Body Hair Recovery

 

Good morning.

"When I was younger (through my 30's), I was considered a "bear" - coverage of hair everywhere.  Chest, abs, pubs, back, arms, etc. Hell, even my cock had hair on the shaft!  Over the past 25 or so years, I've noticed that my body hair has diminished - even at the underarms.  I had written that off as just a derivative of the poor health, Low-T and years of a sedimentary career, binding clothing, etc.  ... Natural hair loss does not run anywhere in my family and my body is not completely bare; what's there that I can see is either dark gray or silver and just really, really sparse.

Can body hair recover or once gone, it's gone for good?  I kinda miss (as does my husband) the chest hair among many other places. If this condition is somewhat normal for men as we age? Are there OTC topical treatments that can help the follicles resume activity?   Or could this be a side-effect of a combination of medications for the conditions that are now mitigating?"

According to Medicine Plus (.gov), the loss of ancillary body hair in men is part of the normal aging process. Called Alopecia (where have we heard about that in the not too distant past?), the cause is typically the natural lowering of Testosterone levels. Other health factors can contribute: low iron, peripheral artery disease, coronary heart disease.

You indicated in your email (omitted here for brevity) that you've boosted your health outlook, so that's not a factor. You're also on Testosterone replacement --- though some men end up with male-pattern balding --- so it's not low T.

Most research indicates that once body hair has taken a hike, it doesn't come back.

So many different treatments have been tried --- topicals, oral supplements which, according to experts, don't really work. But, because your body hair is thinning but not gone, I wonder if Nutrafol night help? While their website doesn't indicate body hair, it might be worth a shot. 

Any experience with this; any suggestions, Readers?

Reality Is

 

We let ourselves get body shamed by what we're told and shown.  Magazines, films, TV - even in commercials - we're told what beauty is; we should look like, or strive to look like; what others want to see.

That the odd man out - the one with "love handles" - should be less desirable.

And porn tells us that the size of the cock is the ultimate test in matters of desirability.

That younger and six-pack abs means better. That's why so much of what we find and see is

Truth is....

...like the commercial for PD (Peyronies Disease) says, "Guys come in all shapes and sizes." And ages.

And without the "fluffing" and camera angles that go on with even the majority of selfie dick pics

reality is:

Sustain Vitality

 

Photo courtesy of The Guardian

By now, everyone is aware of the Tuckem's trailer that's gone viral --- mostly to ridicule it for its homoerotic flair. The search for raising men's declining Testosterone (T) levels has been ongoing for decades. But, "tanning, or Red-Lighting" your balls? The Guardian has explained it for us thus:

The testicle tanning, or “red-light” therapy, shown in the video is explained further in an interview Carlson does with a self-proclaimed “bromeotherapy” expert. He claims that by dousing your balls in red LEDs, you can create higher levels of testosterone.

The potential for UV or red light to increase testosterone levels has been quite well documented but there are no peer-reviewed double-blind studies that are able to prove these claims. Testosterone levels also change dramatically throughout the day, and also see dramatic increases from exercise, new sexual partners and changes to diet.

Dousing your balls in too much UV light for too long is not a good idea. Is there anything a guy can do as he ages to help sustain vitality rather than "masculinity?" T levels decrease as we age. Normal levels vary from person to person. Faithful Reader Fullmoonma asked what "normal" is.

According to Premier Men's Medical:

1. Children: The first couple of months, a male baby should produce 75-400 ng/dL. By the time he’s 10 to 11 years old, that should change to 7-130 ng/dL.
2. Early Teens: Between 12 to 13 years old, a person should have 7-800 ng/dL. But by 15 to 16 years old, the ng/dL should be 100-1,200.
3. Late Teens: Anyone between 17 to 18 years old should have testosterone levels between 300 and 1,200 ng/dL.
4. Adults: An adult (19 years and older) should have anywhere between 240 and 950 ng/dL.

Sadly, they do not proceed further along the aging process.

We know that levels drop at approximately 10% with each decade after the age of 30. According to Healthline's "DHEA for Men:..." by your 70s or 80s may be only 10-20% of what they were at their peak.

Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone produced primarily by your adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands sit on top of your kidneys and also produce the hormones cortisol and aldosterone.

Unlike these other hormones, your levels of DHEA decline significantly as you get older. Your levels of DHEA are highest when you’re around the age of 20 and then decline by about 10 percent per decade.

By the time you reach your 70s or 80s, your DHEA levels may only be 10 to 20 percentTrusted Source of what they were during their peak.

DHEA is available in oral and topical supplements. Some people think that it may help slow the aging process, but at this time, there’s not enough evidence to back these claims.

Taking DHEA may have benefits for conditions such as:

• depression
• osteoporosis
• vaginal atrophy

However, more high-quality clinical trials need to be performed to fully understand these benefits.

Fullmoonma wrote:

A physician friend "advised me to take daily DHEA, a testosterone precursor, and I’ve been doing that for at least 20 years.  The most noticeable effect was a reduction of joint stiffness for activities like walking, but it also coincides with the start of my erotic journal and flowering of my masturbation practice and erotic massage practice."

Bottom line, if you suspect your T levels are low, get the levels tested and talk to your doc about DHEA.

Cock Shrinks With Age?

Speaking of our man bits shrinking - sadly, the cock shrinks as we age. Or does it? There are opposing medical positions on this. In an article on Huffington Post from January 2015: 

"The truth is the penis will shrink a little as time goes on as a result of decreased blood flow and testosterone. “By the time a guy is in his 60s and 70s, he may lose a centimeter to a centimeter and a half in length,” explains Dr. Castellanos."

But WebMd disagrees in an article on the subject, with the following statement:

"You may notice that it doesn’t seem as large as it used to. The actual size probably hasn’t changed at all. But if you have more fat on the pubic bone just above your penis, that area can sag and make it look smaller."

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Whether the cock shrinks with age or not, the more important issue is how well it functions.

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How often and how hard your cock gets is probably more important than its size.

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Guys, what's your personal experience?