Which hormone/vitamin am I thinking of? Relates to hair growth in new places

December 30, 2009 7:01 PM

I remember reading that the reason you begin growing hair in new places once you pass a certain age (Developing back hair in middle age, for instance) relates to a certain vitamin or hormone that your body naturally produces -- this substance inhibits hair growth, and your body naturally tends to produce less as you age, allowing hair to grow in additional places. I vaguely recall this being lycopene, but I don't know if I'm remembering that accurately because it's not showing up in a google search. Anyone able to tell me what substance it is that I'm remembering reading about?
posted by Televangelist to Health & Fitness (3 answers total)

This says that it's primarily oestrogens and androgens - the sex steroid hormones.
posted by iconomy at 7:12 PM on December 30, 2009

Hair production is largely under control of dihydrotestosterone titers. Propecia works to regow hair in male pattern balding by inhibiting the actions of dihydrotestosterone.
posted by oceanmorning at 8:28 PM on December 30, 2009 [1 favorite]

Best answer: 2nding oceanmorning. Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) is the main one. You can learn more by googling vellus hair (the fine kind that normally covers your body) and terminal hair (the thick kind that's on your head, armpits, groin, and randomly sprinkled about as you age). The conversion of vellus hair to terminal hair with aging is pretty well known and discussed around the internet.
posted by vytae at 9:52 AM on December 31, 2009 [1 favorite]