ought to consider Finasteride or other mechanisms to prevent further hair fall. Surgery is relatively contraindicated until they have stopped their use of Testosterone and or anabolic steroids.”

Dr Dilan Fernando, Co-Founder and Hair Transplant Surgeon at The Treatment Rooms London

What Is “Gym Hair Loss”? 

Gym hair loss is an informal label applied to shedding, thinning, or breakage of hair noticed during a period of increased gym training. It refers to several separate problems which may occur alongside a gym routine. 

Under-eating and crash dieting

The strongest link we have between the gym and hair shedding or hair loss is linked to diet.

Having a strenuous workout routine requires increased need for food intake for healing and repair. When you don’t meet energy or protein requirements but continue training regardless, it is inevitable that you will put your body under stress. This puts you at risk for a condition called telogen effluvium, where you can experience widespread shedding. You may notice stress shedding of your hair, which is caused by more hairs being placed in the resting phase than usual.⁴

“Sometimes, patients who are on crash diets with severe calorie restriction can notice more hair loss and this condition is called telogen effluvium. Those who are undergoing rapid weight-loss, hair transplant surgery shouldn’t be planned until after the weight goal has been achieved.” 

Dr Dilan Fernando, Co-Founder and Hair Transplant Surgeon at The Treatment Rooms London

Extreme overtraining and physical stress

Training hard doesn’t impact hair follicles directly. The reason why your hair might be impacted is because there is a mismatch between your training and either your food intake or the amount of rest you are allowing between training sessions. 

There is a recognised condition known as relative energy deficiency in sport (REDs). This is seen most notably in athletes who train hard without meeting their overall energy needs.

This places immense stress on the body, which can only cope by preserving your vital functions at the expense of less critical structures like your hair.⁵

Sweat, scalp irritation and post-gym hair habits

Exercise leads to sweating, which includes scalp sweating. This can create an environment which can worsen existing scalp conditions such as eczema, psoriasis, or folliculitis.  If you also wear close fitting caps, helmets or headbands, this can add friction and block the hair follicles. These conditions may irritate the scalp and may exacerbate hair shedding.

Wash according to how oily your scalp is, but remember to use a gentle shampoo and massage it in with your fingertips, avoiding scratching your scalp with your nails. Don’t rub your hair dry with a towel; it is better to pat or squeeze excess moisture out.

Air dry your hair if possible. If you are using a blow dryer, then use it on a moderate heat setting, keep the dryer moving, and don’t concentrate it in one spot. Research has found that exposing your hair to high temperatures causes significant breakage and damage.⁶

Traction from tight gym hairstyles

Wearing a tight hairstyle may keep your hair off your face, but over time, the tension can lead to hair loss through repeated pulling on your hair follicles. When you lose hair this way, it is called traction alopecia. 

In its early stages, traction alopecia is non-scarring and often improves when the pulling force stops. If the tension continues, the continual force causes permanent damage to the hair follicles, leading to scarring; as a result, the hair may never regrow. 

If you notice recession at the temples, broken hairs, scalp tenderness and bumps around tightly held hairs, then you should loosen your hairstyle and seek advice from your GP or dermatologist.⁷

You should opt for fabric-covered bands or soft scrunchies and try to change the position of ponytails and buns. Avoid styles that cause you pain or give you a ‘facelift’ sensation.

No matter which style you choose, it should still feel comfortable and not overly tight at the scalp. 

Keep Training, Support Your Hair Health

If you are noticing hair loss, you do not need to stop exercising. Having a steady training and recovery plan is more helpful than abandoning activity altogether.

Instead of throwing out your exercise habits, consider the following:

• Increase your training volume gradually rather than ramping it up all of a sudden
  
• Make sure you are eating enough to cover your body’s caloric and nutritional requirements for both normal function and the additional training. 
  
• Include regular sources of protein and iron as part of a balanced diet. 
  
• Keep in mind good scalp hygiene, maintain sweaty headwear clean, manage an existing flaky or itchy scalp, and use gentle washing and drying habits
  
• Wear looser hairstyles and rotate the point at which the hair is secured
  
• Take monthly photographs in the same lighting and position if you are worried about progression. 

When to See a Health Professional

If you notice the following signs of hair loss, then it is best to contact your GP for an assessment.

• Sudden or rapid increase in shedding
  
• Distinctive bald patches
  
• Progressive temple, crown or parting line thinning 
  
• Scalp pain, burning sensation, redness, crusts or lumps
  
• Smooth, shiny patches, excessive flaking, or itching
  
• Loss of eyebrows, eyelashes or body hair
  
• Shedding that continues beyond 6 months
  
• Hair loss after starting a medication

Your doctor will look at your pattern of hair loss and symptoms and decide what further testing and possible referral you need. 

Early diagnosis matters as this gives you the best chance of minimising hair loss if present and keeping as much of your hair density as possible. 

Conclusion 

Exercise alone is rarely the cause of hair thinning. As we discussed in the article, there are numerous factors and possible explanations for hair loss while exercising.

Our advice is therefore to continue exercising but make sure you fuel your body properly, allow adequate recovery time between sessions, and treat your hair and scalp gently with styling and hair care techniques. 

If you are concerned about your hair loss with exercise, then seek advice from your GP, who will be able to establish a cause or refer you to an appropriate specialist. 

References

1. Kang DH, Kwon SH, Sim WY, Lew BL. Telogen effluvium associated with weight loss: a single center retrospective study. Ann Dermatol. 2024;36(6):384-388. doi:10.5021/ad.24.043. 
   
2. Smith AA, Toone R, Peacock O, Drawer S, Stokes KA, Cook CJ. Dihydrotestosterone is elevated following sprint exercise in healthy young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2013;114(10):1435-1440. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.01419.2012. 
3. Gupta S, Bai JQA, Geng RSQ, Donovan J. The effect of androgen supplementation on hair loss: a systematic review. JAAD Int. 2026;26:20-22. doi:10.1016/j.jdin.2026.03.011. 
   
4. Yin GOC, Siong-See JL, Wang ECE. Telogen effluvium – a review of the science and current obstacles. J Dermatol Sci. 2021;101(3):156-163. doi:10.1016/j.jdermsci.2021.01.007. 
   
5. Mountjoy M, Ackerman KE, Bailey DM, Burke LM, Constantini N, Hackney AC, et al. 2023 International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) consensus statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (REDs). Br J Sports Med. 2023;57(17):1073-1098. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2023-106994. 
   
6. Lee Y, Kim YD, Hyun HJ, Pi LQ, Jin X, Lee WS. Hair shaft damage from heat and drying time of hair dryer. Ann Dermatol. 2011;23(4):455-462. doi:10.5021/ad.2011.23.4.455. 
   
7. Billero V, Miteva M. Traction alopecia: the root of the problem. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2018;11:149-159. doi:10.2147/CCID.S137296.