Effect of Cosmetic Hair Treatment and Natural Hair Color on Hair Testosterone Concentrations

October 2023 in “ PloS one ”

Julia K. Preinbergs, Inger Sundström‐Poromaa, Elvar Theodorsson, Jakob O. Ström, Edvin Ingberg

testosterone cosmetic hair treatments hair coloring hair bleaching radioimmunoassay hair dye hair bleach

TLDR Cosmetic hair treatments can increase hair testosterone levels, while natural hair color does not affect it.

The study investigated the stability of testosterone concentrations in hair samples collected three months apart and examined the effects of natural hair color and cosmetic hair treatments. Results showed a moderate intra-individual correlation in testosterone levels between the two samplings (rho = 0.378, p<0.001, n = 146). Cosmetic hair treatments, such as coloring or bleaching, appeared to increase testosterone concentrations (p = 0.051, n = 191; paired analysis p = 0.005, n = 24), while natural hair color had no significant effect (p = 0.133). The findings highlight the importance of considering cosmetic treatments in hair testosterone analyses and confirm the reliability of using a radioimmunoassay for measuring testosterone in small hair samples in women.

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