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Beside the usual suspects namely: T (including free T), E and DHT, what are the other levels we need to track that have an impact on hair follicles?
Blood Levels That Matter For Hair Loss
- Thread starter John Difool
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Depends, if it's Androgenetic Alopecia for sure than the above-mentioned, and you can add cortisol to the hormones list.
Otherwise, you should also check:
- Hemoglobin
- Iron content
- Ferritin
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Liver enzymes (AST & ALT)
When it comes to the liver, some doctors also test bilirubin but, having myself an abnormal level, I never figured how this could lead to hair loss.
And don't forget to test your thyroid as pegasus2 said
Otherwise, you should also check:
- Hemoglobin
- Iron content
- Ferritin
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Liver enzymes (AST & ALT)
When it comes to the liver, some doctors also test bilirubin but, having myself an abnormal level, I never figured how this could lead to hair loss.
And don't forget to test your thyroid as pegasus2 said
Not at all. Thanks for the response - I thought there might be a connection to Androgenetic Alopecia I do not know of.
Reason for my question: Have a look at statistics on Chinese Androgenetic Alopecia prevailance and Chinese diet. We know that Japan's incidence of Androgenetic Alopecia increased with dietary changes but the specific changes were never tracked and the change happened over a much longer time.
In China, on the other hand, dietary changes are well researched. And in the generation between 20 and 30 right now the Androgenetic Alopecia incidence rate is about as high as in central Europe. In their generation between 50 and 60 it is much, much lower. This change happened in barely 20 to 30 years.
Thus by now I am convinced that diet plays a bigger role in speed of progression than we here on Hairloss Talk currently acknowledge. Maybe it does not influence whether one is generally prone to Androgenetic Alopecia or not but I'm pretty sure progression speed is significantly influenced by diet, at least post puberty.
Hence my question about thyroid hormones and how they might be connected to Androgenetic Alopecia. Wouldn't be surprised if there was one.
Reason for my question: Have a look at statistics on Chinese Androgenetic Alopecia prevailance and Chinese diet. We know that Japan's incidence of Androgenetic Alopecia increased with dietary changes but the specific changes were never tracked and the change happened over a much longer time.
In China, on the other hand, dietary changes are well researched. And in the generation between 20 and 30 right now the Androgenetic Alopecia incidence rate is about as high as in central Europe. In their generation between 50 and 60 it is much, much lower. This change happened in barely 20 to 30 years.
Thus by now I am convinced that diet plays a bigger role in speed of progression than we here on Hairloss Talk currently acknowledge. Maybe it does not influence whether one is generally prone to Androgenetic Alopecia or not but I'm pretty sure progression speed is significantly influenced by diet, at least post puberty.
Hence my question about thyroid hormones and how they might be connected to Androgenetic Alopecia. Wouldn't be surprised if there was one.
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Diet is a weird beast. A lot like hair loss sciences, some people pulled weird theories about diet and some other try to profit from it. There is definitely a connection at the scam and broscience levels.
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Nutrition has a huge influence for your own well being and potentially the quality of your hair. But I doubt it's responsible for hair loss.
Don't believe me? Go outside when covid is lifted and check homeless folks with magnificent manes eating leftovers and other crap out of the garbage bins.
The body processes edible intakes and make you look like what you eat but genes are responsible for male pattern baldness.
Don't believe me? Go outside when covid is lifted and check homeless folks with magnificent manes eating leftovers and other crap out of the garbage bins.
The body processes edible intakes and make you look like what you eat but genes are responsible for male pattern baldness.
Genes are only around 80% responsible for male pattern baldness. Poor diet doesn't cause hair loss, but it can make it worse. Nutritional deficiency isn't the problem, it's metabolic syndrome. That's something homeless people don't typically suffer from if they have had a caloric deficit for some time. There's all kinds of evidence linking metabolic syndrome Androgenetic Alopecia.
A comparison of the frequency of MetS revealed considerable differences between the groups. The prevalence rate of MetS as compared by NCEP ATP III criteria in the study group was 22% and in the control group was 8%. MetS was significantly associated with Androgenetic Alopecia (P < 0.05) in this study
http://www.ijtrichology.com/article...e=7;issue=4;spage=141;epage=147;aulast=Banger
A higher prevalence of MetS is seen in androgenic alopecia cases when compared with that of controls. A significant association was seen between the severity of Androgenetic Alopecia and MetS. This may suggest an association of Androgenetic Alopecia with MetS, and early screening for MetS is beneficial in patients with androgenic alopecia to prevent future unforeseen complications by early lifestyle modifications.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5972473/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124719306990
A statistically significant association was found between Androgenetic Alopecia and MS (P = 0.002) and between Androgenetic Alopecia and IR (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that waist circumference (>102 cm) was the most significant risk factor for developing MS. It increased the risk of MS by 1.25-folds (95% CI = 1.10-1.42, P < 0.001).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144211/
mTOR Mediates Wnt-Induced Epidermal Stem Cell Exhaustion and Aging
As mentioned hair loss could be a manifestation of metabolic abnormalities including increased insulin resistance, blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride and decreased insulin sensitivity and HDL-C. In recent studies it has been shown that hair loss has an increased risk for mortality from cardiovascular disease. Therefore patients that admitted the hospital with hair loss should be screened for MetS and MetS components.
https://www.longdom.org/open-access...-and-female-individuals-2167-0951.1000110.pdf
A comparison of the frequency of MetS revealed considerable differences between the groups. The prevalence rate of MetS as compared by NCEP ATP III criteria in the study group was 22% and in the control group was 8%. MetS was significantly associated with Androgenetic Alopecia (P < 0.05) in this study
http://www.ijtrichology.com/article...e=7;issue=4;spage=141;epage=147;aulast=Banger
A higher prevalence of MetS is seen in androgenic alopecia cases when compared with that of controls. A significant association was seen between the severity of Androgenetic Alopecia and MetS. This may suggest an association of Androgenetic Alopecia with MetS, and early screening for MetS is beneficial in patients with androgenic alopecia to prevent future unforeseen complications by early lifestyle modifications.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5972473/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211124719306990
A statistically significant association was found between Androgenetic Alopecia and MS (P = 0.002) and between Androgenetic Alopecia and IR (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that waist circumference (>102 cm) was the most significant risk factor for developing MS. It increased the risk of MS by 1.25-folds (95% CI = 1.10-1.42, P < 0.001).
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4144211/
mTOR Mediates Wnt-Induced Epidermal Stem Cell Exhaustion and Aging
As mentioned hair loss could be a manifestation of metabolic abnormalities including increased insulin resistance, blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride and decreased insulin sensitivity and HDL-C. In recent studies it has been shown that hair loss has an increased risk for mortality from cardiovascular disease. Therefore patients that admitted the hospital with hair loss should be screened for MetS and MetS components.
https://www.longdom.org/open-access...-and-female-individuals-2167-0951.1000110.pdf
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Agree, it sure is no cure but a healthy lifestyle will buy you precious time. Slowing down the balding process is still a success.
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Good read. Better balding healthy with a good diet then. j/k ;-)
Does that mean starting a better diet can help keep your hair? I don't think you can go back in Norwood scale just by dropping junk food processed food sugar and white floor, can you?
Ever seen the movie Supersize Me where the guy starts losing his hair while on a month long McDonald diet. Thankfully he seems to have recovered from it.
Does that mean starting a better diet can help keep your hair? I don't think you can go back in Norwood scale just by dropping junk food processed food sugar and white floor, can you?
Ever seen the movie Supersize Me where the guy starts losing his hair while on a month long McDonald diet. Thankfully he seems to have recovered from it.
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[1976:]
'Abstract
The nutritional status of 95 Medicare-age individuals was evaluated by dietary intake, physical condition, and components of urine, blood, and hair roots. Correlations between protein intake and five variables (serum albumin, red blood cell count, percentage of anagen hairs, protein content per anagen hair root, and anagen bulb diameter) selected as indicators of protein nutriture were studied. Deficient protein intake correlated positively with the protein content of anagenic hair roots. The protein content of anagenic hair roots correlated positively with the serum albumin levels. Protein intake did not correlate with serum albumin level. It is likely that with the relative depletion of protein stores there is impaired synthesis of hair root protein before a decrease in the synthesis of serum albumin which serves a more vital function.'
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1266793/
'Abstract
The nutritional status of 95 Medicare-age individuals was evaluated by dietary intake, physical condition, and components of urine, blood, and hair roots. Correlations between protein intake and five variables (serum albumin, red blood cell count, percentage of anagen hairs, protein content per anagen hair root, and anagen bulb diameter) selected as indicators of protein nutriture were studied. Deficient protein intake correlated positively with the protein content of anagenic hair roots. The protein content of anagenic hair roots correlated positively with the serum albumin levels. Protein intake did not correlate with serum albumin level. It is likely that with the relative depletion of protein stores there is impaired synthesis of hair root protein before a decrease in the synthesis of serum albumin which serves a more vital function.'
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1266793/
I think there is also another link: How pro-inflammatory a diet is. Different components of a diet can increase inflammatory processes in the body while others decrease them. The traditional Japanese diet, for example, has many anti-inflammatory properties. Modern dairy and meat products are very much pro-inflammatory because of the conditions of the animals they are harvested from (stress, low-quality feed, hygiene, diseases, hormone injections) and this carries over into the products. The same goes for many other aspects like highly processed grain products and many more.
By making some dietary changes I managed to greatly decrease my scalp's oiliness (that is, sebum production) and even my scalp itch. See this post of mine for some details.
To be clear: I have not grown back a single strand of hair because of my dietary changes and I don't think I ever will. But the change in scalp oiliness and scalp itch is pretty big. And it makes me think/hope that I am at least slowing down my Androgenetic Alopecia progression, maybe even significantly. Only time will tell though. Made these changes about 10 months ago.
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