Does Masturbation Affect Hair? The Truth Behind the Myth

We've all heard the saying, "Masturbation causes hair loss." It's a big claim that reasonably alarms both men and women.

It's not hard to imagine this could be true. The human body is a complex and little-understood entity. Changes in one area of the body can have alarming effects elsewhere.

So, should we all stop masturbation and save our hair follicles from destruction? In this article, we'll discuss the connection between hair loss and self-stimulation, along with the realities of losing your hair and common myths.

You deserve to know the effect that pleasurable masturbation has on your body. Read on to learn more.

Does Masturbation Affect Hair?

When it comes to hair loss, rest assured that masturbation has no effect or side effects. There is little scientific evidence that masturbation has any effect on hair growth.

While there have not been any notable investigations specifically looking into the relationship between masturbation and hair loss, many studies have shown how hair loss works. We now know that the factors and most common hormones involved in hair growth are not affected by the chemical response to masturbation.

So, the idea that excess self-pleasure causes hair loss is completely false. This includes any hair on your body, from the treasured tresses on your scalp all the way down to pubic hair and toe hair.

Don't let this common myth deter you from self-pleasure. Now you can jack off knowing that your hair is completely unaffected.

The Mystery Behind the Myths

So, where did this idea come from in the first place? It's actually understandable that this misconception would become so popular. The reasons behind the legend are vaguely reasonable, unlike the myth that wanking causes erectile dysfunction.

Here is some of the 'evidence' behind the hair loss masturbation myth:

1. Masturbating leads to an over-production of DHT

Dihydrotestosterone (or DHT) is a male sex hormone that is the main culprit in causing hair loss in men. Simply put, DHT is the cause of male pattern baldness.

When there are normal levels of DHT, the hormone is extremely helpful. In fetuses, it encourages the development of male genitalia and is key in forming the prostate. During puberty, this hormone is behind the growth of public hair, facial hair, and needed prostate growth.

However, DHT starts to cause issues when its levels are too high. In women, it can lead to polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and may cause sudden hair growth. In men, it can lead to prostate cancer, excessive prostate growth, and permanent hair loss.

DHT binds the hair receptors in the scalp, essentially choking the hair and minimizing it until the follicle dies.

So, how does masturbation tie into this? During self-pleasure sessions, a flood of hormones is released, including increased levels of testosterone (the hormone that produces DHT).

However, many studies have concluded that this release of DHT is so minuscule that it can't even be measured and has no effect on your overall DHT levels.

2. Excessive ejaculation leads to unbalanced hormones

This idea is based on the knowledge that the human body functions with at least over 50 hormones, and masturbation brings on a flood of hormone changes. It was assumed that any influx of hormones, especially a regular and consistent influx, would alter the hormone state in the body, leading to hormone-based issues like male pattern baldness.

This is blatantly false. Consider first that the amount of hormones released during masturbation is small. Then, consider that the human body is designed to masturbate. The reason you feel so good after masturbating is because of the 'happy' hormones like oxytocin released before and during orgasm.

Evolutionarily, it's good to engage in sexual activity, so the body encourages it. The process is normal. It’s not detrimental to your overall hair health or hormone and testosterone levels.

3. Masturbation decreases protein levels

Protein is a vital element in the body that contributes to many needed bodily processes. There's a reason humans need to eat a certain amount of protein every day.

Our hair is made of a protein called keratin, which is vital for hair production and can be affected by poor diet or protein loss. Semen actually contains some protein, so the idea is that if you masturbate enough, then you'll lower the protein levels in your body, thus limiting keratin production and affecting healthy hair growth.

It's a somewhat logical idea, but in reality, semen contains only trace amounts of protein. It's logistically impossible to masturbate enough every single day to result in a protein deficiency.

You would need to spend every waking moment engaged in excessive masturbation to begin seeing a change in your hair fall rate. At that point, you may have a bigger problem than male pattern baldness.

What Can Actually Cause Hair Loss?

So, masturbation isn't the cause of hair loss, but something out there is causing hair death in around 66 percent of men. First, it's key to understand the difference between hair loss and male pattern baldness.

Male pattern baldness is a type of hair loss where hair production slows in a specific pattern, characterized by thinning hair and a receding hairline. Body hair is not affected. Other conditions of hair loss include:

• Androgenetic Alopecia: A disease in which the immune system attacks the hair follicles.
• Cancer treatment: Chemotherapy commonly causes hair death that is usually not permanent post-treatment.
• Other medical conditions: Other diseases or illnesses can manifest in hair death. Often patchy hair or sudden hair loss is a sign of a more serious issue.

A combination of genes and male sex hormones causes male pattern baldness. The follicles in the scalp slowly shrink until the hair stops growing, and eventually, the follicle dies. There are many ways to treat this hair thinning, including topical medications that stimulate hair follicle growth, a hair transplant, and even plasma injections. If you’re hoping to treat male pattern baldness, you should seek the medical advice of a professional like a dermatologist.

In no way is masturbation connected to hair loss, so stopping masturbating is an ineffective hair-loss treatment and is potentially detrimental to your sexual health and overall mental health. You should enjoy your sexual self-care sessions, knowing that your hair is completely unaffected and there are many benefits of masturbation.

Expand Your Adult Toy Collection With Fleshlight

At Fleshlight, we know that masturbation is a vital human process that's both fun and enjoyable. Our body-safe toys are designed to improve your solo sex life and make it easy to cum on command.

Check out some of our premier products designed to rock your world:

• Sex toy mounts: Imagine hands-free sexual self-pleasure whenever you're ready. The power of the Fleshlight sex toy mounts is unreal, from shower applications to devices designed for ideal doggy-style action.
• Realistic sex sleeves: Some people want their pocket pussies to be as anatomically accurate as possible. Our realistic sex sleeves look just like real vulvas and feel like actual vaginas. Now there are even sleeve warmers so you can be enveloped with the delightful heat of a real snatch.
• Top male sex toys: The best male sex toys are at your fingertips, from pocket toys modeled after real porn stars to stamina training kits that help you last longer.

Review our top sex toys and discover what sensations work best for you.