Maury Povich Is The King Of TV Hair At 87— But Are The Wig Rumors True?

Maury Povich's full, luscious hair (pictured above in April 2025) gives many 20-somethings a run for their money. Given that he's pushing 90, fans have often wondered whether the 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 just 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 father's hair, he lived until 92, it thinned out." Expert Penny James may have a logical reason: an inherited immunity to dihydrotestosterone.

Let us break it down. As James, a certified trichologist and founder of the Penny James Trichology Center, told Nicki Swift, hair follicles shrink as we age. This age-related process makes the hair lose thickness, particularly 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 growing stage becomes shorter, which is called Androgenetic alopecia. That said, men do lose some hair; the hairline will recede slightly, not as thick as it once was," she shared.

The remaining ones 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 possesses a rare, inherited immunity to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — the hormone responsible for shrinking follicles over time," she explained. Povich may have this genetic resilience, though it sounds like he didn't get it from his father.

Maury Povich's talk show ended in 2022 as he entered retirement, but his hairline endured likely due to genetic luck. But trichologist Penny James told Nicki Swift that nutrition plays an important role in hair health, too. 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 supports the high metabolic demands of rapidly dividing matrix cells within the hair bulb," she explained.

Another key component to hair health is stress management. Chronic stress can cause hair loss by raising cortisol levels. "Managing stress 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 might be helpful. Alpha-reductase inhibitors, oral or topical, inhibit the process that converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone, basically giving users the genetic advantage Povich might naturally have.  

Potassium channel openers can also aid in a more mechanical way by increasing blood flow to the dermal papilla. Additionally, James pinpointed androgen receptor antagonists. "Topical anti-androgens compete with DHT at the receptor level within the scalp, blocking harmful hormonal signaling locally," she told us. So, maintaining healthy eating habits is a good idea for many reasons, hair health included. But if early signs of hair loss present themselves, there are worthwhile options out there, too.