Home | Consult Us | Hair Loss News

Hair Loss Article

Does MSG Cause Hair Loss?- Wednesday, April 08, 2009

Question:

I'm 22 years old from the Philippines and suffering from hair loss. We have no family history of baldness so I am alarmed. I recently found out a lot of the food I eat is seasoned with MSG in high quantities. Could this be causing my hair loss? How can I prevent the progression of baldness?

Answer:

It's not uncommon for men in their early twenties to lose their hair. And although there may be no signs of hair loss in your family, the genes responsible could be present but inactive. Genetic hair loss (androgenic alopecia) occurs when the hormone DHT (dihydrotestosterone) binds to hair follicle receptors causing the hair growth cycle to accelerate and the follicle to eventually stop producing new hair.

Extreme malnutrition may be responsible for a non-genetic form of thinning hair, but it usually is reversible once your body gets the nutrients it needs. This doesn’t sound like the case for you. MSG and other seasonings do not cause or contribute to hair loss.

To get a professional opinion, you may want to have your scalp examined under magnification and potentially other medical tests done by a dermatologist who can determine the cause of your baldness.

Bill (Falceros)
Associate Publisher/Editor