Written by Greg Arnold, DC, CSCS. Study shows obese, bald men had 28.6% lower hair levels of copper and 57.2% lower hair levels of zinc than men with normal hair volume and body weight.
In a 2014 study (1), 116 men between the ages 22 of 56 and diagnosed with male pattern baldness (called androgenetic alopecia”) provided hair, blood, and urine samples and were compared to 100 males between the ages of 22 and 41 without baldness.
The researchers found bald subjects to have 13.5% higher body mass index (BMI) levels than normal subjects (26.16 vs 23.05 kg/m2, p < 0.05). And while bald subjects had significantly lower hair levels of zinc and copper compared to normal subjects:
Bald Subjects Normal Subjects % Difference
Bald vs Normal
p - value
Zinc hair levels 0.3 0.42 28.6% lower < 0.001
Copper hair levels 0.03 0.07 57.2% lower < 0.001
Significant differences were noted regarding zinc between bald subjects with high and low body mass index levels:
High BMI
(> 25 kg/m2)
Low BMI
(< 25 kg/m2)
% difference
High vs Low BMI
p - value
Zinc hair levels 0.03 0.39 94.2% lower 0.001
Zinc urine levels 20.88 34.17 38.9% lower 0.01
Past research has already determined that zinc as well as other trace minerals may play an important in hair loss affecting both men and women. (2-4) Furthermore, hair loss has been found to be a common occurrence in obese individuals, especially after bariatic surgery. (5-6) For the researchers “Decreased hair copper and zinc levels may play a role in the etiology of male pattern baldness” and “obesity that can cause an imbalance in the hair zinc and copper levels may lead to male pattern baldness” but that “case-controlled studies should be done extensively on this subject.”
Source: Ozturk, Perihan, et al. “BMI and levels of zinc, copper in hair, serum and urine of Turkish male patients with androgenetic alopecia.” Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology 28.3 (2014): 266-270.
© 2014 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.
Posted September 16, 2014.
References:
- Ozturk P. BMI and levels of zinc, copper in hair, serum and urine of Turkish male patients with androgenetic alopecia. J Trace Elem Med Biol 2014 Jul;28(3):266-70. doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2014.03.003. Epub 2014 Mar 16
- Harrison S, Bergfeld W. Diffuse hair loss: its triggers and management. Cleve Clin J Med. 2009 Jun;76(6):361-7.
- Neve HJ, et al. Reversal of Hair Loss following Vertical Gastroplasty when Treated with Zinc Sulphate. Obes Surg. 1996 Feb;6(1):63-65.
- Famenini S, Goh C. Evidence for supplemental treatments in androgenetic alopecia. J Drugs Dermatol. 2014 Jul;13(7):809-12.
- Ruiz-Tovar J, et al. Hair loss in females after sleeve gastrectomy: predictive value of serum zinc and iron levels. Am Surg. 2014 May;80(5):466-71.
- Rojas P, et al. Alopecia in women with severe and morbid obesity who undergo bariatric surgery. Nutr Hosp. 2011 Jul-Aug;26(4):856-62.
