By Will Brink,
author of:
Muscle Building Nutrition
http://www.musclebuildingnutrition.com/
Muscle Gaining Diet, Training Routines by Charles Poliquin &
Bodybuilding Supplement Review
Diet Supplements Revealed
http://www.aboutsupplements.com/
Real World Fat Loss Diet & Weight Loss Supplement Review
I don't think it takes a Rhodes scholar to see
that many bodybuilders, both male and female, are particularly thin on top. The
top of their heads' that is. A few years back I wrote an article on
dyhydrotestosterone (DHT) and its effects on hair loss, prostate enlargement,
and acne. Specifically, I talked about the effects of the enzyme 5-alpha
reductase (5AR) and its role in the above problems and ways to shut this enzyme
down using 5AR inhibitors such as Proscar and Saw Palmetto. In my book, I also
discuss these topics at length and add in some useful additional information
that was not in the article. So what am I doing here, you might ask, writing
another article on hair loss? Well our knowledge of what actually causes hair
loss has dramatically expanded over the past few years and several new products
have hit the market. I thought a new article for those people who are really
bumming that their hair is falling out, want to make sure their hair does not
start falling out, or are just real paranoid about their hair falling out, was
in order. If you fit any one of the above descriptions-which most people do-
than this is the article for you!
So why do I care so much about hair loss? My
mother's father was bald, my father is mighty thin up top, my hair started to
thin a while back -you do the math! Now I have a lot of respect and admiration
for those people who can lose their hair and say things like "It's natural
and the way of nature. If I lose my hair, so be it." Well I am not one of
these people! I have never said such a stupid statement in my entire life and I
will fight my hair loss until the day they put me in the grave! Anyway, over the
past few years, and in addition to my usual research into nutrition, training,
and other topics, I have also been keeping up with the latest research and
products for hair loss. Have I found the absolute cure for hair loss? No, but
we're getting damn close!
Hair loss 101
So what makes your hair fall out? Well for a
long time scientists thought that DHT was the sole cause of hair loss, but this
does not appear to be the case. As most of you already know, androgens such as
testosterone (natural and otherwise) can convert to DHT by the previously
mentioned enzyme 5AR. People who have high levels of the enzyme 5AR have higher
levels of DHT and are prone to losing their hair. Men with a congenital
deficiency in 5AR show no receding of the hair line. This knowledge of the
relationship of DHT to hair loss kicked off the big race to find things that
shut down the 5AR enzyme and thus reduce the amount of DHT. Simple enough right?
Well I have said it a thousand times before and I will now say it a thousand and
one times: two plus two rarely makes four in the human body and this is the case
again regarding the relationship of DHT to hair loss.
People and researchers who used 5AR inhibitors
such as Proscar and Saw Palmetto found it helped with the hair loss but in no
way shut it down or regrew much of the hair that was lost. What appears to be
the ultimate cause of hair loss for most people is an auto immune response where
the body actually attacks the hair follicle like some kind of foreign invader
thus causing an inflammatory response. By yet unknown mechanisms, DHT causes a
change in the follicle signaling the immune system to attack the follicle and
your hair starts falling out (If you take a close look, you can actually see a
red line of inflammation on the scalp of some people losing their hair). How do
we know this? It was discovered that the hair follicles of people losing their
hair look very similar under a microscope to people who experience organ
rejection after surgery. And, it has been found that the immune system
suppressing drug which is used to stop the organ rejection (Cyclosporine) grows
hair like crazy because it shuts down the immune response in the body. A cure
you say? NO! If you take some Cyclosporine and you grow hair it will be because
you have no immune system and you will get very sick and possibly die. I shit
you not-don't mess with this stuff. Anyway, though DHT is clearly important in
the cause of hair loss, it is not the final cause and a new race has been
started to address the inflammatory response which ultimately causes you hair to
fall out. Clearly, you have to attack hair loss from both the DHT and
inflammatory response, and that's what most of this article is about....sort of.
There are also other factors related to hair growth and hair loss such as
nutrition, SODases, Nitric Oxide (NO) and others, but DHT and the immune
response are the two biggies.
As most of you know, certain anabolic steroids
will make your hair fall if you are genetically susceptible to hair loss.
However, steroids generally will not make your hair fall out if you are not
destined to lose your hair in the first place (lucky you). OK, as we all know
androgens such as testosterone, Anadrol, D-bol, and others can convert to DHT
much easier than low androgen steroids such as Primobolan, Anavar, or Winstrol.
Some steroids are actually derived from DHT but do not necessarily cause hair
loss, though it really depends on the individual steroid. For example (don't you
just love steroid examples?), Winstrol is derived from DHT and generally does
not cause hair loss in the majority of those who use it. Anadrol on the other
hand, which is also derived from DHT, will cause hair to fall out on all but the
most resistant heads. Personally, one of the many reasons I don't use steroids,
besides the fact that they're expensive, illegal, and fake 99% of the time, is I
don't care how much muscle I have if it makes me a life long member of the Hair
Club For Men! Ever wonder why the guy on the Golds Gym logo is bald? Now you
know! Being this is not an article on steroids, I will not go into great detail
on this topic. If you really want to know more about it, I go into much more
depth in my book Priming The Anabolic Environment.. The point is, if you are
losing your hair, regardless of whether or not you are using steroids, you
should be able to do something about it. Below is a list of various products
that I have found effective for hair loss. Some are new products and others are
products that have been around a while but are still useful, and maybe I have
found new ways of using them.
Copper binding peptides:
Recently a drug called Iamin was approved by the FDA for wound healing. Another
drug similar to Iamin is Tricomin. Both Iamin and Tricomin were invented and
subsequently patented by Dr. Loren Pickart. These drugs are copper based
compounds that have certain peptides added to them. When put on the skin they
have profound anti inflammatory properties and increase the rate at which skin
heals dramatically (hence Iamin's approval for wound healing). As I mentioned
earlier, chronic inflammation at the site of the hair follicle appears to be a
major link in the chain of what makes hair fall out. Dr. Pickart set out to
formulate an improved version of Iamin and Tricomin specifically for hair that
could be purchased over the counter without a prescription. This product is
called Folligen and is made by Skin Biology, Incorporated. They can be contacted
at 1-800-405-1912. I consider this product to be very promising for hair loss,
but it is too early to tell exactly how useful it will be. This product is used
by rubbing it on the scalp before bed then washing it out in the morning.
Nizoral Shampoo:
Nizoral Shampoo was first brought to the attention of bodybuilders by Mike
Mooney who learned of it from a doctor friend of his. Mike is the publisher of
the Metabolics news letter and a writer for Muscle Media 2000. Nizoral is an
anti fungal shampoo and the active ingredient is a plant derivative called
Ketoconazol and is produced by Janssen Pharmaceuticals. How and why Nizoral
works on hair loss in not very well understood. It might work by blocking the
DHT at the follicle and/or working by reducing the amount of inflammation at the
hair follicle. Unfortunately, there is not much hard data regarding this product
and hair loss, but a lot of people (including Mike) really swear by this stuff.
It is not particularly expensive or hard to use, but it does require a
prescription. Many people are getting it without a prescription by ordering it
from other countries. Non controlled medications can be ordered from other
countries. Nizoral is just used as a regular shampoo, left on the scalp for at
least five minutes, then rinsed out.
There is also such a thing as Nizoral tabs.
Nizoral tabs should never be used as they are quite liver toxic and generally
bad for your health. Nizoral shampoo does not get into general circulation and
is perfectly safe. I have been told by a few Dr.s who specialize in hair loss
that Nizoral works even better when it is alternated every third or fourth day
with a selenium based shampoo such as Head and Shoulders. Hopefully some
research to look specifically into Nizoral's effects on hair loss will be
carried out in the near future. Mooney feels Nizoral is particularly effective
at stopping the hair loss caused by certain steroids, but I can't say whether or
not this is true.
Proscar:
As most people already know, Proscar is a very specific inhibitor of the enzyme
(5AR) that converts androgens into DHT. Its official use is for prostate
enlargement which is also related to DHT levels (among other things). It was
felt originally that Proscar would not be effective for hair loss because it
only inhibits the enzyme found in the prostate and not in the hair follicle.
Well again, nothing is cut and dry in the human body, and Proscar has been found
to reduce the amount of DHT in circulation which reduces the amount of DHT the
follicle has to deal with and thus less hair is lost. Several recent studies
have shown Proscar is effective for hair loss and can help regrow some hair on
some people, but as I said before, the use of 5AR inhibitors only deals with a
part of the problem and are generally not very effective when used as the only
treatment. One thing people should be aware of is the fact that the use of these
compounds can raise estrogen. I mentioned this several years ago (I think I was
the first to do so) and the PDR now includes gyno (bitch tits) as a possible
side effect of using Proscar. The trick is to use just enough to reduce the DHT
but not enough to raise estrogen levels significantly. Several studies have
shown that using just 1 or 2 mg is virtually as effective as using 5mg of
Proscar for reducing DHT, so you do not have to use much, and this saves a lot
of money. Also, there is research that shows taking just one 5mg tab of Proscar
every five days keeps DHT levels suppressed. I have found the most effective way
to use Proscar is to take one quarter of a tab a day (1.25mg) and one 5mg tab
every 5-7 days. This is the most cost effective and side effect free way of
taking Proscar. Now I don't know if this regimen would be totally effective for
a person taking large amounts of steroids high in androgens or not. Most of the
people I have told to take Proscar this way who use steroids felt it worked for
them, but that's all I can say at this time. Again, I am sure it depends on how
genetically susceptible a person is to hair loss, which type(s), and how much,
steroids are being used.
Minoxidil:
Ok, Minoxidil did not turn out to be the hair growth stimulant we all hoped it
would be and if it had not recently gone OTC I would not even have included it
in this list. However, being minoxidil can now be purchased without a
prescription and is about half the price of what it used to cost, I think it is
a useful addition to a person's regimen. For hair growth, minoxidil has pretty
much been a bust, but for reducing hair loss, I have found it is definitely
better than nothing. Its only about twenty five bucks a bottle these days and it
lasts over a month. Personally, I just use it once a day before bedtime, so it
lasts several months for me.
RU 58841:
This is the mother of all topical anti androgens. RU58841 is made by the Roussel
Corporation of France. This stuff shuts down DHT at the hair follicle like
nothing else. One of the major problems has been that anti androgens such as
Spironolactone and Flutamide taken orally might be good for hair loss, but they
cause all sorts of problems related to having low androgens in your body, such
as loss of muscle, increased fat, loss of sex drive, gyno, etc. When these same
anti androgens have been used topically (put directly on the scalp) they do not
cause the negative systemic side effects, but they did not seem to do much of
anything for hair loss or growth either. Therefore, a topically active anti
androgen without systemic effects would be highly desirable. RU58841 is a
topical anti androgen that shuts down DHT at the follicle without any systemic
side effects in the body! This stuff is the best thing since the invention of
the vibrator! Woops, did I actually say that aloud? Now for the bad news.
RU58841 is not out for sale and probably won't be for quite some time. It is in
the early stages of testing and I understand there are other reasons that it
might be a long time until it hits the market. I would tell you what those
reasons are, but then I would have to kill you, and that would be bad for
magazine sales...... Make no mistakes about it, RU58841 is the drug of choice
for hair loss and would stop hair loss cold in conjunction with a good topical
anti inflammatory. Through my secret source, I was told that the initial
feelings about this stuff by the researchers who tested it was that it would
probably even grow back a lot of hair for some people. I would give my right-no
make that left-gonad for some of this stuff. Oh well, maybe I can find some
crazy chemist to whip me up some of this nifty compound for my own personal use.
Will it cost me a nad?
The Ultimate Hair Stack
We all know what a "steroid stack" is
and most people know what a "supplement stack" is, but have you heard
of a hair stack? Probably not. Well I am going to give you the hair stack I, and
a bunch of other people I know, currently use based on the above information. I
would say better than 90% of the people I have given this stack to who have
followed it religiously (didn't you know that the science of hair loss is a
religion for some people?), have noticed a total cessation of hair loss and even
some moderate regrowth. As for me, I could definitely use some more hair, but I
am a lot better off than my mothers father was or my father is now, not to
mention my brother (good thing my brother does not read bodybuilding
magazines!). Obviously, I can't and won't make any guarantees that this will
work for you, but it should. However, the causes of hair loss are many and
depend on numerous physiological variables (certain medications, stress, diet,
genetics, etc.) , so keep your expectations to something that is realistic for
your particular level of hair loss. Translated, if you are a young person (male
or female) and have started losing some hair but still have most of it, this
stack should work like gang busters for you. If you are older and don't have
much hair on your head and have not had much hair on you head for some time,
than this stack will be helpful for sure. How helpful, I have no clue.
"Right, enough blabbering Brink, give us the damn stack!" you say?
Here it is:
- Wash hair with Nizoral shampoo every day
leaving it on the scalp for at least 5 minutes. Every third or fourth day,
use a selenium based shampoo such as Head and Shoulders instead.
- Take one quarter of a tab of Proscar (1.25mg)
with a meal and a 5mg tab every 5-7 days.
- Put Minoxidil on your head in the morning and
before bed. Note: I have found using Minoxidil once a day before bed with
the above compounds is sufficient, and putting it on in the morning gives
you an ugly "do" (or is that a "don't?!"). However, the
directions on the bottle say to put it on twice a day for best results.
- Finally, rub Folligen in the scalp where the
hair is thinning before bedtime and wash it out in the morning. Note: Put
the Minoxidil on first but make sure it has dried before adding theFolligen.
Here's the best way to do it. Put the Minoxidil on first, then do your other
pre bedtime activities, like brush your teeth, take some vitamins, turn out
the lights, kick the cat, or what ever. Now put on the Folligen after the
Minoxidil has dried.
- Pray to the hair Gods that RU58841 gets on
the market before we all look like Kojak!
Conclusion
If you have mild hair loss, any one of the
above products might do the trick, but if you have heavy to moderate hair loss,
than I assure you, you will need to attack it with multiple products and from
various angles. I have not put the prices down of all this stuff because it
varies so much depending on where, and from who, you get it. So where do you
find all these products? I have given you the phone number for Folligen.
Minoxidil can now be found in any drug store without a prescription. The RU58841
is out or reach for now, unless you know something I don't. As for the Nizoral
shampoo and Proscar, you can ask your doctor for a script or you can call the DR
Foundation. They should have information on how to obtain these products from
various sources (doctors, foreign mail order, etc.). Their number is
305-758-3173. "What does DR stand for" you ask? Dermatology Research
Foundation of course! Us "hair guys" are a little strange........
About the Author - William D. Brink
Will Brink is a columnist, contributing consultant, and writer
for various health/fitness, medical, and bodybuilding publications. His articles
relating to nutrition, supplements, weight loss, exercise and medicine can be
found in such publications as Lets Live, Muscle Media 2000, MuscleMag
International, The Life Extension Magazine, Muscle n Fitness, Inside Karate,
Exercise For Men Only, Body International, Power, Oxygen, Penthouse, Women’s
World and The Townsend Letter For Doctors.
He is the author of Priming The
Anabolic Environment and Weight Loss Nutrients Revealed. He is the Consulting
Sports Nutrition Editor and a monthly columnist for Physical magazine and an
Editor at Large for Power magazine. Will graduated from Harvard University with
a concentration in the natural sciences, and is a consultant to major
supplement, dairy, and pharmaceutical companies.
He has been co author
of several studies relating to sports nutrition and health found in peer
reviewed academic journals, as well as having commentary published in JAMA. He
runs the highly popular web site BrinkZone.com which is strategically positioned
to fulfill the needs and interests of people with diverse backgrounds and
knowledge. The BrinkZone site has a following with many sports nutrition
enthusiasts, athletes, fitness professionals, scientists, medical doctors,
nutritionists, and interested lay people. William has been invited to lecture on
the benefits of weight training and nutrition at conventions and symposiums
around the U.S. and Canada, and has appeared on numerous radio and television
programs.
William has worked with athletes ranging from professional
bodybuilders, golfers, fitness contestants, to police and military personnel.
See Will's e-books online
here:
Muscle Building Nutrition
http://www.musclebuildingnutrition.com/
A complete guide bodybuilding supplements and eating to gain lean
muscle
Diet Supplements Revealed
http://www.aboutsupplements.com/
A review of diet supplements and guide to eating for maximum fat
loss
Hair Loss And Bodybuilding
(01/11/05)
