@benjt
That paper is from the journal Medical
Hypothesis. Its a joke you cite this as
evidence.
Even if it is published in hypotheses, you should be able to distinguish the parts of the paper that are actual hypothesis and the ones that aren't. Obviously, a hypothesis paper isn't hypothesis from beginning to end. It builds upon previously discovered knowledge. And DHT elevation being a downstream effect of the body's response to physical injury (and being a response in the inflammation process) is something well known. Google for it, you will immediately find dozens of papers on this. And seriously, given that you only attacked me before even engaging in a proper discussion I already did enough googling for you.
In the meantime, i would like to ask: how do you armonise skull expansion and diffuse thinning with "safe zone" miniaturisation? Thats far from galea reach my man and its reported to be quite common for diffuse thinners to have miniaturised hair on donor areas aswell.
If you read my post again, you will see
I never actually defended the skull expansion theory. The only thing I did was point out that transgender transition drugs actually do change skull shape in a way that is shrinking.
Why does this matter? Because of facts that you will surely agree on: Perifollicular fibrosis (which squeezes follicles, cuts them off from blood supply and deprives them of their growth space) and fibrosis in general. While I don't know if the skull expansion theory is right (I don't support it, but I prefer to be open to new ideas), other forms of expansion do happen. After many years of Androgenetic Alopecia, the scalp tends to visibly swell (which, as you might recall, was the origin of the skull expansion theory in the first place). It might be skull expansion, but it might simply be extreme fibrosis. It might also be something else. The truth is: I don't know for sure and neither do you. Don't insult people based on something neither of you know for sure. This disease called Androgenetic Alopecia has not been figured out yet.
Now, the interesting thing is: As trans drugs actually do change the scalp in that they can shrink it a tiny bit, the perifollicular fibrosis' strain on the follicles is reduced. As DHT is now lacking from the scalp, no new fibrosis is created to fill up the thus created non-fibrotic space.
My conclusion: While I don't know if the skull expansion theory is true (I don't think it is true, but I'm open to be shown otherwise), there is the possibility that trans drugs cause regrowth by reducing the adverse effects of the fibrosis through changes to the skull.
Just to be clear: I don't know for sure if any of what I just said is actually true. If there was already an established truth on how Androgenetic Alopecia works, we wouldn't be here. I just believe there is merit in being open to these ideas and to discuss them without dismissing their supporters as idiots, charlatans, are whatever you called them so far.
And also why explanted scalp hair follicles growth is suppresed in vitro when exposed to testosterone? The "chronic scalp tension" doesnt really fit here...
How testosterone works in this case depends on (a) where the follicle was taken from exactly, and (b) with how much surrounding tissue it was transplanted, and (c) if it was transplanted alone or with other follicles. Behavior when exposed to T/DHT greatly varies depending on these three factors. There are a bunch of studies on this as well.
Lastly, how is it that keyboard heroes often have anime characters as their avatars? My hypothesis: Insecurity in real life and thus identification with fictional strong heroes. Characters that are strong, whereas the real people using these characters as their avatars on the Internet feel weak in the real world. Thus their need to feel strong in the virtual world as well, and to attack and insult people, and to hunt for opportunities to show how they are right/intellectually superior and how other people are wrong. Getting from the Internet what they cannot get in real life.
Think about it.
Edit: Something that supports skull (or scalp) shape playing a role in Androgenetic Alopecia is, by the way, the tension models (von mises they are called?) which perfectly predict Androgenetic Alopecia progression for men (with male skulls!). Pattern hairloss in women is mostly diffuse and has a different pattern - and their skull shape is different.
Coincidence? I think not. Skull shape might not be the reason, trigger, or cause for Androgenetic Alopecia, but it plays a role in its progression.
