Evidence That Cortisol Really Does Cause Hair Loss

[Pablo Cruise]

finasteride is a synthetic progestin. It has a beneficial effect on hair because of some of it's progesterone like qualities, but it cannot act like a natural progesterone. It cannot convert downstream, for instance, although it still has a high affinity for 5 alpha reductase. Recognizing that it is not a legitimate progestin, the endocrine system will often go haywire and suppress progesterone levels, and desensitize 5ar. Studies on finasteride users with bad side effects indicate that the production of pregnenelone is supressed, and the conversion of every potentially therapeutic steroid or molecule after that remain at abnormally low levels. The issue is more complicated then low androgens. If all I had to do was increase my androgen levels and take DHT, I would have been feeling a whole lot better years ago... But the best remedy seems to be a combination of progesterone/androgens and the results aren't a 100% fix...

So you are saying that Finasteride which is an enzyme blocker (blocking conversion to DHT) is a progestin analogue? I have never heard that. How did you come to that conclusion?

 

[Pablo Cruise]

This so makes intuitive sense in my husband’s case.

So based on this theory why do bald men usually have a ring around the head? Why aren't those follicles susceptible to Cortisol etc? I think it really comes back to genetic sensitivity to sebum, DHT and skin fungi. Many people live stressful lives and have plenty of hair. I think we are going in circles here.

 

[johnwester130]

finasteride is a synthetic progestin. It has a beneficial effect on hair because of some of it's progesterone like qualities, but it cannot act like a natural progesterone. It cannot convert downstream, for instance, although it still has a high affinity for 5 alpha reductase. Recognizing that it is not a legitimate progestin, the endocrine system will often go haywire and suppress progesterone levels, and desensitize 5ar. Studies on finasteride users with bad side effects indicate that the production of pregnenelone is supressed, and the conversion of every potentially therapeutic steroid or molecule after that remain at abnormally low levels. The issue is more complicated then low androgens. If all I had to do was increase my androgen levels and take DHT, I would have been feeling a whole lot better years ago... But the best remedy seems to be a combination of progesterone/androgens and the results aren't a 100% fix...

Do you believe that hair shedding and baldness of 20 years are the same thing ?

Or are they two different problems with the same outcome - hair loss.

 

[Wagner83]

true, but context is everything, if you are losing hair and shedding, you are all ready in hair loss mode, added starch may not be the best route. if bacterial overgrowth is causing steroid hormone to stop being produced, if you are all ready in that state where high bacteria growth is there, adding starch could be like throwing gas on the fire, probably the same could be said about milk and cheese too, maybe even sugar in general, i don't know 100%, but potato is going to reach lower in the digestive tract, making it bad for someone who is all ready constipated

if you are all ready healthy and good digestion, then yea potato would probably be okay, same can be said for majority of people with no hair loss, they can go eat mcdonalds or whatever they eat and don't lose hair

But Ray is one of the few guys who eats next to no starch and very often recommends against it, you can see it with members of this forum, possibly his podcasts and surely his mails. If you don't eat sugar(so fruits?), starch, dairy then there isn't much left.

 

[johnwester130]

Isn't it true that progesterone is prone to being converted into cortisol, as well as estrogen? I have read that a couple times, and it could provide a reason. However I've never heard Peat talk much about progesterone contributing to stress hormones.

This artery is the cause of baldness

I no longer believe the hormonal theory of hair loss

 

[thisoldtown1978]

This artery is the cause of baldness

I no longer believe the hormonal theory of hair loss

I know this will get a lot of heat, but I find it really interesting. If this is the case, do you think neck posture may play a part in hair loss? I’ve often observed a difference curvature of the neck in balding vs thick haired men.

 

[johnwester130]

I know this will get a lot of heat, but I find it really interesting. If this is the case, do you think neck posture may play a part in hair loss? I’ve often observed a difference curvature of the neck in balding vs thick haired men.

it's possible, but also things like Pauling therapy will unclog it too

 

[eddiem991]

This artery is the cause of baldness

I no longer believe the hormonal theory of hair loss

How do you know that it's that particular artery and not the smaller ones?

 

[Pablo Cruise]

I have a suspicion that besides androgens, the microbiota up there also can change the fate of the stem cells. I don't have knowledge of exactly what's up there, but here is this intersting part
Thematic review series: Skin Lipids. Sebaceous gland lipids: friend or foe?


If you search for H. Pylori + C-Myc, it's at least one bacteria able to upregulate it.
Edit: figure 2 basicly says these pathways either decide that progenitor cell either go seb cell or HF

As one individual who had severe seborrheic dermatitis and extreme hair loss, switching to anti dandruff shampoos (Selenium Sulfide 2.5%, S.A. 2.2%/sulfur 2.4%) has not only rid me of the dermatitis but I continue these shampoos (with Mino and Finasteride taken for last 10 years) and my loss has, dare I say, stopped completely. It has been 7 months so will wait thru the summer to declare success.

My point is this, we can read studies and speculate but my results clearly imply that treating Malassezia and sebum production has had an impact on skin DHT or other process'. I would also suggest that though I no longer see a dry, crusty scalp I may still might have had Malassezia infestation for lack of a better word. So we might have "invisible" hair loss factors. Yes, I speculate a cause and effect but cannot think of a better explantion for my new hair changes. I do understand there are some studies with Selenium and Sulphur affecting the WNT pathway but think fungi on the scalp and treating the fungi (or yeast) was my home run.

 

[johnwester130]

How do you know that it's that particular artery and not the smaller ones?

see the roddy video called explaining the Pattern of baldness.

I could be wrong, but the bald area is fed by a different artery than the sides of the scalp,

 

[johnwester130]

How do you know that it's that particular artery and not the smaller ones?

vitamin c and lysine will lower cortisol, but also unclog arteries. so these things clearly overlap

Hairloss and vit C - Vitamin C Forum

 

[eddiem991]

vitamin c and lysine will lower cortisol, but also unclog arteries. so these things clearly overlap

Hairloss and vit C - Vitamin C Forum

Interesting, I think vitamin C should be in every hairloss regime.

 

[sladerunner69]

Do you believe that hair shedding and baldness of 20 years are the same thing ?

Or are they two different problems with the same outcome - hair loss.

I believe they are fundamentally the same issue with the same causes and mechanisms. While the mainstream identifies two types of hairloss or "alopecias"- androgen related and stress related- I believe that the only cause is stress related. The difference is that chronic, low grade stress can cause hairline recession, the "horseshoe" pattern, vertex hairloss, gradually over a period of years. However, if someone experiences a traumatic event or goes through a fast they can shed a massive amount of hair in a very brief time period, but in this case the hair follicles have not had time to completely shut down. In "male pattern" baldness there is constant low grade stress that results in hair follicles gradually shutting down or turning dormant. I believe it comes down to an issue of scope & time, a brief period of high stress will cause the same type of hairloss experienced by most men, but can be largely repaired afterward.

While it's often interpretted that women keep their hair due to a lack of androgens, I don't believe this to be entirely accurate. Many androgens can convert into estrogen and directly increase cortisol, so that is more than likely a major factor- stress hormones not androgens themselves. (taking dht my hair became thicker and fuller, and others have reported the same). Women generally ahve much higher levels of progesterone, which is highly protective against the effects of cortisol and estrogen. So I chalk the difference between genders up to that. Furthermore, many women do experience hairloss, identical to "male" pattern baldness, and their doctors chalk it up to high androgens. These women have often been put on estrogen supplementation, to no avail, as their hair becomes thinner and worse off. Progesterone supplementation, on the other hand, can typically resolve hairloss and women (I've seen this with a couple people I know personally).

So to me, hairloss is purely stress related.

Also I think stress can be viewed as the root cause of circulation problems, via calcification and arterial plaque, which can be a major part of baldness as you've pointed out. Without blood the hair follicles cannot perform respiration, and these cells have a particularly high demand for energy and nutrients, as pointed out by Danny Roddy in "hair like a fox" from research performed decades ago. Scalp massages/derma-needling largely work along these lines I think.

Genetics also plays a role, because metabolism and stress resistance can be somewhat inherited. The hair follicle, specifically, can be more or less sensitive to stress as well. This is likely only a marginal, if minor factor. Consuming sugar through the day to keep my cortisol low helped drastically to slow my hairloss. I still notice some thinning and recession, but that's probably estrogen related because I have gin cocktails and wine too often....

 

[xetawaves]

I believe they are fundamentally the same issue with the same causes and mechanisms. While the mainstream identifies two types of hairloss or "alopecias"- androgen related and stress related- I believe that the only cause is stress related. The difference is that chronic, low grade stress can cause hairline recession, the "horseshoe" pattern, vertex hairloss, gradually over a period of years. However, if someone experiences a traumatic event or goes through a fast they can shed a massive amount of hair in a very brief time period, but in this case the hair follicles have not had time to completely shut down. In "male pattern" baldness there is constant low grade stress that results in hair follicles gradually shutting down or turning dormant. I believe it comes down to an issue of scope & time, a brief period of high stress will cause the same type of hairloss experienced by most men, but can be largely repaired afterward.

While it's often interpretted that women keep their hair due to a lack of androgens, I don't believe this to be entirely accurate. Many androgens can convert into estrogen and directly increase cortisol, so that is more than likely a major factor- stress hormones not androgens themselves. (taking dht my hair became thicker and fuller, and others have reported the same). Women generally ahve much higher levels of progesterone, which is highly protective against the effects of cortisol and estrogen. So I chalk the difference between genders up to that. Furthermore, many women do experience hairloss, identical to "male" pattern baldness, and their doctors chalk it up to high androgens. These women have often been put on estrogen supplementation, to no avail, as their hair becomes thinner and worse off. Progesterone supplementation, on the other hand, can typically resolve hairloss and women (I've seen this with a couple people I know personally).

So to me, hairloss is purely stress related.

Also I think stress can be viewed as the root cause of circulation problems, via calcification and arterial plaque, which can be a major part of baldness as you've pointed out. Without blood the hair follicles cannot perform respiration, and these cells have a particularly high demand for energy and nutrients, as pointed out by Danny Roddy in "hair like a fox" from research performed decades ago. Scalp massages/derma-needling largely work along these lines I think.

Genetics also plays a role, because metabolism and stress resistance can be somewhat inherited. The hair follicle, specifically, can be more or less sensitive to stress as well. This is likely only a marginal, if minor factor. Consuming sugar through the day to keep my cortisol low helped drastically to slow my hairloss. I still notice some thinning and recession, but that's probably estrogen related because I have gin cocktails and wine too often....

I agree with all of this. Stress is really the only thing that triggers sheds for me. The timing is strange for some sheds though. I went through a bad break up and then finally around 6 months later my hair diffused pretty badly.

What do you believe are the best things a man can do to halt/reverse his hair loss? Focus on keeping cortisol low and supplementing progesterone?

 

[sladerunner69]

I agree with all of this. Stress is really the only thing that triggers sheds for me. The timing is strange for some sheds though. I went through a bad break up and then finally around 6 months later my hair diffused pretty badly.

What do you believe are the best things a man can do to halt/reverse his hair loss? Focus on keeping cortisol low and supplementing progesterone?

Well, perhaps it could have taken 6 months for the shedding to become noticeable. The hair follicles apparently work in cycles, and if they shutdown this doesn't always result in the hair immediately falling out, but more typically the prevention of the next cycle from occuring.

Personally I actually wouldn't recommend supplementing progesterone. It seems a lot of guys end up with lower libido and feeling too lazy. Although I have certainly seen it work for some. Though I think there is a certain androgen:progesterone ratio, which may be achieved through simple pregnenlone supplementation, as it converts into progesterone and dhea. Have you tried pregnenelone? I have seen some guys use progesterone plus dht as well. Or taking thyroid hormone, caffiene, niacinimide, aspirin, etc etc anything peat related to increase the natural metabolism should icnrease progesterone production and lower stress hormones. Experimenting with different things is pretty much necessary.

 

[xetawaves]

Well, perhaps it could have taken 6 months for the shedding to become noticeable. The hair follicles apparently work in cycles, and if they shutdown this doesn't always result in the hair immediately falling out, but more typically the prevention of the next cycle from occuring.

Personally I actually wouldn't recommend supplementing progesterone. It seems a lot of guys end up with lower libido and feeling too lazy. Although I have certainly seen it work for some. Though I think there is a certain androgen:progesterone ratio, which may be achieved through simple pregnenlone supplementation, as it converts into progesterone and dhea. Have you tried pregnenelone? I have seen some guys use progesterone plus dht as well. Or taking thyroid hormone, caffiene, niacinimide, aspirin, etc etc anything peat related to increase the natural metabolism should icnrease progesterone production and lower stress hormones. Experimenting with different things is pretty much necessary.

Well it seems that the next cycle is at least happening, but the hairs grow back thinner than the previous cycle. It seems as if something is damaging the hair follicles.

I've actually been supplementing progesterone for about a week and a half. I was reading some reports about men trying it and it halted any further loss and thickened their hair up quite a bit. It has actually increased my libido and my sexual health is great at the moment. Prior to starting progesterone, I was almost positive that I had an enlarged prostate. I had difficulty urinating and painful/weak ejaculations. Progesterone has cured that for me. Is this a sign that I should continue? I take aspirin and drink coffee everyday. I need to start taking niacinamide again.

The idea that stress hormones are the cause makes perfect sense. There are so many bald athletes.
It's almost as if stress hormones are making the hairs enter the new growth phase before it has finished its telogen phase. That's why the hairs grow back smaller and smaller each time. Because the follicle didn't complete the resting phase and didn't completely repair itself for a new phase. I've noticed that a lot of the hairs I shed are short and curly and they went from the growth phase to the shedding phase very quickly. Their clock is being thrown off.

 

[xetawaves]

I've been reading that caffeine increases cortisol. So would it be best to stay away from coffee if you're fighting hair loss?

 

[Pablo Cruise]

I've been reading that caffeine increases cortisol. So would it be best to stay away from coffee if you're fighting hair loss?

No I don't think so. Caffeine is a hair growth stimulant and many hair products, ie, Head & Shoulders, other companies include caffeine in their formulations with Nicotinamide, a PGD2 flusher. I say flusher in removing. Nicotinamide or Niacin have been reported to reduce PGD2. Interesting that PGD2 is implicated in other disease process' ie, heart disease.

I have drink caffeine daily and see no differences in hair growth or fall out.

 

[Pablo Cruise]

It's safe topically, but has low absorption. You need high concentrations for this reason, so would have to buy a pure source.

You could try Sigma-Aldrich.. .

I used Clobetasol 0.05% along with Selenium Sulfide 2.5% topically and my hair has flourished, so to speak. Clobetasol is a glucocorticosteroid. It seemed to benefit me. I am at a loss to read Cortisol causes hair loss. I believe people are saying when it accumulates around the hair follicle bulb? Stress? Oxidative stress? Life stress? I find it hard to see Cortisol causing MPB in the everyday context.

 

[Pablo Cruise]

How can you know so much? :) It seems like you are just days away from unlocking the MPB mystery. :)

I get tempted on trying cyclosporine for my hair but it maight be to dangerous?

I am probably less knowledgeable about the hairloss pathways than some but Does it make sense that DHT/Sebum cause an inflammatory reaction that attracts cortisol? I have had such unbelievable luck with shampoos that treat Malassezia and sebum I wonder if we have the egg or chicken came first scenario? My gut tells me the DHT inflammation is the basis of MPB and the cortisol is a reaction to it. And the theories go on.....