GETTY What you do at the gym can accelerate more than your muscle growth

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From products to procedures, men are willing to go to extreme lengths to maintain their locks. A recent study found over half of British men would rather have a full head of hair than a promotion or supermodel wife. Health experts have linked diet to hair health, as being deficient in certain nutrients can cause hair to thin. And it seems what you do at the gym can also accelerate thinning on top.

GETTY Thinning on top has been linked to low self-esteem and in worse cases, depression

According to Dr Thomy Kouremada-Zioga, a Hair Transplant Surgeon at The Private Clinic of Harley Street, there has been a surge in men experiencing accelerated hair loss due to the use of powdered protein and the activity they participate in at the gym. Reportedly, certain ingredients in protein shakes increase testosterone and a chemical called DHT, which has been linked to hair loss. Dr Kouremada-Zioga said: “Protein shakes will very often contain growth hormones such as Creatine and DHEA, which not only increase muscle mass, but also increase testosterone levels in the bloodstream. “Testosterone produces a chemical known as DHT, which actually contributes to baldness when the hair follicles become exposed to too much. Sadly, this is something that most men are unaware of, until they notice that their hair loss has already become more apparent.”

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Testosterone produces a chemical known as DHT, which actually contributes to baldness Dr Thomy Kouremada-Zioga

Dr Kouremada-Zioga said 70 per cent of male patients who come into her clinic are avid users of protein shakes. However the expert explained protein shakes are not the root of hair loss. She said: “It is important to distinguish between cause and effect here. Protein shakes do not cause hair loss. “They do, however, accelerate hair loss for those men who suffer with androgenetic hair loss or alternatively, those who are predisposed to balding, as many men are.” And as for the choice of exercise? Lifting the heaviest weights may not always be best, according to the expert.