Article: Skin molecules that cause baldness, unwanted hair identified

[Difthin]

http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/12/06/skin-molecules-that-cause-baldness-unwanted-hair-identified-as-u-s-researchers-discover-ways-to-disrupt-both-processes/

Any thoughts? Article below:

It turns out that when it comes to growing hair that’s stopped growing, and stopping hair from growing where people don’t want it, the same molecules in the human body are at play, according to a new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

Researchers writing in the journal Cell Stem Cell this month say that balding is caused by the protein inhibitor Dkk1, which stops the intracellular Wnt/β-catenin pathway from functioning properly. They further found that stem cells for dormant hair follicles are still maintained after balding begins. When Dkk1 is removed, the Wnt/β-catenin pathway resumes normal function, stem cells were activated, and hair growth is restored.

Another important point in the study was when researchers unexpectedly discovered that the hair-creating cell pathway is also normally active in non-hairy regions, such as on the palms of hands, soles of feet and the tongue, as well as between hair follicles on the surface of the skin. This finding is consistent with previous results showing that removing β-catenin can prevent the growth of skin tumours.

“While more research is needed to improve our understanding of this pathway, our results suggest that therapeutics capable of decreasing levels of Wnt/β-catenin signalling in the skin could potentially be used to block growth of unwanted hair, and/or to treat certain skin tumours,” said senior author Sarah Millar, PhD, professor in the departments of Dermatology and of Cell and Developmental Biology. “Conversely, if delivered in a limited, safe and controlled way, agents that activate Wnt signalling might be used to promote hair growth in dormant hair follicles in conditions such as male pattern baldness.”

[hellouser]

http://www.baldtruthtalk.com/showthread.php?t=14943

[baldybald]

hahaha

[burtandernie]

Sounds really promising though could be huge, but at this point I honestly have to start seeing results to really care anymore. Just too many hyped up stories and breakthrough just fizzle out to never turn into anything. Someone needs to piece it all together and figure out how important each piece is so it can really be solved. Results on humans is all that matters in the end.

[Atum]

Sounds really promising though could be huge, but at this point I honestly have to start seeing results to really care anymore. Just too many hyped up stories and breakthrough just fizzle out to never turn into anything. Someone needs to piece it all together and figure out how important each piece is so it can really be solved. Results on humans is all that matters in the end.

+1

[BoSox]

Seems like a new discovery is made every month recently. Still, losing my hair though.

[HairlossAt15]

Anyone have access to the full paper?

[StayThick]

Seems like a new discovery is made every month recently. Still, losing my hair though.

This just about sums it up. Close thread.

[Jazz1]

The DKK-1 Link
The blood level of circulating androgens is important to the mechanism of hair loss. For example, a high level of DHT (dihydrotestosterone), a product of testosterone has been identified as the chief cause of androgenic alopecia.

Male hormones and their metabolites such as DHT bind to certain receptors of an important group of cells in the skin, the papilla cells.*Papilla cells are chiefly responsible for transporting nutrients to other cells in hair follicles.

These cells play a key role in the events leading to balding or alopecia. When they are blocked by male hormones, they cannot effectively feed the hair follicles; therefore, hair production slows down.

To test whether Vitamin C has any positive effect in the reversal of hair loss, a group of Korean researchers from Kyungpook National University took some papilla cells from the skin of balding men and exposed them to a derivative of Vitamin C.

The derivative used was Ascorbic acid 2-phosphate which is used in many topical cosmetic products and which is converted to Vitamin C in the cell.

The idea to try Vitamin C salt on actual hair cells was born out of a prior research in which the group of researchers demonstrated that ascorbic acid 2-phosphate boosts hair growth.

To explain their findings, the researchers drew attention to the fact that androgens such as DHT are known to activate the dickkopf-1 gene which in turn produces a protein called DKK-1. The DKK-1 is sometimes called the baldness protein since it is found mostly in skin cells in people undergoing hair loss.

The study showed that as the DKK-1 protein level rose, the papilla cell population dropped. Just as these papilla cells died, the cells responsible for synthesizing the outer root sheath of hair strands stopped functioning. This quickly led to a sharp drop in hair growth and more hair loss.

However, when the Vitamin C salt was added to the papilla cells taken from balding people, the production of the DKK-1 protein was inhibited.

There was, however, an additional benefit: the vitamin also led to an increase in the production of IGF-1, a growth factor, in the papilla cells. Both of these effects lead to a reversal of hair loss.

Still, further studies are needed to determine what form of Vitamin C will provide the most benefit for people experiencing hair loss and whether topical preparations or supplements will better serve them.

Meanwhile, an important proof has been established directly correlating Vitamin C as effective in inhibiting the actions of androgens in relation to hair loss. That, in itself, is a major milestone since androgens, especially DHT, are known to a major cause of hereditary alopecia and hair loss in steroid users.

Not Enough Vitamin C?
When you are not getting enough vitamin C, it can lead to dry or splitting hair, which in turn can lead to hair loss.

At the very least, your hair is not going to be healthy looking, and you may see many other problems.

There are many delicious dietary sources of vitamin C. There are also a number of different types of dietary supplements to make sure that you are getting all that you need. You may want to choose a supplement that contains just vitamin C, or one that contains many of the vitamins and minerals that help to promote healthy hair.

Some of the foods that you should have in your diet include:

Spinach
Blueberries
Citrus fruits (oranges, lemons and grapefruits)
Kiwi
Pineapples
Winter squash
Mango
Strawberries
Tomatoes
Green Peppers
According to the US Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the average adult should be eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables daily in order to ensure that they are getting enough vitamin C.

Vitamin C in Plants (mg/100g)

[Atum]

You know i started taking vitamin C 1g a day before i had hair loss. +2 bananas and kiwi's
Now sometimes i take 1.5g depending if i have to workout or not, but still I encounter hair loss.

Maybe a tropical application of vitamin c will work?

[Jazz1]

You know i started taking vitamin C 1g a day before i had hair loss. +2 bananas and kiwi's
Now sometimes i take 1.5g depending if i have to workout or not, but still I encounter hair loss.

Maybe a tropical application of vitamin c will work?

That's what it says you need topical application for it to get into the tissue, maybe jusining fresh oranges and having a hot shower to open the scalp pores then applying the juice may work?

[jay woo]

Could the first problem be that vitamin c refers to multiple compounds http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/life-sci...ePage=14576679. I am not sure on how vitamin c is absorbed by the body and if it is converted on absorption.

[burtandernie]

I am not sold on vitamin C doing what they claim, and they certainly need to show the sample size, and all the details of how they came to that conclusion. Many times a small study will show something only to have another study contradict it and its only after a few studies that overall you see the big picture of the truth.
I also feel some studies are biased from different sources or interests like companies selling certain fruits or vegetables or products just to sell more supplements or whatever. I have a hard time believing diet can stop or majorly influence MPB just because so many men whose father are bald also go bald regardless of their diets. You mean to tell me every single bald guy has had a horrible diet lacking enough vitamin C or fruit/vegetables? If not how are they going bald still if vitamin C does that?

[Sogeking]

I am not sold on vitamin C doing what they claim, and they certainly need to show the sample size, and all the details of how they came to that conclusion. Many times a small study will show something only to have another study contradict it and its only after a few studies that overall you see the big picture of the truth.
I also feel some studies are biased from different sources or interests like companies selling certain fruits or vegetables or products just to sell more supplements or whatever. I have a hard time believing diet can stop or majorly influence MPB just because so many men whose father are bald also go bald regardless of their diets. You mean to tell me every single bald guy has had a horrible diet lacking enough vitamin C or fruit/vegetables? If not how are they going bald still if vitamin C does that?

The amount of fruit I eat every day is quite big. For a while I used to eat at least 2 bananas per day. And most of the time I still do. So as you I am not sold that vitamin C is one of the culprits.
I've been eating fruit for the last 5 years in large quantities, started to notice hair loss in winter 2010. So yeah...

[Atum]

The amount of fruit I eat every day is quite big. For a while I used to eat at least 2 bananas per day. And most of the time I still do. So as you I am not sold that vitamin C is one of the culprits.
I've been eating fruit for the last 5 years in large quantities, started to notice hair loss in winter 2010. So yeah...

A banana is only 12mg of vitamin c.
Like i said before, i was on 1g of vitamin c, 2 banana's and 2 kiwi's a day since 2009 and noticed hairloss in the beginning of this year. But the OP stated that it's tropical use and not oral use.