Do we have the cure for hairloss?

[jooder]

I just want to throw this idea out there.......because i believe that we already have the tools to stop hairloss.........its more the commitment required that we lack.
Lets just summarise MPB by saying DHT attacks the hair follicle.....causing inflammation, miniturising of the hair follicle.....and over time fibrosis which causes the follicle to stop producing hair. Im aware its more complicated than this, but those are the things (according to science) that happen - DHT Sensitivity, Inflammation, Fibrosis.
Now in my mind we already have the drugs/vitamins/diet changes available to stop these things from happening.
Many people take propecia with good results, however i havnt seen many reports of people who try to tackle every stage of hairloss.
DHT sensitivity - Taking Propecia or Dutesteride reduces DHT dramatically, other reports suggest Saw Palmetto does the same. So basically DHT sensitivity can be reduced by taking these. Moderate aerobic exercise has also been shown to reduce DHT.
Inflammation - Lets accept that some DHT continues to cause problems. But if we dramatically reduce the inflammation caused by DHT then DHT itself isnt causing a problem right? After all, no inflammation = no fibrosis = functional hair follicle. There are many excellent anti inflammatories - Fish Oil, Curcumin, Alpha lipoic acid, Green Tea to name but a few. Take a couple of each a day and inflammation is much reduced also. Sugar is a major pro - inflammatory and so cutting it out of your diet is also key to anti inflammatories having more effect.
Fibrosis - Taking a supplement that stops fibrosis and can even reverse it in some cases would be an excellent last line of defence. Taurine has been proven to be effective against fibrosis.

So.......my recipe to stop hair loss.

Take propecia/dutesteride/saw palmetto..... and exercise.

Take anti - inflammatories in plentyfull supply. Cut sugar out of your diet.

Take taurine daily to protect against fibrosis.

It sounds simple.......but it requires a lifestyle change and is probably why many people dont stick to it.
I think we all wait for the 'magic bullet', when we already have most of the keys to the puzzle.
Much like other chronic immune problems, it takes a multi - faceted aproach to succeed.
When i was more concerned about my hair, i too lacked the motivation to stick to a regime like this.

For those that require anti - sebum or a growth stimulant, we also have ketoconazole and minoxidil. So all bases are covered..........except for our own self discipline

[Spex]

Everyone responds differently to meds

[jooder]

Perhaps the reason they respond differently is due to differences in their lifestyle. For example a person who takes propecia and does very little exercise and consumes a lot of sugar would maybe not gain the same results as a person who takes propecia, exercises well and has a very low sugar intake

[Fixed by 35]

Interesting theory on taurine - that's the active ingredient in Red Bull isn't it? Do you think caffeine topically applied would have a similar effect?

[jooder]

I think caffeine is of more use as a growth stimulant....
Taurine has been proven to help against fibrosis - Check google scholar. It was also a main ingredient in l'oreals patented hair loss product.

[jooder]

You can purchase taurine cheaply at most vitamin shops.

[Fixed by 35]

I've just realised my shampoo includes Taurine as an active ingredient. That might explain why I get that same woozy feeling after washing my hair as I do after drinking too many Red Bulls!

Do you think it matters if it is applied topically or taken orally? If topically is okay, then again I can highly recommend Revita shampoo, which also includes ketoconazole.

[jooder]

The studies i have seen show taurine prevents fibrosis using supplementation. Also, the l'oreal product was in pill form......so i think orally is the way to go. Maybe taurine finds it hard to penetrate the skin as effectively.

[Fixed by 35]

Right, I'm definitely getting some of that! As long as I can, at the very least, ensure my baldness is curable in the future by avoiding extensive fibrosis then at least I'll be doing something.

[jooder]

I know this may not be a popular suggestion..... but counteracting inflammation is key. Indeed some knowledgable people think you can defeat hair loss by reducing inflammation and fibrosis and not bothering with dht. I think a triple pronged approach is sure to work best.
Sugar makes inflammation much worse.....as do unhealthy fats. So if you eat a lot of pastries....and sugar......and fatty foods.......you are more than likely accelerating your hair loss. Thats why taking anti infammatories is crucil.
Taking anti inflammatories while still eating pro inflammatory food may reduce the inflammation a bit. However, by cutting out most inflammatory food and then taking plenty of anti inflammatories.....you will reduce inflammation by much more.

[jooder]

Cutting out sugar and bad fats may seem easy..... it isnt. But for those who will do anything to stop MPB....its imperative. This is why i say its our own self discipline that often defeats us.

[Weedwacker]

I don't think there are any specific supplements that will halt hairloss. I ate a very healthy diet before,during and after the period during which I lost it. I think curcumin, green tea and other antioxidants may be of use with regard to fighting inflammation;however, that does not translate to their effect on baldness. I was consuming flaxseed oil,vitamins,minerals and other supplements which have been shown to counter the inflammatory response, to no avail.

There is a woman who posted here who said that her eschewing refined food and other artificial junk helped her regrow her hair. I wouldn't be surprised if the increase in female pattern baldness is related to a poor diet as the food we eat affects each cell in our bodies biochemically. There is no doubt that the high omega-6 content of our modern diets is linked with inflammation.

Being a Norwood 6, there is nothing that can help me but genetic manipulation via some biotechnological breakthrough. I asked my dermatologist about my plight and he said there was nothing I can do. Eating a healthy diet, it seems, will better our health and mitigate the effects of aging down the road.

[ohlife]

Perhaps the reason they respond differently is due to differences in their lifestyle. For example a person who takes propecia and does very little exercise and consumes a lot of sugar would maybe not gain the same results as a person who takes propecia, exercises well and has a very low sugar intake

Yeah right. I took propecia for 6 months, it did nothing to help in that time, and my lifestyle was no different from the average propecia user. Also, I got one bad side effect from it which has stopped me from using it, all because my body is more vulnerable to rises in estrogen. I wish it were as simple as you suggest.

[jooder]

I never said it was simple - quite the opposite, i said it was hard. You say your diet was the same as the 'average propecia users'......if the average propecia users diet is the same as the average person in the street, then it contains many pro inflammatory foods.
I dont advocate using propecia internally. I would never use it.
My point is that we have the supplements/lifestyle changes available to combat DHT, Inflammation and Fibrosis.......and if a propecia user tackled inflammation and fibrosis too, then they would give themselves a better chance of success.
Weedwacker - just out of interest, were you on a dht blocker and did you take substantial amounts of anti inflammatories and a fibrosis supplement?

[ohlife]

Yes, but I'm saying that most propecia users have some form of good result, whether it be varying degrees of retention or regrowth, yet the majority of those would have the same - if not worse in many cases - diets, lifestyles etc. as me. Still, I suppose it can't hurt trying to reduce inflammation etc. but I have a feeling that it wouldn't do much against those who have a strong genetic disposition towards baldness.