As men age they begin to lose testosterone. This impacts their longevity and health as they age. Learn about the physical symptoms that allow us to recognize testosterone deficiency in men.
Testosterone is the main anabolic and sexual hormone for men. Male testosterone deficiency is characterized by physical signs of aging and the regression of male characteristics (loss of muscles, strength, body hair, size of the penis and testicles, height) as well as an increase in belly fat. It is now easy for me to spot men who are in need of testosterone replacement by initially observing these signs of aging. In reality what we call “just aging” is just testosterone deficiency.
The first sign of testosterone deficiency for me is when I see a middle aged man who is VERY pale while we are working out at the gym. Testosterone stimulates melanin in our skin and gives us our skin tone. Think about all those actors you see in movies or on TV, as they age who have lost all color in their hair skin, eyebrows—everywhere.
Clint Eastwood, the aging 007 hero Roger Moore , and 24 star Keifer Sutherland are examples of the paling of men who do not take testosterone. I opine that the James Bond actors Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan take testosterone!
Even though “paling out” is the most obvious sign of testosterone deficiency, it can also mean that a man has poor circulation and his vessels are lined with cholesterol so they no longer can dilate them to bring oxygen to the skin when they exercise. Either way that guy needs a doctor. As an aside, it is a certainty that if a guy has atherosclerosis and heart disease, that they also no longer can dilate their vessels to have sex!
Now look at the physique of the man whom you are observing. Does he have a tight stomach and a waist-line or has he developed a pot belly, “man-boobs”, and a stooped carriage ? The loss of the “hot male body” is a sure sign of the loss of testosterone, which leads to increased estrogen and fat deposition in a female body pattern. We all drool over the tall, muscled, flat-bellied man with a muscled chest (without hips!), and that is because that build is a sign of virility and sexual prowess! Just as the waistline is a sign of fertility for a woman, a muscled chest and flat stomach is a sign that a man can have sex and consummate the act!
Man Boobs example
Pot Belly example
Stooped Carriage example
But sometimes exercise can accomplish this manly physique in the absence of a high testosterone levels, so let’s look at other qualities that will tip the scales one way or another as to deciding whether a man has low testosterone. My next characteristic is hair…hair on his head, and on his body. Men who are losing their testosterone lose the hair on their heads, first by their hairline receding and secondly by the top of their heads losing hair until there is what we call Male-Pattern-Baldness.
Male-Pattern-Baldness example
Body hair and the male odor that is filled with pheromones is yet another sign of youth and fertility. Young men have thick hair on their heads, chests, lower arms and legs. With lowering of Testosterone and increasing of DHT, middle-aged men lose hair on their head, and lower legs, but increase hair on their chests and backs. When testosterone deficiency occurs without T replacement, older men lose more hair on their heads, their leg hair is gone, arm hair is minimal, and even pubic hair becomes sparse. At this point testosterone is at a critical level and must be replaced to regain both hair and health.
Since we discussed the intimate exam of a female in our previous health cast, we need to share that the loss of testosterone reveals itself in the structure and size of the male genitals. Without testosterone the penis becomes smaller and erections less firm and the size is smaller. The scrotum begins to lengthen and hang loosely while the testicles themselves become small. Pubic hair is lost and texture of the skin is thin and stretchy.
This Health cast was written and presented by Dr. Kathy Maupin, M.D., Bio-identical Hormone Replacement Expert and Author, with Brett Newcomb, MA., LPC., Family Counselor, Presenter and Author. www.BioBalanceHealth.com.
