Exploring Hairloss Paradoxes in Peatworld

[Phaedrus]

Something that’s been on my mind recently is trying to figure out the paradoxes we see looking at the world through a Peat lens. One of them being that I am in my mid 30s and have significant hair thinning which started in my mid 20s, along with lots of gray hairs on my head and beard. I’ve been on thyroid and eating a low PUFA, low iron, high sugar, moderate protein, high calcium to phosphate diet going on 6 years. I take vitamin D, K2, and aspirin regularly. However, the hair loss is still progressing.

Meanwhile, I have a brother 6 years older than me who has a full head of hair and no grays. Here’s the crux of the paradox, aside from him being older: his life has been a high stress disaster for the past decade plus. I’m talking mental illness, divorce, money problems, periodic homelessness, drug abuse. He’ll be sickly skinny at times with horrible skin, and he has ended up in the hospital many times with infections and other health issues, but his hair has stayed full with no visible thinning or graying. Meanwhile, I would categorize my life as pretty low stress, good nutrition as I mentioned, no drugs and little alcohol. Even before Peating I was more paleo but avoided grains and ate lots of coconut oil, milk, and organ meats.

How do we account for this seemingly paradoxical discrepancy? Peat argues against randomness and genetic determinism, so let’s try not to chalk it all up to a fluke.

My only theory - my brother has always been a sugar addict. So much that he ruined his teeth. The dude practically gets all his calories from candy and soda and the occasional hamburger. Okay, so perhaps he’s maintained a high metabolic rate. But the high sugar, low nutrient diet obviously has caused deficiencies on top of chronic environmental stress. Why then has his body spared his hair at the expense of seemingly a host of other health issues? Let me say that I am very healthy and high energy in other ways, good skin snd teeth, so I would not swap thick hair for all his other health problems, but I admit it mystified me that he seemingly lucked out in that one regard.

And no, his father is not the milkman or something like that. We are confirmed siblings 100%.

Meanwhile, I’ll admit I ate high PUFA when I was younger and also did stupid stuff like fasted weight lifting, so there’s plausible factors that could have contributed to my premature hair loss. Still, it seems my brother had fewer reasons why he should still have his hair.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Obviously your brother and you have different genes, so there is going to be differences, but could he have more testosterone flowing, is he an alpha male? Do you eat liver and shellfish, because zinc and copper are important in the hair equation? You might want to look into nettle leaf and root, which started my “The Root Of Gray Hair” thread. It has a lot of good info on how to get hair to growing and reclaiming it’s natural color…..

THE ROOT OF GRAY HAIR

I have created this thread because I get asked a lot about nettle, and how it restored my natural hair color. I have told of my good results, here and there on this forum, but now I want to talk about other factors that may have played a part in my results. My first hearing about nettle having...

raypeatforum.com

 

[Nicole W.]

Something that’s been on my mind recently is trying to figure out the paradoxes we see looking at the world through a Peat lens. One of them being that I am in my mid 30s and have significant hair thinning which started in my mid 20s, along with lots of gray hairs on my head and beard. I’ve been on thyroid and eating a low PUFA, low iron, high sugar, moderate protein, high calcium to phosphate diet going on 6 years. I take vitamin D, K2, and aspirin regularly. However, the hair loss is still progressing.

Meanwhile, I have a brother 6 years older than me who has a full head of hair and no grays. Here’s the crux of the paradox, aside from him being older: his life has been a high stress disaster for the past decade plus. I’m talking mental illness, divorce, money problems, periodic homelessness, drug abuse. He’ll be sickly skinny at times with horrible skin, and he has ended up in the hospital many times with infections and other health issues, but his hair has stayed full with no visible thinning or graying. Meanwhile, I would categorize my life as pretty low stress, good nutrition as I mentioned, no drugs and little alcohol. Even before Peating I was more paleo but avoided grains and ate lots of coconut oil, milk, and organ meats.

How do we account for this seemingly paradoxical discrepancy? Peat argues against randomness and genetic determinism, so let’s try not to chalk it all up to a fluke.

My only theory - my brother has always been a sugar addict. So much that he ruined his teeth. The dude practically gets all his calories from candy and soda and the occasional hamburger. Okay, so perhaps he’s maintained a high metabolic rate. But the high sugar, low nutrient diet obviously has caused deficiencies on top of chronic environmental stress. Why then has his body spared his hair at the expense of seemingly a host of other health issues? Let me say that I am very healthy and high energy in other ways, good skin snd teeth, so I would not swap thick hair for all his other health problems, but I admit it mystified me that he seemingly lucked out in that one regard.

And no, his father is not the milkman or something like that. We are confirmed siblings 100%.

Meanwhile, I’ll admit I ate high PUFA when I was younger and also did stupid stuff like fasted weight lifting, so there’s plausible factors that could have contributed to my premature hair loss. Still, it seems my brother had fewer reasons why he should still have his hair.

I recall my dad who enlisted in the military during the Korean War say that he left for Korea with a full head of thick hair and came back bald in just a few years. He was convinced he had contracted a parasite while there, that caused him to rapidly lose his hair. Maybe certain parasites can trigger this phenomenon, and it depends on each person’s constitution and gut micro biome as to whether they can overcome it or at leas keep it in check.

 

[cs3000]

maybe you have low iron levels which is known for this ? made worse by aspirin if high amounts daily. tho doesn't sound like it if youve been eating organ meats for many years.

maybe low copper levels (through diet or through high heavy metal body burden increasing the enzyme to deal with them which also binds copper - and oxidative stress if not protecting against this with vit C or low dose E or something), which is involved in aging

 

[Phaedrus]

Obviously your brother have different genes, so there is going to be differences, but could he have more testosterone flowing, is he an alpha male? Do you eat liver and shellfish, because zinc and copper are important in the hair equation? You might want to look into nettle leaf and root, which started my “The Root Of Gray Hair” thread. It has a lot of good info on how to get hair to growing and reclaiming it’s natural color…..

THE ROOT OF GRAY HAIR

I have created this thread because I get asked a lot about nettle, and how it restored my natural hair color. I have told of my good results, here and there on this forum, but now I want to talk about other factors that may have played a part in my results. My first hearing about nettle having...

raypeatforum.com

Thanks for the info! I’ve actually been drinking nettle leaf tea the last couple of weeks, not because I was aware or any purported benefits, but because I bought some when traveling out of curiosity.

No I would not categorize him as an alpha male type. He was a great multi-sport athlete when he was younger, but he has always been more of a sensitive artist type, albeit with a problem controlling his emotions and anger (high serotonin I would assume).

 

[Phaedrus]

maybe you have low iron levels which is known for this ? made worse by aspirin if high amounts daily.
or low copper levels (through diet or through high heavy metal body burden increasing the enzyme to deal with them which also binds copper - and oxidative stress if not protecting against this with vit C or low dose E or something), which is involved in aging

View attachment 47907

I donate blood at least a couple times per year, and they’re never stopped me for having low iron levels. I have tried supplementing copper both orally and topically on my hair/beard with DHEA per Peat’s recommendations. It didn’t seem to make any difference in hair color.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Thanks for the info! I’ve actually been drinking nettle leaf tea the last couple of weeks, not because I was aware or any purported benefits, but because I bought some when traveling out of curiosity.

No I would not categorize him as an alpha male type. He was a great multi-sport athlete when he was younger, but he has always been more of a sensitive artist type, albeit with a problem controlling his emotions and anger (high serotonin I would assume).

What about your seafood and liver intake? Both are immensely helpful for hair.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

I recall my dad who enlisted in the military during the Korean War say that he left for Korea with a full head of thick hair and came back bald in just a few years. He was convinced he had contracted a parasite while there, that caused him to rapidly lose his hair. Maybe certain parasites can trigger this phenomenon, and it depends on each person’s constitution and gut micro biome as to whether they can overcome it or at leas keep it in check.

Wow! I hadn’t heard of this angle Nicole….

“Fungal infections can cause hair loss that generally is associated with pruritis. Tinea capitus is a disorder that produces scalp eruptions and hair loss in both children and adults. The infection typically is caused either by Microsporum canis or Trichophyton tonsurans.”

Alopecia: Possible Causes and Treatments, Particularly in Captive Nonhuman Primates

Alopecia (hair loss) occurs in some nonhuman primates housed in captivity and is of concern to colony managers and veterinarians. Here we review the characteristics, potential causes, and treatments for this condition. Although we focus on nonhuman primates, ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

 

[Phaedrus]

What about your seafood and liver intake? Both are immensely helpful for hair.

Canned oysters maybe once every week or so. Shrimp and other shellfish like crab maybe a couple times per month. Liver though I don’t eat as often as I should, mostly because my wife can’t stand the smell when I cook it. I’ve been trying freeze dried beef liver capsules which I’m sure aren’t as good as fresh, but figured they might help. All in all, the answer to your question is obvious that I could be doing better!

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Canned oysters maybe once every week or so. Shrimp and other shellfish like crab maybe a couple times per month. Liver though I don’t eat as often as I should, mostly because my wife can’t stand the smell when I cook it. I’ve been trying freeze dried beef liver capsules which I’m sure aren’t as good as fresh, but figured they might help. All in all, the answer to your question is obvious that I could be doing better!

I think the nettle is a good move. Is your hair naturally dark or light, and what about your brother’s?

 

[Phaedrus]

I think the nettle is a good move. Is your hair naturally dark or light, and what about your brother’s?

My hair is medium to dark brown. My brother’s is much lighter, almost sandy brown. We both had much lighter hair as kids, his quite blonde, but both darkened as we grew up which I think is normal.

I will try the nettle capsules! When summer returns, stinging nettle grows like crazy behind my garden shed and garage. I’ve cooked it before but I will maybe try drying it myself and/or making tea with the fresh leaves, maybe even trying some of it topically as a hair rinse.

 

[VitoScaletta]

if i remember prolactin and cortisol has been associated with hairloss so bare that in mind

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

My hair is medium to dark brown. My brother’s is much lighter, almost sandy brown. We both had much lighter hair as kids, his quite blonde, but both darkened as we grew up which I think is normal.

I will try the nettle capsules! When summer returns, stinging nettle grows like crazy behind my garden shed and garage. I’ve cooked it before but I will maybe try drying it myself and/or making tea with the fresh leaves, maybe even trying some of it topically as a hair rinse.

What do you think about what Nicole said, about about possible parasites or bacteria being a possible cause? I hadn’t heard that until today.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Invasive organism such as parasites and fungi can cause hair loss. Both of these survive on the same food that you eat. This means that if you are infected with one of these organisms your body could lose nutrients and become undernourished.”

Could Parasites and Fungi Be Causing Your Hair Loss?

Invasive organism such as parasites and fungi can cause hair loss. Both of these survive on the same food that you eat. This means that if you are infected with one of these organisms your body could lose nutrients and become undernourished. When we become nutrient deficient our bodies always priori

www.101.com.au

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Invasive organism such as parasites and fungi can cause hair loss. Both of these survive on the same food that you eat. This means that if you are infected with one of these organisms your body could lose nutrients and become undernourished.”

Could Parasites and Fungi Be Causing Your Hair Loss?

Invasive organism such as parasites and fungi can cause hair loss. Both of these survive on the same food that you eat. This means that if you are infected with one of these organisms your body could lose nutrients and become undernourished. When we become nutrient deficient our bodies always priori

www.101.com.au

“How does MSM help with parasites?
MSM has proven to be a very effective treatment for parasites. Research shows that MSM works by laying a coating over the intestinal areas where some types of parasites normally attach themselves. This coating makes it impossible for parasites to attach themselves to your body. Since they are not attached to your body, the parasites are simply flushed out of your system through the process of elimination. MSM can be used against worms, giardia, trichomonas, and other types of parasites. Making sure that you have an adequate daily intake of MSM can help to ensure that the parasites do not have a chance to make themselves at home inside your body. MSM has the ability to return the parasite susceptible tissue to normalcy with no impairment or injury to host. MSM has an alleviating or curing effect on a variety of parasitic systemic microbial infections.“

MSM makes it impossible for parasites to attach themselves to your body at Candida & Dysbiosis Forum, topic 1709288

The Oregon Health Service University demonstrated in many years of clinical use that MSM: often benefit from MSM supplementation Candida http://www.healing-yourself.com/MSM.html How does MSM help with parasites? MSM has proven to be a very effective treatment for parasites. Research shows...

www.curezone.org

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

“Many of you have seen / discussed the guy on youtube that has regrown hair by juicing onions, garlic and ACV then applying it to his head - he has a protocol referred to as OGV (Onion, garlic and Vinegar).

The protocol also includes Nizoral, but I'm not concerned with the Nizoral, its obvious what its role in the protocol is.

What seems obvious is that the OGV concoction, like the Nizoral, is also very much anti-fungal. But is that all it does? Is there something else at play here?“

The Cider Vinegar Onions & Garlic HairLoss Guy

Many of you have seen / discussed the guy on youtube that has regrown hair by juicing onions, garlic and ACV then applying it to his head - he has a protocol referred to as OGV (Onion, garlic and Vinegar). The protocol also includes Nizoral, but I'm not concerned with the Nizoral, its obvious...

raypeatforum.com

 

[Phaedrus]

What do you think about what Nicole said, about about possible parasites or bacteria being a possible cause? I hadn’t heard that until today.

She made it sound like her dad’s hairloss was quite sudden as a result of a parasite. Mine has been quite gradual for a decade or more. As far as topical bacteria or fungi, I’ve used baking soda and apple cider vinegar regularly over the years, so I’d think my scalp has stayed fairly sterile. Likewise, my gut health has never been an issue. I’ve had to take antibiotics before that would have probably taken care or anything gut based, and on top of that I still eat my daily raw carrot salad and take activated charcoal on occasion. So it seems unlikely to be a causative factor or else I’m guessing other symptoms would have been evident.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

She made it sound like her dad’s hairloss was quite sudden as a result of a parasite. Mine has been quite gradual for a decade or more. As far as topical bacteria or fungi, I’ve used baking soda and apple cider vinegar regularly over the years, so I’d think my scalp has stayed fairly sterile. Likewise, my gut health has never been an issue. I’ve had to take antibiotics before that would have probably taken care or anything gut based, and on top of that I still eat my daily raw carrot salad and take activated charcoal on occasion. So it seems unlikely to be a causative factor or else I’m guessing other symptoms would have been evident.

Ok back to the drawing board :)

 

[grapes]

Sugar and occasional hamburger look like a low vitamin A diet. Not saying that sugar is healthy, maybe hence the skin problems.

 

[Rinse & rePeat]

Sugar and occasional hamburger look like a low vitamin A diet. Not saying that sugar is healthy, maybe hence the skin problems.

Or maybe it is the corn and soy that the cow was fed causing the issue. I had skin problems eating conventional dairy and meat. Grass-fed animal fats are full of vitamins, and resolved my skin issues.