Cultural Shifts: Male Grooming, Wellness, and Stigma Easing

In this episode of Second Opinion, Christina Farr and Luba Greenwood discuss men's health with Saad Alam, co-founder and CEO of Hone Health. They cover the rapid cultural shift in attitudes toward men's wellness, Alam's personal journey with hormone imbalances, and the emerging trends in health treatments for men, including testosterone therapy and lifestyle changes.

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LINKS: 

Hone Health: https://honehealth.com/ 

Subscribe to Second Opinion Newsletter: https://secondopinion.media/ 

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FOLLOW:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/saad-alam-a146b311/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinafarr/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/lubagreenwood/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashzenooz/

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EPISODE:

• Saad Alam started Hone Health after personally experiencing dismissive medical care when seeking help for his hormone-related health issues at age 35.
• Modern men have 26% less testosterone and 50% fewer sperm compared to men 30 years ago.
• Hone's treatment approach starts with lifestyle fundamentals (sleep, hydration, stress, movement) before considering medication.
• The company performs comprehensive testing of 50 biomarkers and requires double testing before prescribing treatment.
• Men's health stigma has decreased significantly in the past 4-5 years, partly due to influencers normalizing hormone discussions.
• Men are increasingly open to wellness treatments like contrast therapy and Botox, with male Botox being the fastest-growing category.
• The average Hone patient is 39 years old, significantly younger than the national average testosterone user age of 52.
• Men strongly prefer testosterone treatment over weight loss medications, with 80% rejecting weight loss prescriptions.
• Urban living is associated with a 30-40% higher likelihood of hormone imbalance due to environmental contaminants.
• Hone conducts 45-minute consultations to create a safe space for men to discuss their health concerns openly.
• Treatment monitoring includes regular checks for estrogen-related side effects and red blood cell counts.
• Environmental factors like plastics, phthalates, and PCBs can significantly disturb hormone production.
• The top concerns for male patients are energy, muscles, and libido, while women prioritize brain fog, night sweats, and mood.
• The standard starting dose for testosterone treatment is 50-75mg per week, far lower than the 1000-2000mg used by bodybuilders.