Steroids and Hair Loss: A Comprehensive Guide
Last reviewed on 8 July 2026. We review our treatment guides every six months to keep them accurate.
This guide looks at how anabolic-androgenic steroids, the kind used to build muscle, can speed up hair loss in men who are genetically prone to it. These are a very different class of drug from corticosteroids, which are sometimes used to treat certain hair-loss conditions. We explain the difference below. The relationship between anabolic steroids, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and hair loss is often overlooked, so it is worth understanding before starting or while using these substances. This is general information, not medical advice. Anabolic steroid misuse carries serious health risks beyond hair, so please speak to a doctor or another qualified medical professional about your own situation.
For general, regularly updated NHS guidance on the causes of hair loss and when to see a GP, see the NHS hair loss page.
Two very different types of "steroid"
The word "steroid" covers two drug classes that people often confuse, and they have almost opposite reputations when it comes to hair.
Anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) are synthetic versions of testosterone, used to build muscle and boost athletic performance. Because they raise androgen levels, they can accelerate genetic hair loss in men who are susceptible. This is the main focus of this guide.
Corticosteroids (such as hydrocortisone, prednisolone or triamcinolone) are anti-inflammatory medicines. They are unrelated to muscle building, and are sometimes used to treat certain hair-loss conditions, most notably alopecia areata. We cover these separately near the end.
When people talk about "steroids causing hair loss", they almost always mean anabolic steroids. So that is where we start.
Understanding DHT
Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is a potent androgen that plays a role in male development. The body converts a proportion of the testosterone it produces into DHT through the action of the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. While testosterone can bind to androgen receptors in many tissues, DHT binds more strongly, which makes it the more influential androgen when it comes to both muscle and hair follicle activity.
How DHT affects hair follicles
In people who are genetically predisposed to androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness), DHT's effect on hair follicles is harmful. When DHT binds to androgen receptors in susceptible follicles, it drives a process called follicular miniaturisation, which involves:
A shortened anagen (growth) phase, leading to thinner, shorter hairs.
A relatively longer resting phase, so hairs shed without being fully replaced.
Progressive miniaturisation, where follicles shrink and produce finer hair until they may stop producing visible hair altogether.
Over time this shows as thinning and, eventually, bald areas, typically at the temples and crown.
Why androgens build muscle but can cost you hair
Both hair follicles and muscle contain androgen receptors, the proteins that androgens like testosterone and DHT bind to. The same hormones that help drive muscle growth can, in genetically susceptible people, promote follicular miniaturisation. That is the central tension: the biology that helps the muscles can, at the same time, work against the hair.
Genetics is the key factor. Whether your follicles are vulnerable to DHT is largely inherited. Men without that genetic susceptibility tend to keep their hair even with high androgen levels, whereas those who are susceptible are more likely to lose hair, and to lose it faster, if they raise their androgen levels. Susceptibility is common, but it is not universal, and family history is only a rough guide rather than a guarantee either way.
How anabolic steroids accelerate hair loss
Anabolic steroids raise androgen levels in one of two ways, and both can speed up pattern hair loss in susceptible men. Some compounds are testosterone-based, so the body has more testosterone to convert into DHT. Others are chemically derived from DHT itself, so they add DHT-like androgens directly. In a 2024 narrative review of hair loss in male athletes using testosterone and anabolic steroids, the authors describe pattern hair loss being driven by the accelerating effect of DHT on the hair follicle, and note there is no established safe dose for muscle building.
It is worth being precise about what the evidence shows. Much of it comes from case reports and self-reported surveys rather than large controlled trials, and some studies do not clearly separate genuine pattern hair loss from temporary shedding (telogen effluvium). So the direction of the effect is well established, that anabolic steroids can bring forward and speed up genetic hair loss, but the exact size of that effect in any one person is hard to predict. This is a case where the mechanism is much more certain than the numbers.
Can medication reduce steroid-related hair loss?
Because DHT drives the process, most preventive strategies aim to reduce how much DHT reaches the follicle. This is only ever partial, and it depends heavily on which compound is involved. It is not medical advice, and anyone using or considering anabolic steroids should discuss their own situation with a doctor.
Finasteride and dutasteride
Finasteride and dutasteride inhibit 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme that converts testosterone into DHT. By lowering scalp DHT, they can help slow androgenetic hair loss. A common misconception is that they lower testosterone. They do not; they reduce its conversion to DHT, and testosterone levels may even rise slightly because less is converted.
Finasteride mainly blocks type II 5-alpha reductase, which accounts for much of the DHT in hair follicles. It is available as a tablet or a topical preparation, requires a prescription in the UK, and is licensed to treat male pattern hair loss.
Dutasteride blocks both type I and type II 5-alpha reductase, so it lowers DHT more. It is not licensed for hair loss in the UK but is sometimes used off-label. As with any medicine, these drugs have possible side effects, so the decision to use them should be made with a doctor.
Why the type of steroid matters
The distinction between testosterone-based and DHT-based compounds matters a great deal here.
With testosterone-based compounds, the extra hair loss comes largely from testosterone being converted into DHT, so a 5-alpha reductase inhibitor such as finasteride or dutasteride can reduce some of that extra DHT. With compounds that are DHT-based or synthetic DHT derivatives, you are effectively adding DHT-like androgens directly, so 5-alpha reductase inhibitors have little or nothing to work on and are largely ineffective. This is a plausible, mechanism-based expectation rather than something proven in large trials, so it should be treated with appropriate caution.
In short, someone determined to continue and hoping to limit hair loss would, in theory, do better to avoid DHT-derived compounds, though the only reliable way to remove the added risk is not to use anabolic steroids at all. These decisions should be made with a doctor who knows the person's full health picture.
Examples of testosterone-based compounds
Testosterone cypionate
Testosterone propionate
Testosterone enanthate
Sustanon
Equipoise (boldenone)
Dianabol
Halotestin
Turinabol
Examples of DHT-derived compounds
With these, 5-alpha reductase inhibitors are unlikely to help much, so hair loss in susceptible men is harder to mitigate:
Masteron
Primobolan
Anavar
Anadrol
Winstrol
Proviron
Superdrol
DHB
The wider health risks of anabolic steroid misuse
Hair is not the main concern with anabolic steroid misuse. Stopping their use is the single most effective step for hair, but the more important reasons to be cautious are the effects on the rest of the body. Non-prescribed anabolic steroid use is associated with cardiovascular harm, including changes to blood lipids, raised blood pressure, thickening of the heart muscle and a higher risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke. There can also be liver strain, mood changes, and effects on fertility and natural hormone production. We are not here to judge anyone's choices, but these risks are real and worth taking seriously.
Anyone using or thinking about using these substances should seek advice from a qualified medical professional, who can consider the whole picture rather than hair alone.
Will my hair grow back if I stop?
It depends on what type of loss it is. Temporary shedding (telogen effluvium) often recovers within several months of stopping. However, where anabolic steroids have accelerated genuine androgenetic (pattern) hair loss, that underlying process is genetic and, as the NHS notes, this type of hair loss is generally permanent. Stopping may slow further loss, and hair that had thinned but not fully miniaturised may partly recover, but follicles that have been lost do not usually return on their own. The earlier the situation is addressed, the more hair there is to protect.
Do corticosteroids cause hair loss?
This is where the two meanings of "steroid" part company. Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory medicines, not muscle-building drugs, and they do not raise DHT. Rather than causing pattern hair loss, they are used to treat some hair-loss conditions. In alopecia areata, an autoimmune condition where the immune system attacks hair follicles, the British Association of Dermatologists lists corticosteroid creams and scalp applications, local steroid injections and, in more severe cases, corticosteroid tablets among the treatment options. Local steroid injections are described as the most effective approach for small patches. These treatments have their own considerations, and long-term oral corticosteroid use in particular carries side effects, so they are used under specialist care. If you have patchy hair loss rather than gradual thinning, it is worth speaking to a GP, as it may be a condition that responds to treatment.
Steroids and hair transplants
Hair transplants can be an option for hair loss that has been accelerated by anabolic steroids. The transplanted hair is taken from the back and sides of the head, where follicles carry fewer androgen receptors and are therefore less sensitive to DHT. This is why men with pattern baldness usually keep hair at the back and sides while losing it on top, and it is why transplanted hair tends to be more durable. It is not a licence to continue using anabolic steroids, since the health risks remain, and any surrounding non-transplanted hair can still be affected.
The short version
DHT is the main hormonal driver of male pattern hair loss.
Anabolic steroids raise androgen levels, so they can bring forward and speed up genetic hair loss in susceptible men.
The body converts some testosterone into DHT via the enzyme 5-alpha reductase.
Testosterone-based compounds add DHT indirectly; DHT-derived compounds add DHT-like androgens directly.
Finasteride and dutasteride reduce DHT conversion, so they can help with testosterone-based compounds but do little against DHT-derived ones.
Not using anabolic steroids is the most effective step, both for hair and for wider health.
Corticosteroids are a different drug class, used to treat some hair-loss conditions, not to build muscle.
If hair loss is affecting you, seeing a GP first is a sensible starting point, both to understand the cause and to discuss the options. Early action tends to give the most choice.
Frequently asked questions
Will my hair grow back if I stop taking steroids?
It depends on the type of loss. Temporary shedding often recovers within a few months of stopping. But where anabolic steroids have accelerated genuine pattern (androgenetic) hair loss, that process is genetic and, as the NHS notes, this type of hair loss is generally permanent. Stopping can slow further loss and hair that thinned but was not fully lost may partly recover, yet follicles that have already been lost do not usually return on their own. Speak to a doctor about your own situation.
Does creatine count as a steroid for hair loss?
No. Creatine is not a steroid and does not build muscle in the way anabolic steroids do. The concern comes from a single 2009 study in rugby players that reported a rise in DHT, but it did not measure hair loss. A 2025 randomised controlled trial in 45 resistance-trained men taking 5g a day for 12 weeks found no effect on DHT, testosterone or hair follicle health. On current evidence, creatine is not an established cause of hair loss. We look at this in more detail in our guide on creatine and hair loss.
Do corticosteroid treatments cause hair loss?
Corticosteroids are a separate class of drug from anabolic steroids and do not raise DHT. Rather than causing pattern hair loss, they are used to treat some hair-loss conditions. For alopecia areata, the British Association of Dermatologists lists corticosteroid creams, local steroid injections and, in more severe cases, corticosteroid tablets as treatment options, with local injections described as the most effective for small patches. Long-term oral corticosteroid use has its own side effects, so these treatments are used under medical supervision.
Does everyone who takes anabolic steroids lose their hair?
No. Whether anabolic steroids trigger or accelerate hair loss depends largely on inherited susceptibility to pattern baldness. Men who are not genetically prone tend to keep their hair even with high androgen levels, while those who are prone are more likely to lose hair, and to lose it faster. Family history offers a clue but is not a guarantee either way.
Can finasteride fully protect my hair while I use steroids?
Not reliably. Finasteride and dutasteride reduce the conversion of testosterone to DHT, so they may help offset some added hair loss from testosterone-based compounds. They do little against compounds that are DHT-derived, because there is no conversion step for them to block. They also do not remove the wider health risks of anabolic steroid misuse. Any use of these medicines should be discussed with a doctor.
Is hair loss the most serious risk of anabolic steroids?
No. Hair loss is often the most visible concern, but non-prescribed anabolic steroid use is linked to more serious harms, including cardiovascular effects such as raised blood pressure, thickening of the heart muscle and a higher risk of blood clots, heart attack and stroke, as well as liver strain and effects on fertility and mood. These are important reasons to seek medical advice.
Get back to Great Hair
in 3 Easy Steps:
01
Arrange Free Consultation
Speak to one of our specialist consultants for expert advice on our range of different hair loss treatments
02
Book Your Procedure
Place a deposit to reserve a time slot at one of the My Hair UK clinics across the UK
03
Attend Your Surgery
Arrive on the day and our specialist surgical team will look after your every need
