Maury Povich’s full, luscious hair (pictured above in April 2025) is giving many 20-somethings a run for their money. Considering he’s pushing 90, fans have often wondered if the former talk show host secretly wore wigs. But Povich revealed the truth during a conversation. His hair is all his – something that shocks him as much as the next person. “I don’t know how,” he said on his podcast, “On par with Maury Povich,” in April 2026. “I mean, even my dad’s hair, he lived until 92, it thinned out.” Expert Penny James may have a logical reason: a hereditary immunity to dihydrotestosterone.
Let’s break it down. As James, a certified trichologist and founder of Penny James Trichology Centertold Nicki Swift, hair follicles shrink as we age. This age-related process causes the hair to lose thickness, especially around the hairline and crown. This hair loss is visible in 50% of 50-year-old men and 80% of 80-year-old men. “The growth phase becomes shorter, which is called androgenetic alopecia. That being said, men do lose some hair; the hairline will recede a bit, not as thick as it once was,” she shared.
The rest who defy the statistics, she said, have their biology to thank. “Even if an 85-year-old man maintains perfectly healthy testosterone levels, he will only keep his hair if his scalp has a rare, inherited immunity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT)—the hormone responsible for shrinking follicles over time,” she explained. Povich may have this genetic resilience, although it sounds like he didn’t get it from his father.
Lifestyle habits can help men achieve Maury Povich-like hair
Maury Povich’s talk show ended in 2022 when he retired, but his hairline probably persisted due to genetic luck. But trichologist Penny James told Nicki Swift that nutrition also plays an important role in hair health. If young men hope to keep their hairline where it is for longer, they should focus on micronutrient synthesis support. “Ensuring adequate serum levels of ferritin (iron stores), zinc and vitamin D support the high metabolic demands of rapidly dividing matrix cells in the hair bulb,” she explained.
Another key component to hair health is stress management. Chronic stress can cause hair loss by raising cortisol levels. “Stress management protects the follicular microenvironment from premature regression,” she said. James also highlighted that an anti-inflammatory shampoo, like Juniper Scalp Therapy, can help control Malassezia yeast on the scalp, which can worsen structural hair thinning. And there are medications that can be helpful. Alpha-reductase inhibitors, oral or topical, inhibit the process that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone, essentially giving users the genetic advantage that Povich may naturally have.
Potassium channel openers may also help in a more mechanical way by increasing blood flow to the dermal papilla. In addition, James designated androgen receptor antagonists. “Topical anti-androgens compete with DHT at the receptor level in the scalp, blocking harmful hormonal signaling locally,” she told us. So it’s a good idea to maintain healthy eating habits for many reasons, including hair health. But if early signs of hair loss show up, there are valuable options out there as well.
