What causes loss of leg hair?

I believe it is because of your legs rubbin together or against your pants so often. My husbands is worn down in the spots where his legs rub against something most of the day, and eventually the hair can thin or even stop growing there.

See I don’t buy that, seems possible, but then why do I still have hairy arms? My shirt rubs equally, maybe not as much. There has to be more to it than friction.
If that’s the cause, I will be all the happier.

I’ve never seen a study on this, but I’m going to go with the friction theory. My wife is still shaving in places where hair doesn’t stand a prayer on my body. (Not that I’ve ever rubbed these places, personally.) But the hair on my chin, which I’ve shaved diligently since… like the Pleistocene epoch… is as robust as ever.

So I think rubbing removes the hair from men’s legs. Now all we need to do is get our quads really cut and we can win bodybuilding contests. If that’s too much work, maybe there’s some kind of transvestite competition that invites newcomers. Hell, I don’t know.

Seems as if I have read something about a medical cause for this, but I can’t quite remember. Did it have something to do with blood pressure meds or circulation??? Don’t worry, I don’t think it was terminal, just maybe an aging thing.

My husband’s lower leg hair is definitely missing, almost entirely in the area that his socks are covering on a daily basis. Maybe that fabric being tight around the area is the cause?

The fronts of my legs are hairless where they rub on my jeans. I think it’s to do with the weight of fabric. Probably the shirt isn’t heavy enough to rub the hair off.

We loose certain areas of body hair as we age. You don’t mention your age or your sex, so I really don’t have enough to go on from your question.

If tight socks got rid of leg hair, I wouldn’t have to shave or epilady, but I do.

For some reason, older men have less hair on their legs and more growing in their ears and nose and eyebrows. This is how we age. It has nothing to do with ‘estrogen’ in food or your deodorant or shampoo.

As we age, the number and density of hair follicles decreases, resulting in a loss of body hair. This happens first on the thinner skin on the front of the shin. This is why older people have dryer skin on this region too. No hair follicles, means fewer oil ducts.

My husband is a very healthy specimen in his mid 40’s and is noticing this change too. The hair is thinning on his lower legs with bald spots showing now. I want to pluck his eyebrows, but he is looking forward to having big bushing eyebrows, he says.

Another vote for the friction of pants. @downtide has hit the nail on the head, I think. Pants are most always made of a heavier weight of fabric than shirts are. My dad’s knees and the tops of his thighs are almost completely hairless – he’s a dentist and sits most of the workday, and has been wearing khakis for as long as I can remember.

i believe it has to do with the lowering of testosterone in males as they age. Same thing happened to my husband. Just as women often get some facial hair because their estrogen is lowered. I don’t think it has anything to do with friction.

It isn’t exactly the lower level of testosterone that does it. Testosterone is broken down by an enzyme, 5-alpha reductase, to form dihydrotestosterone (DHT). It is an excess of DHT that actually causes the hair loss, not the deficiency of testosterone.

Progesterone acts as an inhibitor of 5-alpha reductase, but older men experience a reduction in progesterone levels. This in turn cause increased 5-alpha reductase activity, which causes in increase in DHT, which shuts down follicles.

Sounds like many endorse the friction theory, which I personally wish is the case, and the last two and myself the hormonal hypothesis. Being a middle aged man it makes sense, that it is a combination of the two, loss of mojo and wear and tear. @janbb oh my Aunt Elma, very good point about facial hair on older women, that pretty much is the nail for me.

@cazzie says what I always thought: “As we age, the number and density of hair follicles decreases, resulting in a loss of body hair.” But I’m sure I read recently (can’t remember where) that a bald person still has all of his follicles along with tiny hairs growing out of each. You can’t see them, but they’re there. Has anyone else come across this claim?

That’s a different kind of balding, @jazzticity Also, after a while, those follicles atrophy as well.

Yeah, as we age the density and thickness of hair follicle decreases due to skin thickness is likely the reason, but is the decrease in skin thickness a symptom of hormonal deficiency.
Since I am always looking for ways to slow the inevitable, what natural natural ways of increasing testosterone or decreasing other culprits. I guess that is another question for another time.
Yeah, those wild mutant eye brow hair’s can be annoying.

It wouldn’t be considered a ‘deficiency’ if it was within the parameters of ‘normal’ for your age.

Best idea is to look after your skin. Don’t smoke. Use sunscreens or stay out of the sun and choose your parents well. First strongest indicator for what your skin will be like is… look at your parents. Smoking and sun damage harm the skin in irreversible ways and will make it look aged before its time. A decent, unscented moisturiser is always a very good idea, especially if you live in a dry climate.

My hubby loves my salt scrubs. I thought they’d be too girly for him, but he loves how they leave his skin. Mix up some table salt with some almond oil and canola oil and give your skin a rub all over in the shower, with special attention to your elbows, heels and knees. Just rinse it off, don’t wash it off. Pat dry and enjoy the soft feeling on your skin. You can add a few drops of fragrance if you like. It’s a wonderfully Roman way to clean, moisturise and scent yourself.

If you are a man it is likely due to decreasing testosterone levels. It also can indicate a thyroid problem. One thing to keep in mind is there is evidence that certain plastics affect testosterone. If you regular store food in tupperware type of containers, and worse if you heat food in those containers switch to glass.

I have no hair on the front of my lower legs also and I’ve always attributed this to the fact that I’ve worn combat boots for 23 years now and that retarded the hair growth. It seems plausible but is probably entirely unfounded by scientific evidence.

I live in Minnesota, so sun exposure is certainly not a factor, Vitamin D deficiency, on the other hand could be a factor. But I take Cod Liver Oil from NorVay and vitamin D sups that happen to be Cod Liver Oil.
I said I was a man, and I am aware that disposable plastics are bad, so I use Pyrex glass for most my food storage and microwave cooking. Microwave cooking is another issue onto itself, I avoid it as much as possible now.
Thyroid problem, I have thought about that, but I don’t have those kind of problems to a great degree. It is something that may be, that is why I want to get a blood test for Vitamin D, Selenium, Calcium, Magnesium, aminos – histidine in particular, heavy metals, Luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone Levels. The information would be wonderful, I just don’t have a $2000 to shell out at the moment. I am just trying to figure a way to get the insurance company to bite.

@Garebo A man in my family has low testosterone, but perfect vItamin D. Doesn’t mean it isn’t sometimes related I just thought I would mention it. If you are taking really big doses of D you should have your calcium checked, because mega doses of D can lead to high levels of calcium, which is very dangerous. But, I mean very large doses like 4,000+ IU’s a day. Almost everyone I know is low in vitamin D who has been tested, except the man I refer to above.

You could probably skip the LH, until you find out about the testosterone. I don’t even think LH is routinely tested in men, interesting, I had never even really paid attention to it in men. I am actually going to read up on that.

If your testosterone is low, are you willing to take meds to raise it up? You can’t take it if you want to have baby, it will lower your sperm count, just as an FYI.

Age gracefully.

My cammies cause wear in unique areas of my leg, which are more completely highlighted by the areas where hair still resides!! hips, lowers calves, knees: no hair. Mid thigh, high calf, “other places” make up the difference!

The lack of leg hair is the catalyst, and I think it has a high correlation with my low libido, slight depression as well. Probably, why I am getting so anal about this subject. I certainly am not going to jump on board with the Low T advertisements major pharmaceutical company’s are pushing, which I am certain my doctor will suggest tomorrow.
It’s always the “band-aid” approach, never figure out the symptoms.
I think it will eventually come down to saving up money, and going down to Mayo and get a genuine diagnosis.

Looks like we don’t have a verdict. I’m going with the friction theory. My testosterone’s just fine, thank you.

The States have ads for pills for ‘low testosterone’? How low can those pharmaceutical companies go? I guess they’re not making enough money off that blue ‘old man f**k’ pill any more.

Seriously, @Garebo, you didn’t mention how old you were, but if you are in your late 40’s early 50’s, don’t worry about your leg hair. Take up a new sport or activity. Something where you can express and vent. Let your aggression go. Try boxing or rugby. Perhaps the libido and down-feeling is more tied to psychological things, and often one thing follows another. Making a change can help with your mind-set and your hormones soon follow.

We’re not going to look like we did when we were 20. That wouldn’t be natural, but we can still look damn good for our age and accept the changes with dignity and even a bit of pride. Ageing gracefully is sexy.

Wow…who would want more hair? I have a few single hairs on my shoulders and more than I would like everywhere else, but it isn’t bothersome enough to get rid of it.

I suppose the concept that “you don’t know what you got ‘til its gone” might apply here, but if I
didn’t have body hair I think I would adjust to it rather well.

my hardcore biker bodies use to shave their legs for wipe outs, so there is always a positive spin to everything.
Well, for those still interested. I saw the Doc and she endorses the friction theory. She was perplexed, as if never encountering this before. Her thinking was, if it was hormonal it wouldn’t be so local in nature. Since I have hair growing everywhere else where hair can grow, why just there?
We are doing some tests: thyroid, prostrate, since I am due, testosterone and Vitamin D and B1. She emphasized the effects of low Vitamin D, and suggest a particular light that she currently uses a well. One of her doctor friends is now up to 5000 iu and feels great. Like I said earlier, I live in MN and it has been a horrendous winter, so that may explain some of the depression. The nurse told me multiple middle-aged men get T-injections which I found interesting, and not so much for libido, but for energy. Hmmm, I wonder about that one.
So. there you have it the friction people might be right after all. I get my blood test back in a few days.
@cazzie I did, middle age will suffice. I strive to be at my optimum state. Yes, I appreciate your advice, and I am always involved in new things that motivate me greatly. I must seem aggressive, but really more frustrated, yes, the cousin of aggression-it’s been a difficult three and a half years, what can I say. Trust me, I am a very nice generous person to those I love and know.

Test results: I am low in D and should elevate to 1000 iu/day, and have high thyroid hormone which she wants to do another test in a month, PSA good, she didn’t tell me about testosterone.
The nurse was focused on the HT which has flipped me out. Because I think that if it is elevated it could explain the hair loss; other signs-irritability and nervousness, true; heart arrhythmia, or rapid hb, false; depression, true, and trembling hands, true.
So, now I am not so interested in hair loss as I am hyperthyroidism, so any one with this condition I would like to hear from you.

I had hyperthyroidism in my teens, but had no clue I had it for years. I had tons of energy, was underweight, and didn’t sleep much, but I functioned very well for a long time. Then I got thyroid storm, which nearly killed me. That took about a year to recover from, and by then my thyroid was dead. I’ve lived with hypothyroidism ever since. Let me tell you… hyper is much more enjoyable then hypo, unless it goes very bad. Extra energy isn’t worth your life. ;)

I’ve been living with Graves Disease since 1996. I manage it with medication, but the specialists are always vowing to burn out my thyroid… so I simply don’t go to the specialists any more. I also go into remission periodically and off meds all together. There are more reasons than Graves why thyroid hormones are elevated, so I’m sure your doctor will go though all the tests.

I thought I was going crazy before my diagnosis. I even started seeing a therapist but she was horrible and never even suggested I see a doctor for my thyroid. It wasn’t until it go so bad I lost my menstrual cycle. I thought it was anxiety. I was completely relieved when it turned out to be Graves.. odd as that may sound.

I got the lab results in the mail today after requesting them to be sent to me by the nurse. In the phone conversation, she said I have an elevated TSH level which I interpreted as high, and I swear she said “hyper”. After reading the Quest Panel results they come in as 5.44, reference range is .38–4.31, then going to there site, the results indicate the opposite – high TSH is be indicative of a hypo condition-I am bad.
This, however, does not jive with all the symptoms, but enough to be concerned. I would say my symptoms are more hyper than hypo.
@cazzie, good for you, defying the specialist: I certainly would do the same, be reluctant to have radioactive iodine shot into my thyroid, or have it removed. The symptoms would have to certainly be bad enough to outweigh having it’s complete removal, even partially.
The funny thing is after reading up on it, which is totally new to me and the last thing I would ever expect, is that the TSH reference use to go as high as 5.5 or 6, pre-2003. Now it is no higher than 3.3.
I think this level is currently advocated as the baseline by the Endocrinologist Association.
At any rate, I just went out and bought some Kelp and L-Tyrosine, we’ll see if it has an impact on my score in a few weeks.
Thanks for the informative comments, and I feel sheepish saying hyper when I now know it is hypo, either way neither condition is inviting.

Ah, yeah, TSH stands for Thyroid Stimulating Hormone. So, if it’s high, that means it’s trying to make your thyroid produce more thyroid hormone, which means your actual levels of thyroid hormone are low, thus, hypo.

Hey! Before you start self medicating, there are reasons that you could have both high TSH and high T4. Do NOT start taking any extra iodine. They’ll rule out lab error and the rest, but it can mean that your system is showing a resistance to the TSH and it can be a pituitary problem. Please don’t start self medicating, and bang on your doctors door for a proper diagnosis and not just ‘lab results’ that seem contradictory with no conclusions. Demand answers.

This is going to sound really weird, but have you noticed a difference in your hands lately? Rings not fitting, or they feel ‘swollen’?

Get back to your doctor and ask more questions.

Yes, high TSH is hypo. Get the repeat test, and if you are still at 5 you probably should consider taking medication.

I actually recommend getting a little more iodine if your current diet is void of it. Make sure your table salt has iodine, and if you eat a lot of packaged foods, know that from my own research tney do not use iodized salt from what I can tell.I have called Campbells soups and Stouffers frozen and they both say their sodium is not iodized, and their food is so salty you never typically add more table salt. I buy several things low sodium so I add my own salt when not cooking from scratch. I am not saying take some megadose of iodine every day, simply that there is an assumption that Amercians get plenty of iodine in their diets and I don’t believe it.the same as I don’t believe we get plenty of D and some other nutrients. It was different when we all cooked from scratch, and farms rotated their crops. Our midwest was known as the goiter belt, which was corrected somewhat with the addiction of iodine in salt.

I would not wait too long to repeat your thyroid tests, not more than two months. I once had around a 5 and it self corrected many years ago. Years later I had a perfectly normal 2.2 TSH, I checked it every year, and then three months later I walked myself int the ER and found out my TSH was 94.6.

I feel best when my TSH is between 2–3. Most endocrinologists like patients between 1–2. Below 2, my blood pressure drops very low, my heart races, and my hair starts falling out again. My advice is to pay attention to when you feel good and what your numbers are if it turns out you are going to be dealing with thyroid issues. You tell the doctor your normal, not the other way around. But, it takes time to figure it out.

Wanted to add I lose hair when I am hypo or hyper, meaning whenever I am outside of normal range on my TSH high or low my hair all over my body falls out, including the top of my head at a faster pace. For me, I am a woman, the most noticeable is hair on my head and I have always had some hair growth between my breasts, thin hairs barely noticeable, they dissapear completely when my TSH is off. It is one of my most reliable symptoms that I need a blood test and dose adjustment on my meds. My other key indicators are muscle weakness, pain, and cramping; and sticky dry eyes in the morning.

JLeslie, don’t give medical advice. He doesn’t have a diagnosis yet.

@cazzie I didn’t give medical advice. The US government iodized salt for a reason.

‘I actually recommend getting a little more iodine if your current diet is void of it.’

He also has a high T4 count. He could be hyper too, you don’t know yet. In which case, more iodine is like poison. You would have to have an incredibly poor diet in the US to not get enough iodine.

@cazzie Where does he state his T4 is high? I didn’t see that. What you say about iodine in the US is what many doctors are still saying about vitamin D. Doctors never check iodine levels anymore they just throw synthroid at you. Personally, I think we have no idea how low, high, or normal iodine levels are in the US population currently. And, lets not forget near the top I was the one who suggested thyroid, my medical “advice” tends to be helpful, I will continue to put my thoughts out there, but have no problem with you or anyone else pointing out where I might be mistaken. Of course I am not a doctor and always suggest checking with a doctor or getting a blood test to confirm a possible suspicion.

I wanted to add the OP mentioned taking kelp, I have no idea how much iodine is in those pills, again I don’t recommending any type of megadosing without proper blood tests that prove significant dificiency and scheduled monitoring of blood levels. Not for iodine, or D, or even water soluble vitamins like B and C. I was suggesting only making sure iodized table salt, I was not recommending the kelp, I don’t know enough about it. It might be a good idea? I don’t know.

@Garebo I still don’t see where you might have mentioned your T4 is high? @cazzie does make a good point that before you start taking meds they should check not only your TSH, but also your T3 and T4, and check all three two months after starting meds, if you do start meds, so you can see how everything is adjusting.

Thanks so very much for the insightful comments.
I didn’t get a T4 test, should have. The iodine thing I decided to stop supplementing with. I will miss it because everytime I throw one in my mouth it tastes like I am back at the ocean sea shore
I was supplementing with it because I only use Mediterranean salt. so I don’t get much Morton’s Iodized, and soils that grow agricultural produce are deficient of it.
I do agree about screwing up my true condition is f…ing the results for self fulfilling reasons that won’t due me any good in the long term!
L-tyrosine I have been taking for years for mild depression and host of other benefits, so when I hear it is helpful to the Thyroid it is hard to remove this treasured amino from my regimen. And I won’t get the Thyroid Glandular I was contemplating, until I get a second read.
What is so weird for me about this, is the conditions don’t jive. Hypo people have a hard time getting rid of weight, I am the opposite. However, I do have loss of hair, somewhat depressed and irritable-it must be the… ?
Anyone can read symptoms into themselves easily enough.
Well, test two is next week, I hope it is lower. I still won’t take radioactive iodine unless my symptoms warrant it. I have to remember this test result is an accident and if I keep believing in it, it will become a problem.

Do you have another appointment? The thing with being hyper is that it is hard to keep on weight, hair still falls out and you get agitated and irritable and you get tired fast because your body is trying to go 100mph in first gear.

Another thing a doctor who was helping to diagnose me did was he wrote things down for me. When your thyroid is out of whack, the brain kind of goes a bit mushy too. I found it hard to concentrate and felt like a cornered squirrel on meth half the time. Having notes and diagrams to go back and refer to helped a lot.

@Garebo People don’t always gain weight hypo, especially if their appetite is reduced. Have you been less hungry?

I wore boots for a long time, but I noticed it when I was doing construction, so I wore workboots, and after only a summer the hair started to be bare, after a few summers my whole chin is bare, At the time I figured it was from the constant friction of my boot on my skin. And now, 10 years later, it still hasn;t grown back, and I have an office job now, now I notice my upper thigh above the knee cap is getting bare to, It’s from the friction of my pants, I wear rather tight jeans for awhile, tight on the tight anyway.

it’s cause by friction over time. It’s not from lower testosterone, this happened when I was 20. and I am 33 now, and don’t have low testosterone.