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I want to bump this thread because this topic is interesting... has anyone ever theorized that the "itch" is in itself a hair, or multiple hairs, in an area that have shed and are just waiting to be removed? It seems like a hair that is ejected and just kind of sitting there, waiting for some force to remove it would cause an "itch" to the surrounding tissue.
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The "itch" is microinflammation set off by DHT.
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Senior Member
Originally Posted by Dench57
The "itch" is microinflammation set off by DHT.
Is this backed up by any research or is it just speculation? It seems plausible to me, but as far as I am aware, the MPB itch that a lot of us complain about isn't part of any of the mainstream AGA theories.
I also used to get a very itchy head before starting treatment, but I just put it down to having bad skin. Now that I'm on this forum and others are complaining about it, it does make me wonder if there is more to it.
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If the itch was indeed caused by inflammation from androgen activity... then why do so many balding or bald people not have it?
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I didnt realize I kind of repeated myself a few times in this post sorry. I dont think there is any proven link between the itch and MPB though its all just speculation still or could be some other underlying cause.
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Can anyone describe 'The itch'? Is it a general itch all over or in certain spots? Is it a frantic itch that keeps you awake or a constant background itchiness?
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I'm talking specifically about the "MPB itch". Not SD, psoriasis, folliculitis, dandruff or any other skin/scalp condition that could be causing it. I'm certain that the "MPB itch" is caused by androgens. We know that perifollicular inflammation is present in most cases of AGA. DHT sets off a cascade of microinflammation (subclinical - cannot be seen, which is why dermatologists don't know shit about it) where many pro-inflammatory mediators (cytokines, leutrokienes, prostaglandins etc) are overexpressed, leading to miniaturisation and eventual fibrosis of the follicle. This microinflammation manifests itself as itching, burning, tingling etc and can be directly correlated to areas with the most noticeable hair loss/thinning.
I don't understand how people can say there is no link between this very unique itch/tingling sensation and MPB when there are hundreds, if not thousands of posts and threads out there on every hairloss forum, with everyone reporting this exact sensation in areas of thinning, usually when their hairloss first starts or becomes aggressive (androgens kicking into action). As far as I'm aware there's no clinical study that proves a definitive link between these sensations and AGA, but considering the abundance of identical anecdotal reports, plus the knowledge we have about inflammation in AGA....I think its safe to say there is a direct correlation.
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Well there is danger in doing this. A link someday might be found, but right now I have never seen a study showing a link between the two. Stories dont prove a link though they could all be caused by different issues or a common issues that is not MPB but some immune system thing separate from MPB. We dont know
As far as I'm aware there's no clinical study that proves a definitive link between these sensations and AGA, but considering the abundance of identical anecdotal reports, plus the knowledge we have about inflammation in AGA....I think its safe to say there is a direct correlation.
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Oh I'm not claiming it as fact, its just my opinion but one I'm pretty certain about personally. If we relied on clinical studies before we accepted any theory, we wouldn't get anywhere. Clinical studies are expensive and are only conducted with good reason. Its unlikely there will ever be a study into this phenomenon. There's no study that shows Minoxidil or 5ARi's cause shedding - and yet thats pretty much regarded as fact in the hairloss community. The "MPB itch" only occurs in areas where the hair is sensitive to DHT. How could it be anything other than DHT?
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I agree with Dench.... if not true, it would just be WAY too much of a coincidence. My first 8 months on finasteride, I had itch, and creepy crawling feelings EXACTLY where my hair started falling out weeks and months later. When the feeling stopped, the hair loss slowed down. When it came back, it sped up. I could pinpoint on my head precisely where these locations where and they are the ones that are balding the quickest. There HAS to be something to this, guaranteed. Plus, there are a million other stories of this. I believe that if you are experiencing MPB, you don't HAVE to have these sensations to lose hair, BUT if you are experiencing MPB and DO... Then you are guaranteed to lose hair in those areas.
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