Evidence That Cortisol Really Does Cause Hair Loss

[Travis]

This will sound ridiculous on this forum,
but a vegan diet will cure heart disease, but you could take eggshell calcium supplements and liver powder capsules to make certain you don't get deficient in things.

Not necessarily! You do need vitamin C for this to work. Cooked vegans in India do get cardiovascular disease.

 

[Pablo Cruise]

How often do you use Selsun Blue and of long do you let it sit in?

I use Selenium Sulfide 2.5% rx only or OTC in Canada twice a week. The bottle I use says to leave on scalp for 10 min but I leave on usually 15-20 minutes. I don't believe using more frequently is beneficial.

 

[xetawaves]

Here's something I've noticed. Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night or in the mornings, I'll have a pretty bad scalp itch in a spot somewhere along my hairline. I wonder if scalp itch is just new hairs pushing through to grow in.

 

[Pablo Cruise]

Here's something I've noticed. Sometimes when I wake up in the middle of the night or in the mornings, I'll have a pretty bad scalp itch in a spot somewhere along my hairline. I wonder if scalp itch is just new hairs pushing through to grow in.

Doubt it.

 

[nbznj]

doubt it as well even though I made the connection when I decided to remove all hair (legs, arms, abs everywhere) using a cream. When it grew again that was very itchy the first day or 2. Then it's nice and smooth.

 

[eddiem991]

Does nicotine increase cortisol?

 

[Wagner83]

Baicalin increases hair follicle development by increasing canonical Wnt/β‑catenin signaling and activating dermal papillar cells in mice. - PubMed - NCBI
Xing F1, Yi WJ1, Miao F1, Su MY1, Lei TC1.
Author information
Abstract
Baicalin is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine commonly used for hair loss, the precise molecular mechanism of which is unknown. In the present study, the mechanism of baicalin was investigated via the topical application of baicalin to reconstituted hair follicles on mice dorsa and evaluating the effect on canonical Wnt/β‑catenin signaling in the hair follicles and the activity of dermal papillar cells. The results indicate that baicalin stimulates the expression of Wnt3a, Wnt5a, frizzled 7 and disheveled 2 whilst inhibiting the Axin/casein kinase 1α/adenomatous polyposis coli/glycogen synthase kinase 3β degradation complex, leading to accumulation of β‑catenin and activation of Wnt/β‑catenin signaling. In addition, baicalin was observed to increase the alkaline phosphatase levels in dermal papillar cells, a process which was dependent on Wnt pathway activation. Given its non‑toxicity and ease of topical application, baicalin represents a promising treatment for alopecia and other forms of hair loss. Further studies of baicalin using human hair follicle transplants are warranted in preparation for future clinical use.

This was posted at longecity a few days ago.

 

[MyUsernameHere]

Baicalin increases hair follicle development by increasing canonical Wnt/β‑catenin signaling and activating dermal papillar cells in mice. - PubMed - NCBI
Xing F1, Yi WJ1, Miao F1, Su MY1, Lei TC1.
Author information
Abstract
Baicalin is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine commonly used for hair loss, the precise molecular mechanism of which is unknown. In the present study, the mechanism of baicalin was investigated via the topical application of baicalin to reconstituted hair follicles on mice dorsa and evaluating the effect on canonical Wnt/β‑catenin signaling in the hair follicles and the activity of dermal papillar cells. The results indicate that baicalin stimulates the expression of Wnt3a, Wnt5a, frizzled 7 and disheveled 2 whilst inhibiting the Axin/casein kinase 1α/adenomatous polyposis coli/glycogen synthase kinase 3β degradation complex, leading to accumulation of β‑catenin and activation of Wnt/β‑catenin signaling. In addition, baicalin was observed to increase the alkaline phosphatase levels in dermal papillar cells, a process which was dependent on Wnt pathway activation. Given its non‑toxicity and ease of topical application, baicalin represents a promising treatment for alopecia and other forms of hair loss. Further studies of baicalin using human hair follicle transplants are warranted in preparation for future clinical use.

This was posted at longecity a few days ago.

There are already products with this i.e. Baicapil out for years, if it did much I would think it would be more widely known.

 

[johnwester130]

Why not use the safe and basic things to reduce cortisol ?

Vitamin d
k2
magnesium oil

methylene blue

gelatin, acerola powder for vitamin c

All those other things sound extreme and won't work without the basics

 

[Hairfedup]

..........................what if this is all a mistake ?

Cortisol causes hair to shed temporarily.

The actual baldness is caused by the clogged arteries that feed the scalp.

See 2:59 in the video

John I'm starting to think that you may be right...shedding vs baldness....I never shed in my life but am now at NW4/5. Any more information on this or how it can be, shall we say, fixed? The artery, I believe in the neck, that is.

 

[johnwester130]

John I'm starting to think that you may be right...shedding vs baldness....I never shed in my life but am now at NW4/5. Any more information on this or how it can be, shall we say, fixed? The artery, I believe in the neck, that is.

a clogged artery can be fixed with

vitamin c like acerola
gelatin

vitamin k2
vitamin d, vitamin a

People report hair changes with pauling therapy so yes it could work

 

[Hairfedup]

a clogged artery can be fixed with

vitamin c like acerola
gelatin

vitamin k2
vitamin d, vitamin a

People report hair changes with pauling therapy so yes it could work

What about the vitamin C found in an Indian Gooseberry/Amla? I've looked at pauling therapy but the Lysine scares me haha. Thanks for the information though, appreciate it.

 

[johnwester130]

Does cortisol deplete vitamin D ?

Are they on the same receptor ?

 

[johnwester130]

What about the vitamin C found in an Indian Gooseberry/Amla? I've looked at pauling therapy but the Lysine scares me haha. Thanks for the information though, appreciate it.

yes, anything high in vitamin c works, acerola powder seems the best, a little better than camu camu, and better than synthetic

 

[Wagner83]

yes, anything high in vitamin c works, acerola powder seems the best, a little better than camu camu, and better than synthetic

How much vitamin C (not how much acerola powder) do you need to take to experience benefits?

 

[johnwester130]

How much vitamin C (not how much acerola powder) do you need to take to experience benefits?

it has a 12 hour half life unlike synthetic c , so much less. maybe even a gram.

 

[Xisca]

I think that most likely, there is a reason for this. Perhaps over the millennia, we have done better as men when we were bald if we were under stress, in order to get more sunlight on her scalp. I'm totally not kidding.

It has been talked when gbol was here... what they did and we do not any more, is fasting.
We talk about cortisol and hormones without talking about receptors, why?
Fast and your cortisol will get high, then receptors will go down as a reaction, so you will need less cortisol for the same job in your body. Then it will increase again and you will need to fast again. Everything is addictive if you do not stop from time to time, even food!

 

[Richiebogie]

2 ) I think baldness is connected to atherosclerosis. The pattern can be explained because that's where the vessels on the balding area are narrowest. Pauling therapy and Lysine is used on many hair loss forums.
Lysine and vitamin c also build collagen, and block cortisol.
The pattern basically correlates to the position of the blood vessels.

Hi @johnwester130, great quote! Was that a quote from Ray Peat or from your own findings?

Here is a page with some interesting info on lysine, cortisol reduction, human growth hormone and hair growth.

(I think they would have gotten better results without the arginine as arginine displaces lysine and our bodies can make arginine but not lysine. I grew up eating peanut butter on toast which is extremely high in arginine compared to lysine and I went bald young. I am hoping to reverse that now that I am minimizing arginine!)

Update Hairloss and Lysine

Lysine - A Cheap, Effective Co-Treatment for Hairloss
In an earlier update, several years ago we detailed a patented combination of Lysine, Iron, and Vitamin C developed by Dr. Rushton as an adjunctive treatment for hormonal hair loss. Subsequent to this update, many have integrated Lysine by itself into their treatment regimes and most have reported an almost immediate cessation of shedding. Dr. Rushton was unable to concisely elucidate the mechanism by which Lysine produced such an effect, and recommended using it in conjunction with other existing treatments. This study on its positive effects on anxiety may possibly shed some light on its positive effects in regards to stress related and hormonal hair loss.


Biomed Res. 2007 Apr;28(2):85-90.

Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans.Smriga M, Ando T, Akutsu M, Furukawa Y, Miwa K, Morinaga Y.

Institute of Life Sciences, Ajimoto Co. Inc, 1-1 Suzuki-cho, 210-8681 Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Japan.

Dietary supplementation with an essential amino acid L-lysine has been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in humans with low dietary intake of L-lysine. A combination of L-lysine and L-arginine has been documented to normalize hormonal stress responses in humans with high trait anxiety. The present study was carried out in one hundred eight healthy Japanese adults. The aim of study was to find out whether a week-long oral treatment with L-lysine (2.64 g per day) and L-arginine (2.64 g per day) reduces trait and stress-induced state anxiety and basal levels of stress hormones. We confirmed that, without regard to gender, the amino acid treatment significantly reduced both trait anxiety and state anxiety induced by cognitive stress battery. In addition, we found that the treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine decreased the basal levels of salivary cortisol and chromogranin-A (a salivary marker of the sympatho-adrenal system) in male subjects. These results of this double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized study confirm the previous findings in humans and animals and point to a combination of L-lysine and L-arginine as a potentially useful dietary intervention in otherwise healthy humans with high subjective levels of mental stress and anxiety.


It has been established that people with hormonal hair loss have elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Lysine appears to help lower cortisol.

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) administration produces scalp hair growth in aging humans, whose hair has thinned out due to hormones and age related thinning. Dr. Ronald Klatz, an authority on Growth Hormone states �HGH appears to have a tonic effect on hair. While there is no published data (our emphasis), patients report improvement in the quality of the hair. The self-assessment performed by 202 patients in one study reported a high percentage reported new scalp hair growth. Other patients stated that their hair was regaining its original colour .�

An interesting thing about the combination of Lysine and Arginine is that it's been documented that it increases growth hormone release by a factor of 10 over arginine alone. It is possible that Lysine�s ability to increase HGH may at least partially explain its positive effects on hair.

Stress, via neurogenic inflammation is a known cause and aggravator of hair loss. The oral combination of Resveratrol/Curcumin is a potent and patented treatment for resolving this inflammation and initiating hair regrowth. This study suggest that Lysine, in combination with Arginine may be useful for this type of hair loss as well.

Lysine is a dirt cheap, cost negligible intervention that can significantly reduce stress, enhance immune function, and the efficacy of any existing hair loss treatment regime. There is a sound rationale and evidence for its inclusion.

 

[johnwester130]

Hi @johnwester130, great quote! Was that a quote from Ray Peat or from your own findings?

Here is a page with some interesting info on lysine, cortisol reduction, human growth hormone and hair growth.

(I think they would have gotten better results without the arginine as arginine displaces lysine and our bodies can make arginine but not lysine. I grew up eating peanut butter on toast which is extremely high in arginine compared to lysine and I went bald young. I am hoping to reverse that now that I am minimizing arginine!)

Update Hairloss and Lysine

Lysine - A Cheap, Effective Co-Treatment for Hairloss
In an earlier update, several years ago we detailed a patented combination of Lysine, Iron, and Vitamin C developed by Dr. Rushton as an adjunctive treatment for hormonal hair loss. Subsequent to this update, many have integrated Lysine by itself into their treatment regimes and most have reported an almost immediate cessation of shedding. Dr. Rushton was unable to concisely elucidate the mechanism by which Lysine produced such an effect, and recommended using it in conjunction with other existing treatments. This study on its positive effects on anxiety may possibly shed some light on its positive effects in regards to stress related and hormonal hair loss.


Biomed Res. 2007 Apr;28(2):85-90.

Oral treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine reduces anxiety and basal cortisol levels in healthy humans.Smriga M, Ando T, Akutsu M, Furukawa Y, Miwa K, Morinaga Y.

Institute of Life Sciences, Ajimoto Co. Inc, 1-1 Suzuki-cho, 210-8681 Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi, Japan.

Dietary supplementation with an essential amino acid L-lysine has been shown to reduce chronic anxiety in humans with low dietary intake of L-lysine. A combination of L-lysine and L-arginine has been documented to normalize hormonal stress responses in humans with high trait anxiety. The present study was carried out in one hundred eight healthy Japanese adults. The aim of study was to find out whether a week-long oral treatment with L-lysine (2.64 g per day) and L-arginine (2.64 g per day) reduces trait and stress-induced state anxiety and basal levels of stress hormones. We confirmed that, without regard to gender, the amino acid treatment significantly reduced both trait anxiety and state anxiety induced by cognitive stress battery. In addition, we found that the treatment with L-lysine and L-arginine decreased the basal levels of salivary cortisol and chromogranin-A (a salivary marker of the sympatho-adrenal system) in male subjects. These results of this double-blind, placebo controlled and randomized study confirm the previous findings in humans and animals and point to a combination of L-lysine and L-arginine as a potentially useful dietary intervention in otherwise healthy humans with high subjective levels of mental stress and anxiety.


It has been established that people with hormonal hair loss have elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Lysine appears to help lower cortisol.

Human Growth Hormone (HGH) administration produces scalp hair growth in aging humans, whose hair has thinned out due to hormones and age related thinning. Dr. Ronald Klatz, an authority on Growth Hormone states �HGH appears to have a tonic effect on hair. While there is no published data (our emphasis), patients report improvement in the quality of the hair. The self-assessment performed by 202 patients in one study reported a high percentage reported new scalp hair growth. Other patients stated that their hair was regaining its original colour .�

An interesting thing about the combination of Lysine and Arginine is that it's been documented that it increases growth hormone release by a factor of 10 over arginine alone. It is possible that Lysine�s ability to increase HGH may at least partially explain its positive effects on hair.

Stress, via neurogenic inflammation is a known cause and aggravator of hair loss. The oral combination of Resveratrol/Curcumin is a potent and patented treatment for resolving this inflammation and initiating hair regrowth. This study suggest that Lysine, in combination with Arginine may be useful for this type of hair loss as well.

Lysine is a dirt cheap, cost negligible intervention that can significantly reduce stress, enhance immune function, and the efficacy of any existing hair loss treatment regime. There is a sound rationale and evidence for its inclusion.

I think just gelatin (glycine, proline, lysine) can also work . It's a more whole food approach

 

[Richiebogie]

Gelatin has twice as much arginine than lysine. As arginine competes with lysine it is actually the opposite of supplementing with lysine!

Whole chicken should be higher in lysine than arginine. You can eat the chicken's gelatine, but make sure you eat the rest of the bird with it!