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Anabolic steroids, the kind bodybuilders sometimes (illegally) use, can cause hair loss if you're genetically predisposed to it. And there's a direct link between taking human growth hormone (HGH) and hair loss - probably caused by the same underlying mechanisms as steroid use. Women body builders who take steroids develop some male sex characteristics and some experience hair loss.

HGH has become a trendy anti-aging tool. More and more men are using it as a fountain of youth. Some men combine steroids and HGH because they make them feel better and stronger. But we have seen many men on HGH in our offices with "unexplained hair loss." No real mystery there.

Many men who take steroids also take Propecia (a DHT blocker) to offset the negative effects of DHT. Propecia blocks DHT and causes a rise in systemic testosterone by up to 18 percent. Indirectly, Propecia may help muscle building if DHT levels go down (from the Propecia) and testosterone levels go up to compensate.

Testosterone is a much stronger hormone than DHT, and the sum of the effects of the rise in serum testosterone from taking a DHT blocker such as Propecia and the steroids may very well produce more hair loss, not less.

Everyone is different, so we can't conclude if the muscle mass that the men are seeking from steroid use can be offset. Recently, Propecia was found to mask the blood measurements for other steroids when used in athletes, which is why its use is banned for professional athletes.

Fitness-focused individuals may take the following products for their physical benefits, but these products can also cause hair loss:

• Whey-based nutritional supplements: The use of growth hormones in some dairy cows affects the milk they produce and, in turn, the whey (a byproduct of cheese production). Even if a person doesn't take steroids, these products may have some steroid-like impact from the milk source. People who take whey-based nutritional supplements may experience steroidrelated side effects if the cows were treated with steroids. It is unclear how much of these steroids, if any, will survive transit through the stomach to be eventually absorbed into the body.
• DHEA: Some people take DHEA, which is found in the nutritional section of many health food and vitamin stores and doesn't require a prescription. The DHEA sold in stores is reportedly made by the adrenal glands and claims to help reduce body fat stores while promoting sugar metabolism. It also can cause hair loss. Other available supplements claim testosterone or steroid-like characteristics. The desire for men to add body mass and/or prevent hair loss drives them to seek out such products.
• Dose-pack steroids: A short course of steroids for medical reasons (4-5 days) should not have an impact producing hair loss.
• Prednisone: People who are on this steroid for chronic medical problems (arthritis, various autoimmune diseases) will experience hair loss.

Hair loss is also a risk for women who use steroids, if they're predisposed to the condition. Women usually take steroids for diseases that occur later in life, such as autoimmune disease, temporal arteritis, rheumatoid arthritis.