Taking a good hard look at the non-genetic factors of hair loss

[Matt Skiba]

I know that a lot of you on this forum are dead-set on the fact that genetics is the culprit, this very well may be true, but I can't help but feel that there are other factors at play as well. I have a very good feeling that lifestyle factors do play a role. I remember reading somewhere that the percentage of men that get hair loss before the age of 20 has been gradually increasing every decade, I wish I could find this right now.

 

I know many of you might think that I'm crazy for my post about my lasting side-effects after ceasing propecia, but I can assure you that it was not in my head, as my symptoms have greatly improved since taking some effective designer body-building supplements aimed at increasing my natural testosterone production, and no these are not prohormones or steroids which could do more damage in this area.

 

With that side here is a list of non-genetic things that I believe can effect hair loss.

 

Stress - This is an age-old one that has been known about, stress can cause shedding of hair, and I'm pretty sure that it can make the process go faster if your genetics deem so.

 

Smoking - Nicotine can cause accumulations of DHT, accelerating hair loss as well as possibly causing prostate problems.

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate - There have been reports of people saying that this can cause hair loss. This is a common ingredient found in many shampoos.

 

Weight - I think I've read reports of people saying that they've lost lots of hair once they lost some weight, I believe that this could have an effect on vascularity and blood pressure, or perhaps there is more DHT and less blood for it to populate.

 

Nutrition - I think that a lack of protein, biotin, zinc, and certain vitamins, mainly B vitamins, can have an effect on hair loss.

 

Pro-hormone or anabolic steroid use - This is definitely a known one.

 

Thyroid function - I think that even if the thyroid gland isn't at a point of being classified as dysfunctional, sub-optimal performance could be a factor.

 

Adrenal function - Poor adrenal function could work in synergy with the stress factor.

 

I'm sure there's even more stuff that could be added to this list..

[Matt Skiba]

I know that a lot of you on this forum are dead-set on the fact that genetics is the culprit, this very well may be true, but I can't help but feel that there are other factors at play as well. I have a very good feeling that lifestyle factors do play a role. I remember reading somewhere that the percentage of men that get hair loss before the age of 20 has been gradually increasing every decade, I wish I could find this right now.

 

I know many of you might think that I'm crazy for my post about my lasting side-effects after ceasing propecia, but I can assure you that it was not in my head, as my symptoms have greatly improved since taking some effective designer body-building supplements aimed at increasing my natural testosterone production, and no these are not prohormones or steroids which could do more damage in this area.

 

With that side here is a list of non-genetic things that I believe can effect hair loss.

 

Stress - This is an age-old one that has been known about, stress can cause shedding of hair, and I'm pretty sure that it can make the process go faster if your genetics deem so.

 

Smoking - Nicotine can cause accumulations of DHT, accelerating hair loss as well as possibly causing prostate problems.

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or Sodium Laureth Sulfate - There have been reports of people saying that this can cause hair loss. This is a common ingredient found in many shampoos.

 

Weight - I think I've read reports of people saying that they've lost lots of hair once they lost some weight, I believe that this could have an effect on vascularity and blood pressure, or perhaps there is more DHT and less blood for it to populate.

 

Nutrition - I think that a lack of protein, biotin, zinc, and certain vitamins, mainly B vitamins, can have an effect on hair loss.

 

Pro-hormone or anabolic steroid use - This is definitely a known one.

 

Thyroid function - I think that even if the thyroid gland isn't at a point of being classified as dysfunctional, sub-optimal performance could be a factor.

 

Adrenal function - Poor adrenal function could work in synergy with the stress factor.

 

I'm sure there's even more stuff that could be added to this list..

[Bill - Seemiller]

Matt,

 

Thanks for your post.

 

Though I think it is in everyone's best interest to live a healthy lifestyle, I believe that genetics is the culprit for hereditary hair loss.

 

Certainly SOME of the things you mentioned can cause sudden hair loss in EXTREME conditions (such as traumatic stress) - but it's far from typical.

 

Certainly I do not believe that these items above are solely the cause of hereditary loss. Otherwise everybody would be bald - male and female!

 

I suppose it is possible (though I'm speculating) however that some of what is listed may EXPEDITE hereditary hair loss.

 

As an example...

 

It MAY be possible in a twin scenerio where both are destined to become a NW6 based on their genes for one to reach a NW6 more quickly due to environmental stressors or health conditions such as those you mentioned above.

 

I say it MAY be possible because I have no proof for or against it.

 

However I strongly believe based on all that I've read that even if the above list expedited hereditary loss and were controlled - that it would only temporarily postpone what genes are going to accomplish.

 

Interesting discussion!

 

Bill

[notgoing2gobald]

I agree. Haven't you ever seen old homeless drunks who havent eaten in days, have no teeth, carrying around a bottle of booze in a brown paper sack, and have a head full of hair? I have, and Im like: ..."that lucky BASTARD!!!"... I really doubt hes got a bottle of vitamin B's in his back pocket that are maintaining his hair.

[calvinmd]

Good thread.

 

 

I think it can all be boiled down to this:

 

Good habits cannot stop, prevent, or reverse a case of genetically-caused MPB. But very bad habits seem to be able to accelerate it to some extent.

 

 

 

As for the "getting worse each decade," I think there's probably some truth in this, but I also think there's probably nothing that we can do about it.

 

If there is indeed something in modern life that is driving up MPB, then I think it's probably most likely to be doing the damage during the developmental stage of our bodies rather than in adulthood. Witness the total lack of anyone reversing their hair loss with better lifestyle. (I said REVERSING it, not merely reducing it.) I'm not saying that better diets aren't valuable or anything, but I'm saying that switching to a better diet once your hair loss begins isn't exactly gonna spare you from the MPB experience.

 

My own theory is that the issue might be related to whatever factor that has been driving down the puberty ages. Puberty changes have hit particularly hard in girls. I imagine male pattern hair loss hitting earlier than in the past might be the male gender's flip-side of the same change that we don't yet understand. They're both deeply linked to hormones & aging/maturity.

 

Even if we figure out what it is and it turns out to be something that we have any realistic hope of changing for future kids (unlikely), we're probably more likely to solve the issue with better hair loss preventions & treatments during adulthood anyway. Society would much rather create an expensive ways to treat a problem than just prevent it with some sort of un-gratifying compromise to our lifestyle.

 

 

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[MrJobi]

Hi all

 

Matt brings up some good points but the challenge is that "correlation does not equal causation". For every person who lives a healthy lifestyle and has a full haed of hair there is a bum on the street with a full head of hair as well. My dad smokes, eats poor, and doesn't exercise and has a full head of hair.. Me.. I exercise, eat right, don't drink or smoke and I lost my hair at 23?

 

Of course poor health can hurt your hair quality just as it can poor circulation or poor cardio health, but the overall factor is indeed your body's reation to DHT..

 

This is why my transplant of 5000 looks wonderful and there are no other factors other than the DHT resistant hairs. If it was caused by other variables, the new hairs wouldn't grow.

 

Good health will make your whole body better but plenty of athletes are bald as well.

[Bill - Seemiller]

Mrjb

 

This is why my transplant of 5000 looks wonderful and there are no other factors other than the DHT resistant hairs. If it was caused by other variables, the new hairs wouldn't grow

 

 

I was actually thinking about this earlier today and was going to come back to this thread to point out the very same thing! Nicely done

 

Great discussion gentlemen...

 

It seems that we all agree that it's possible that an unhealthy lifestyle may expedite hereditary hair loss but these factors certainly don't cause it.

 

Best wishes,

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

Great minds think alike

[Matt Skiba]

I definitely think genetics is the bottom line on this sort of thing, but like I said I think some factors could possibly determine the age of onset of mpb.

 

I remember I've also read somewhere that mpb was unheard of in Japan until world war 2 when the country was exposed to a lot of western influence.

[Bill - Seemiller]

I remember I've also read somewhere that mpb was unheard of in Japan until world war 2 when the country was exposed to a lot of western influence.

 

Don't believe everything you read

 

Bill

[MrJobi]

The Western influence may be the multi-ethic babies produced by mixing races which would of course give the Asians the DHT sensitive gene..

Some races have a better tolerance to DHT, i.e. indians, Asians, etc.