Original research theory: How Androgenetic Alopecia is a manifestation of insulin resistance and its connections with CVD & PCOS

[randomuser1]

Ok, I am with you but,..., oxidized sebum in scalp make this constant low grade inflammation, and this type of sebum is only located in the top of the head, my theory fits all issues regarding common baldness even the difference incidence between sexes.

But you know what causes excess sebum production? High-carb/high-sugar or lack of physical exercise.

A list of just a few sources confirming this:

Sebaceous gland lipids by M. Picardo et al:

Low glycemic load diet has been demonstrated to be able to correct the increased sebum production [...] All these findings suggest that dietary habits, supplying substrates for the sebaceous lipid synthesis, can be involved in the sebum production mechanism. [...] caloric restriction has been shown to dramatically decrease the sebum secretion rate.

It was seen that there was a positive correlation between the amount of MFSE and serum IGF-1 (Fig. 1; R2 = 0.69; P = 0.0001). Moreover, this was true in both men and women (Table 1). It has recently been shown that IGF-1 can increase lipid production in sebocytes in vitro via the activation of IGF-1 receptor through multiple pathways. 8 Together, our data suggest that increased IGF-1 could lead to increased sebum secretion.

Source

Insulin induces an increase in the size and number of sebocytes, as well as lipogenesis and inflammatory response

Source

The high prevalence rates of adolescent acne cannot be explained by the predominance of genetic factors but by the influence of a Western diet that overstimulates the key conductor of metabolism, the nutrient- and growth factor-sensitive kinase mTORC1. Increased mTORC1 activity has been detected in lesional skin and sebaceous glands of acne patients compared with acne-free controls.

Source

Studies have shown that the production of sebum is linked to diet, for example, caloric deprivation decreases the production of sebum [62, 63], whereas a high fat diet significantly increases it [64]. Since an increase in energy intake mainly increases the excretion of triglycerides and cholesterol and its esters in sebum, but not of squalene [62, 63], it appears that the major function of sebum secretion may be to eliminate excessive lipids and cholesterol from the body, and thus play a role in maintaining lipid and cholesterol homeostasis. This notion is supported by the observation that inhibition of sebum secretion by isotretinoin significantly increases plasma triglyceride and cholesterol levels [65, 66].

Source

In conclusion, we demonstrated that specific dietary patterns were associated with sebum content, skin hydration and pH in healthy Korean adults and that those associations were affected by sex.

Source


As you can see, insulin/carb/sugar issues are the main driver of sebum overproduction.

I am not making any statement whether it is oxidized sebum that causes the inflammation or not - just pointing out that even if your theory were true, it is still caused by diet and lifestyle.

After some quick googling I found a study showing starvation leads to markedly reduced androgen levels and some more differences. While overfed diet increases it.
Half these homeless people thus will likely not have consistently high androgen levels to cause hair loss. Atleast some. The problem is we don't have a true good study on homeless or addicts and hair loss to properly conclude they fair better than the average person.

High fat, high sugar tends to lead to increased levels combined with insulin resistance will cause different effects. Than low androgen levels. Studies do showing higher androgen levels associated with all these things.

If androgens especially dht is important in hair loss. Overfed diets will likely cause more issues. But it's all quick speculation.

They likely suffer more from diffuse balding if they haven't onset Androgenetic Alopecia yet.

This is exactly the point. Androgen production follows a spectrum. Think back about the different energy sources and what they are used for in our bodies: Carbs and sugars are for immediate use by the body. Fat is "storage form energy". If your body senses a lack of "immediate use energy" it will not upregulate androgens, which are the major triggers for reproduction in males (aka horniness). If however you have a prolonged surplus of energy then that is a pretty good signal for your body to upregulate androgens: triggering muscle growth (because the body senses it has the energy), triggering sexual drive (because the body senses "good times" with sufficient energy supply) and probably a few other things too. So there is a spectrum: Too few carbs/sugars: Androgen underproduction. Too much carbs/sugars (or not sufficient burning off of glycogen due to too little exercise): Androgen overproduction. In our modern world, a lot of people are in the latter state.
Carbs/sugars, when consumed too much and not burned off, lead to androgen overproduction. It is already proven in women (PCOS). I believe the mechanism is the same in men.

Why do homeless and drug addicts have better hair? They don't have an oversupply of all the modern highly-processed foods (that's not saying that they have a healthy diet either, just not as much oversupply of carbs/sugars). Drug use also suppresses appetite. And I guess they are also less sedentary as they don't have a desk job, a comfy couch (or even a home). I guess - though I have no data to prove this - that homeless have less insulin resistance than non-homeless.

 

[coolio]

If all it took was lower insulin resistance to have "homeless hair" then we would know about it. A healthy lifestyle will do that. The world is still full of way too many healthy young men with hair loss.

I do think insulin resistance may be a factor that worsens balding. But I don't think it comes close to explaining the remarkably good hair on homeless people. It's probably one factor among several with them.

 

[Armando Jose]

As you can see, insulin/carb/sugar issues are the main driver of sebum overproduction.

I am not making any statement whether it is oxidized sebum that causes the inflammation or not - just pointing out that even if your theory were true, it is still caused by diet and lifestyle.

OK, you are right, but how this explain the special pattern of common hair loss?
IMHO, the pattern is due in oly certains areas of scalp, when the sebum have problems to be eliminated, and the real problem is located inside the pilosebaceous unit, because the sebum travel not only to surface but in the inner part of it. When the hair is more dense and hairs touched phisically among them, less problem to get out ..... and it is related also with the lenght of hairs, when we are in bed hairs of sides are in contact with a absorbent surface of the pillow.

 

[curlwaves]

OK, you are right, but how this explain the special pattern of common hair loss?
IMHO, the pattern is due in oly certains areas of scalp, when the sebum have problems to be eliminated, and the real problem is located inside the pilosebaceous unit, because the sebum travel not only to surface but in the inner part of it. When the hair is more dense and hairs touched phisically among them, less problem to get out ..... and it is related also with the lenght of hairs, when we are in bed hairs of sides are in contact with a absorbent surface of the pillow.

Pattern may explain by the galea if I recall the name correctly. It's more pronounced in men due to how the skull is often shaped a bit differently. But why men suffer more is likely related to testosterone. And it's affect on hypertension.

Metabolic disease is highly associated with hypertension. Which likely extends to the head too. The pattern is likely caused then my hypertension of those specific areas leading to patterned hair loss. The hypertension likely contributes to inflammation and the like and possibly reduce blood flow.

Man suffer from it more than women till we reach our half life. After which women take over men. If we look at this is makes sense the common denominator would likely be testosterone. Women have more protection due to estrogen. This goes away because after our half life when womens estrogen drops like a bomb. The test takes over and contributes significantly to increased risk of conditions men suffer from more.

Just my theory

 

[curlwaves]

If all it took was lower insulin resistance to have "homeless hair" then we would know about it. A healthy lifestyle will do that. The world is still full of way too many healthy young men with hair loss.

I do think insulin resistance may be a factor that worsens balding. But I don't think it comes close to explaining the remarkably good hair on homeless people. It's probably one factor among several with them.

There is no remarkable good hair on homeless. It's mostly selection bias. There's plenty bald ones too. Until someone does a good study we can say with certainty homeless people fair better hair wise.

Furthermore you can patent a healthy diet you can a medicine. Companies will never be interested in telling you be healthy cause there's no "cure" to patent. Obviously it will not reverse anything but it can help delay or reduce onset or occurrence.

I do agree it's probably various factors

 

[curlwaves]

Call it whatever you want. Androgenic loss is a natural part of the aging process.

There are instances of hair graying being reversed by drugs too. But we don't start arguing that gray hair is an unnatural product of modern lifestyles. People normally went gray thousands of years ago. Men normally went bald thousands of years ago.

For some reason these hair forums produce a lot of arguing about how baldness is framed. Condition, disease, natural, unnatural, etc. People get very wound up about it. Umm, it's not that important, guys. Women aren't going to like it better just because the media starts using different language around it. The amount of research into it won't change for any reason other than money. We are stuck with it no matter what we call it.




Hair loss guys are well-read on certain pet theories. They aren't well-read on medicine in general.

If that's your argument it still doesn't make any sense. How is it "a natural part of the aging process" when we have old people at 90 with a full hair line. And 17 year old starting to bald at the temples.

That already shows there's way more than a natural aging process. Some studies also show potential increased in occurrence. And yet some groups of people rarely suffer from Androgenetic Alopecia.

If every man exclusively started balding around 50+ I could agree but that's simply not what's happening.

And no it's definitely not the "forums" what are you even talking about the SCIENTIFIC scholars have labeled it as such.

And again apples to oranges. 90% of people don't go grey until they're legitimately old. You're not seeing hords of men grey at 25. This argument is laughable at best.

 

[coolio]

If that's your argument it still doesn't make any sense. How is it "a natural part of the aging process" when we have old people at 90 with a full hair line. And 17 year old starting to bald at the temples.

That already shows there's way more than a natural aging process. Some studies also show potential increased in occurrence. And yet some groups of people rarely suffer from Androgenetic Alopecia.

If every man exclusively started balding around 50+ I could agree but that's simply not what's happening.

And no it's definitely not the "forums" what are you even talking about the SCIENTIFIC scholars have labeled it as such.

And again apples to oranges. 90% of people don't go grey until they're legitimately old. You're not seeing hords of men grey at 25. This argument is laughable at best.

This is what I'm talking about.


What's your point? That baldness must not be "natural" because it hits so unequally?

Some people grow tall and others stay short.
Some people have perfect eyesight and others need thick glasses.
Some people take decades longer to get wrinkles on their face than others.
Some people die of old age at 75 and others live to 110.
Some people are born with straight teeth and others need surgeries to get it.
Some (perfectly healthy) people have gray hair at 30. Other people still have dark hair at 70.

Genetics are a b**ch. Male-pattern hair loss is overwhelmingly genetic.


There's no harm in trying to understand other possible factors. But keep it in perspective. Nobody eats their way into hair loss. Nobody eats their way out of it. And nobody gets more hair by changing the description of the problem.

 

[Armando Jose]

Pattern may explain by the galea

I think this theory is not very good one.

Male-pattern hair loss is overwhelmingly genetic.

Yes, I am with you but, genetics only give as a lottery regaring density, thickness and type of scalp hair, but the lenght is a cultural issue. People with denser, thicker and long hair are less prone to develope common baldness, the theory is based on sebum, stopping its natural flow is the initail cause imo.

 

[Armando Jose]

A key question could be: why start common baldness in front line and crown area? Sebum theory explain it easily. Saboreaud was near......

 

[Armando Jose]

Man suffer from it more than women till we reach our half life. After which women take over men. If we look at this is makes sense the common denominator would likely be testosterone

Pilosebaceous unit make its own hormones, they are more important that its levels in blood. . And pilosebaceous unit start the production of hormones several years before from puberty, in boths sexes. hormone levels surrounding hair are similar in both sexes. Do you agree?

 

[Armando Jose]

Man suffer from it more than women till we reach our half life. After which women take over men. If we look at this is makes sense the common denominator would likely be testosterone. Women have more protection due to estrogen. This goes away because after our half life when womens estrogen drops like a bomb. The test takes over and contributes significantly to increased risk of conditions men suffer from more.

Hormones and the pilosebaceous unit - PubMed

Hormones can exert their actions through endocrine, paracrine, juxtacrine, autocrine and intracrine pathways. The skin, especially the pilosebaceous unit, can be regarded as an endocrine organ meanwhile a target of hormones, because it synthesizes miscellaneous hormones and expresses diverse...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The key hormones of hair are made inside of PSU

 

[curlwaves]

This is what I'm talking about.


What's your point? That baldness must not be "natural" because it hits so unequally?

Some people grow tall and others stay short.
Some people have perfect eyesight and others need thick glasses.
Some people take decades longer to get wrinkles on their face than others.
Some people die of old age at 75 and others live to 110.
Some people are born with straight teeth and others need surgeries to get it.
Some (perfectly healthy) people have gray hair at 30. Other people still have dark hair at 70.

Genetics are a b**ch. Male-pattern hair loss is overwhelmingly genetic.


There's no harm in trying to understand other possible factors. But keep it in perspective. Nobody eats their way into hair loss. Nobody eats their way out of it. And nobody gets more hair by changing the description of the problem.

It's clear you think more close minded and that's you're business. But again apples to oranges.

Many of those things very much are environmental. Or are immediately there from the get go. And the exception doesn't make the rule. People who do decent recent understand that.

If this is the only thing you'll contribute "genetics" this "genetics" that. I'll end it here.

 

[curlwaves]

Pilosebaceous unit make its own hormones, they are more important that its levels in blood. . And pilosebaceous unit start the production of hormones several years before from puberty, in boths sexes. hormone levels surrounding hair are similar in both sexes. Do you agree?

I'll have to research when I have more time.

What makes you think sebum theory holds more water than the galea theory.

Maybe you misunderstood partially. But the serum hormones have a systemic effect as well. Inflammation etc will likely contribute further to the issues compared to just the sex hormones alone. And may also increase conversion.

It's something I'll have to look into more. But I personally do believe systemic levels of various still influence other parts of the body. It's just how our body works. You can only compartmentalize so much we're not plants.

 

[coolio]

It's clear you think more close minded and that's you're business. But again apples to oranges.

Many of those things very much are environmental. Or are immediately there from the get go. And the exception doesn't make the rule. People who do decent recent understand that.

If this is the only thing you'll contribute "genetics" this "genetics" that. I'll end it here.

What does this have to do with open or closed minds?

I first heard theories about sugar/insulin at least 15 years ago. I believed it was possibly linked then and I still think so now.

But I also understand the bigger picture, that's all.

 

[qerqrqwrqwr]

There is a medical condition called PCOS

The standard treatment is metformin or Inositol

Both substances act on insulin

Now here's where it gets interesting. There was a study years ago saying baldness in men is the same metabolically as PCOS

@coolio
@curlwaves
@Armando Jose
@randomuser1
@balda
@feelsbad
@Kojakjr
@Capone
@Carbons
@healthyjoe
@Joxy

edit: sorry I didn't actually read your book befoe I posted that comment

 

[randomuser1]

Some people grow tall and others stay short.

Only partially genetic. Diet during childhood and adolescence plays a big role, maybe even the bigger one. (source 1, source 2)

Some people have perfect eyesight and others need thick glasses.

Definitely not genetic: Myopia - A modern yet reversible disease

Some people take decades longer to get wrinkles on their face than others.

Partially genetic, partially not. (see for example here the examples of an Asian monk vs. a Native American woman)

Some people die of old age at 75 and others live to 110.

As shown in The Blue Zones, on population level (but not on individual level) this is again down to lifestyle.

Some people are born with straight teeth and others need surgeries to get it.

Not genetic at all. See:
- Jaws by Kahn & Ehrlich
- Dental Diet by Lin

Some (perfectly healthy) people have gray hair at 30. Other people still have dark hair at 70.

This can be down to genetics but can also be down to stress.

Genetics are a b**ch. Male-pattern hair loss is overwhelmingly genetic.

Genetics are the loaded gun, your lifestyle is the trigger.

Nobody eats their way into hair loss.

Strongly disagree with that. I think the biggest indicator was the generational study from China where the majority (around 60% IIRC) of young people who had visible hair loss had no (!) parents or grandparents with hair loss. No family history, yet they had hair loss - how would this be possible if it was primarily genetic?
Quoting:

A family history was present in 39.74% of men and 36.78% of women with Androgenetic Alopecia.

Another data point coming from China is a study finding that higher consumption of sugary beverages is linked with earlier onset and more severe progression of androgenetic alopecia.

Nobody eats their way out of it.

On this I unfortunately have to agree. Getting rid of insulin resistance only stops it but does not grow it back or, if it does, only very very little.

 

[callpizza]

来自中国的另一个数据点是一项研究发现，含糖饮料的消费量增加与雄激素性脱发的更早和更严重的进展有关。

Also, do not eat spicy food in your daily diet and avoid foods that are too oily

 

[powersam]

If you'd used the search function @randomuser1 , you'd have seen discussion on insulin resistance and the part it plays in hairloss has been happening on this forum for a very long time.

 

[balda]

Hey @randomuser1

Could this be a potentially efficient regrowth approach, what do you think?

Cell-free fat extract restores hair loss: a novel therapeutic strategy for androgenetic alopecia - Stem Cell Research & Therapy

Background Androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia) is one of the most common hair loss diseases worldwide. However, current treatments including medicine, surgery, and stem cells are limited for various reasons. Cell-free fat extract (CEFFE), contains various cell factors, may have potential abilities in...

stemcellres.biomedcentral.com

Cell-free fat extract promotes tissue regeneration in a tissue expansion model - PubMed

CEFFE improves the quality of the expanded skin by promoting angiogenesis and cell proliferation. It could be potentially used clinically for augmenting tissue expansion.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

#angiogenesis #neovascularization #necrosis #fibrosis? #ceffe #asdc

 

[balda]

Fibrosis,
could it be discussed more here?

There are two/three usually mentioned (semi-)morphological changes that triggered by the "hair-loss" pathogenesis, also specified as inflammation:
- Calcification
- Fibrosis
- Apoptosis

Risk to assume that fibrosis is the principal and exclusive factor blocking regrowth.
Calcification looks a weak one for me. And apoptosis of some perifollicular tissues are mentioned hardly ever.

Meanwhile fibrosis is discussed poorly on the forums. And in the scientific papers too.