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As a current medical student, our university makes us use PubMed for a lot of research articles. I just started playing around with it again today and started to see what would come up when typing in "androgenic alopecia". I'm turning 27 this year, and have began to notice quite a bit of hair loss. It's pretty crazy, because my sides and back are EXTREMELY thick, whereas the top is the complete opposite.
Doing some research, there were some interesting articles.
Current article talks about how using retinol (Vitamin A) in conjunction with Minoxidil, has showed some improvements for individuals with alopecia. For us individuals in medicine, science, the article is interesting as it mentions "elevated Bcl2/Bax ratio" showing reduced cell death.
I did have some questions that I would like to ask the community and I'm hoping that I could get some answers. According to Wikipedia's article on androgenic alo, it mentions the following:
I know there are people here recommending ketoconazole - but isn't this bad for us. We're basically blocking the whole pathway to make aldosterone & glucocorticoids. Sure it'll block 5alpha-reductase, but at the expense of the mineralcorticoids and glucocorticoids?
A few posters were also suggesting taking spironolactone. Can somebody clear up this mechanism as to how this would help with hair loss, considering this is "aldosterone nuclear blocker"?
I'm hoping when I go home this August to pick up Minoxidil and use it along with Biotin (Vitamin B7), Centrum (for Vitamin A supplementation), and possibly some type of 5a-reductase shampoo blocker.
Doing some research, there were some interesting articles.
Current article talks about how using retinol (Vitamin A) in conjunction with Minoxidil, has showed some improvements for individuals with alopecia. For us individuals in medicine, science, the article is interesting as it mentions "elevated Bcl2/Bax ratio" showing reduced cell death.
I did have some questions that I would like to ask the community and I'm hoping that I could get some answers. According to Wikipedia's article on androgenic alo, it mentions the following:
Men with androgenic alopecia typically have higher levels of 5-alpha-reductase, lower levels of total testosterone, higher levels of unbound/free testosterone, and higher levels of total free androgens including DHT.[10][11]
5-alpha-reductase is responsible for converting free testosterone into DHT. The genes for 5-alpha-reductase are known.[12] The enzymes are present predominantly in the scalp and prostate. Levels of 5-alpha-reductase are one factor in determining levels of DHT in the scalp. Drugs which interfere with 5-alpha-reductase (such as finasteride, which inhibits the predominant type 2 isoform) have been approved by the FDA as treatments for hair loss.
Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which is responsible for binding testosterone and preventing its bioavailability and conversion to DHT, is typically lower in individuals with high DHT. SHBG is downregulated by insulin.
Increased levels of Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) have been correlated to vertex balding.[13]
High insulin levels seem the likely link between metabolic syndrome and baldness. Low levels of SHBG in men and non-pregnant women are also correlated with glucose intolerance and diabetes risk, though this correlation disappears during pregnancy.[14]
5-alpha-reductase is responsible for converting free testosterone into DHT. The genes for 5-alpha-reductase are known.[12] The enzymes are present predominantly in the scalp and prostate. Levels of 5-alpha-reductase are one factor in determining levels of DHT in the scalp. Drugs which interfere with 5-alpha-reductase (such as finasteride, which inhibits the predominant type 2 isoform) have been approved by the FDA as treatments for hair loss.
Sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG), which is responsible for binding testosterone and preventing its bioavailability and conversion to DHT, is typically lower in individuals with high DHT. SHBG is downregulated by insulin.
Increased levels of Insulin Growth Factor-1 (IGF-1) have been correlated to vertex balding.[13]
High insulin levels seem the likely link between metabolic syndrome and baldness. Low levels of SHBG in men and non-pregnant women are also correlated with glucose intolerance and diabetes risk, though this correlation disappears during pregnancy.[14]
A few posters were also suggesting taking spironolactone. Can somebody clear up this mechanism as to how this would help with hair loss, considering this is "aldosterone nuclear blocker"?
I'm hoping when I go home this August to pick up Minoxidil and use it along with Biotin (Vitamin B7), Centrum (for Vitamin A supplementation), and possibly some type of 5a-reductase shampoo blocker.
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