Hair Loss: Scalp Massage, Aspirin And Prostaglandins

Soren

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I've been suffering with hair loss for about three years, it was the deterioration of my hair that was the first thing that made me realize I was unhealthy and what initially led me to the works of Danny Roddy and then Ray peat. Since adapting to a ray peat style of eating I have greatly improved the quality of my hair. However, I have struggled to achieve any regrowth. I have been using LLLT therapy for about 2 years and while that has improved my hair it has not given me any significant regrowth. Admittedly I am still in the process of fully recovering from years of chronic stress that led to my hair loss so there may be some factors internally that I have yet to rectify. Having said that I would like to explore the aspects of Scalp massage and certain topicals treatments for hair loss.

Aspirin, Prostaglandins Niacinamide & Caffeine
I've seen mention on these forums of Aspirin, Niacinamide and caffeine as a possible treatments for hair loss. Does anyone have any anecdotal experience that they could offer? I take all three of these ingredients internally daily so my curiosity is as to whether they are affective as a topical treatment. I know that Sol-Ban contains these ingredients.

Aspirin:
My thoughts are that the aspirin obviously would be good because of its affect on reducing prostaglandins in particular PGD2 however there are some theories of hair regrowth that claim that while PGD2 is bad for hair, prostaglandin PGE2 is vital for hair regrowth and since aspirin reduces both PGD2 and PGE2 it might stop hair loss but would prevent any significant regrowth.

Prostaglandins
I would note that I have yet to come across a solid explanation as to how PGE2 facilitaes hair growth. The only evidence I have been able to find is that those who do not suffer hair loss have a higher ratio of PGE2 to PGD2. This is obviously an insufficient explanation because as we all know correlation does not prove causation and I have yet to discover in my research the biomechanical process by which PGE2 would theoretically facilitate hair growth.

Niacinamide & Caffeine
I do not know what the mechanism is by which topical niacinamide & caffeine support hair growth. I would assume that is by reducing levels of certain stress hormones and helping to restore oxidative metabolism. However, if this is the case surely doing making this effect systemic throughout the body via oral supplementation would be as effective as topical application for hair growth?

Scalp Massage
The last thing I want to talk about is scalp massage for hair loss. I started doing this a few weeks ago after coming across a blog post where a guy claimed to have regrown his hair by aggressively massaging his scalp two times a day with a specific technique. He calls the method Detumescence therapy which he discovered from an e-book and links to a 2012 Hong Kong University paper by Henry Choy. Link to Paper. The paper has a similar theory to the ivory dome theory of hair loss.

Quotes from Blog Post
"Choy theorizes that hair loss is primarily caused by thickening and hardening of the scalp, and that bald people have a more “dome-like” head shape because of trapped sebum. In a 100 person experiment (50 men and 50 women of various ages, ethnicities, and % of hair loss), Choy applied “detumescence therapy” over a ten monthly period to expel excess sebum, reshape the scalp, soften the scalp skin, and eventually regrow the subjects’ hair. The treatment involved two twenty-minute scalp massage sessions daily, during which the scalp was pressed on, kneaded, and rubbed."

"Choy claimed amazing results: ALL the subjects regrew 90% of their hair.Dormant hair follicles came back to life. The first new hair growth was observed around month five of the massage therapy."

Would love to know peoples thoughts on this theory as well as the study. I've read through it and I can find any issues with it but someone else might. Also I know of no other study with regards to hair loss and scalp massage.

Recap
  1. Is aspirin good for hair REGROWTH? Does it matter that it reduces PGE2?
  2. How do TOPICAL Caffeine and Niacinamide help for hair growth?
  3. What are your thoughts on Scalp Massage for hair growth?
  4. Do you think Henry Choy's paper is valid?
  5. Do you think Henry Choy's explanation for hair loss is accurate.
 

m_arch

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I read the study a few months ago. It seemed legit, the skin on top of my head indeed felt different to on the sides and back.

However on my temples (bald areas that used to have hair) the skin is thin.

Another member mentioned putting vit e as emu oil on this area

I think I will add caffeine, niacinamide and aspirin and taurine to emu oil and see what happens.
 
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tca300

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Do you guys think brushing with sufficient pressure would mimic a massage?
 

Pointless

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Emu oil never helped me. It made me break out because it would run down my face, too. But everyone's different.
 

mujuro

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I have got regrowth of previously receded areas. This is after a year on quetiapine, lithium, and escitalopram to reign in my bipolar. Over the last 2 months all scalp itch and irritation has disappeared and my hair feels thick and healthy. Beginning about 2 months ago I got serious and established a consistent routine for diet and supplementation. I currently eat mostly potato for CHO, beef, milk, coffee, coke, ice cream and olives. Daily, I get 1g-2g niacinamide, B complex, 1mg MB, 300mg aspirin, 20-30g EAAs, 5g glycine, 1g taurine (any more and I get very sulfurous stools).

For me the niacinamide was a game changer. My libido shot up, my scalp itch disappeared.
 

m_arch

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I have got regrowth of previously receded areas. This is after a year on quetiapine, lithium, and escitalopram to reign in my bipolar. Over the last 2 months all scalp itch and irritation has disappeared and my hair feels thick and healthy. Beginning about 2 months ago I got serious and established a consistent routine for diet and supplementation. I currently eat mostly potato for CHO, beef, milk, coffee, coke, ice cream and olives. Daily, I get 1g-2g niacinamide, B complex, 1mg MB, 300mg aspirin, 20-30g EAAs, 5g glycine, 1g taurine (any more and I get very sulfurous stools).

For me the niacinamide was a game changer. My libido shot up, my scalp itch disappeared.
Awesome!
 

Miggie

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I have been trying a lot of stuff to get regrowth for my temples. I never had hair there even as a little boy. all the things i did gave minimal regrowth except for the derma rolling. I bought 2 rollers one 1.5mm and 0.5mm. I use the 1.5mm once a week and let someone else do the rolling to make it bleed real bad. Then I use the 0.5mm in the shower by myself because it doesn't hurt that bad so i can apply more pressure. Whenever I roll i make sure i pinch the skin there as well to make more blood come out. I have been doing this for 2.5 weeks now and i am seeing al kind of new hairs, even dark ones. You read a lot of posts on the internet and people who claim it doesn't work that well but these are the people that have a shitty diet.
 
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Soren

Soren

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I read the study a few months ago. It seemed legit, the skin on top of my head indeed felt different to on the sides and back.

However on my temples (bald areas that used to have hair) the skin is thin.

Another member mentioned putting vit e as emu oil on this area

I think I will add caffeine, niacinamide and aspirin and taurine to emu oil and see what happens.

If your going to add those things I would look into using Sol-Ban. Its a liquid spray that Haidut makes and its ingredients are Caffeine, niacinamide and aspirin, I just started using it myself.
 
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Soren

Soren

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Do you guys think brushing with sufficient pressure would mimic a massage?

I don't think brushing is sufficient. This study involved a pretty deep tissue massage, and JD Moyer (the person who wrote the blog post) said that he massaged to the point where his scalp was sore. I think also that the deep massaging serves to help break up scalp build up in a way that brushing does not. Brushing may remove build up on the surface of the scalp but it is the deep pinching and pressing that is required to remodel the scalp for hair growth (according to the theory anyway).
 
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Soren

Soren

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FYI. I have been using a machine for my scalp massage for 5-10 minutes twice per day.

Also is anyone aware of massaging reducing stress hormones locally? Perhaps one of the reasons the scalp massage technique works would be that it helps to locally reduce things like Prostaglandins.
 

CoolTweetPete

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I am in the same boat, @Soren

Eating with a better understanding of bioenergetics has helped the quality of my hair but the spots that had already lost hair have given me trouble. I also use an LLLT device, but have been using it far less time (<a year). What kind of device are you using? Sometimes, there is an issue with a device having insufficient power to be effective.

Someone posted the study you referenced here about 6 months ago, so I've been doing scalp massages on days off from LLLT treatment, and I honestly think it might be the most effective thing I do. I was losing my hair in the typical horseshoe shape, but I had not lost any hair at the crown until about a year ago. That hair returned within a month of adding scalp massages to my LLLT.

There was a "rule of thumb" I saw on a hairloss specific forum. One of the more respected posters on there mentioned that regrowth appears to be very difficult after 30 months of beginning to lose the hair. Could be related to calcification and I think massage might be the only way around this if that's the case.

I think patience is key here. Many of us have done half a lifetime or more of damage to our bodies that has resulted in hair loss. We have taken control of the wheel, but it may take several years before we see any significant course correction.
 

snowboard111

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Did any of you tried to apply methylene blue topically to see how hypoxic some part of your scalp might be???

It would be a good way to have a tangible insight rather than just guessing...

I would be rather skeptic of time frame in which the body can do something or not (regrowing hair)...Ray said that he grew 2 inch (I think) when he was in his 40s. Say that to anybody and most of them would start laughing at you.
 
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DaveFoster

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I am in the same boat, @SorenI think patience is key here. Many of us have done half a lifetime or more of damage to our bodies that has resulted in hair loss. We have taken control of the wheel, but it may take several years before we see any significant course correction.
I think you're right. Momentum works both ways. When you're sick, it takes time to recover. But when your body is optimal, it's amazing what one can withstand. Aging is still a thing, unfortunately.
 

CoolTweetPete

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Did any of you tried to apply methylene blue topically to see how hypoxic some part of your scalp might be???

It would be a good way to have a tangible insight rather than just guessing

I tried it. Didn't notice any benefit. Head was blue for a while. :lol:

SuchSaturation said he experienced more shedding with topical MB.
 

snowboard111

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The point of trying MB on the scalp is not to regrow hair but to see how hypoxic your scalp tissue might be...
If MB stay on the scalp (or any tissue) for a long time it mean the less hypoxic your tissue are and if it disappear quick it mean the tissue are oxygen deprived (Haidut talk about it in the Nitric Oxide podcast)
 

Orion

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I have done the full 10 months, 20mins in morning and 20mins in evening scalp massage. No change to shedding amounts, regrowth, or slowing shedding for me. Hair continues to shed.

My metabolism is not in the best spot, so that could be a factor. But also you would think by now there would be posts all over the internet with good photos documenting this approach as working, it could help but 90% regrowth, not so sure about that.
 
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Soren

Soren

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I am in the same boat, @Soren

Eating with a better understanding of bioenergetics has helped the quality of my hair but the spots that had already lost hair have given me trouble. I also use an LLLT device, but have been using it far less time (<a year). What kind of device are you using? Sometimes, there is an issue with a device having insufficient power to be effective.

Someone posted the study you referenced here about 6 months ago, so I've been doing scalp massages on days off from LLLT treatment, and I honestly think it might be the most effective thing I do. I was losing my hair in the typical horseshoe shape, but I had not lost any hair at the crown until about a year ago. That hair returned within a month of adding scalp massages to my LLLT.

There was a "rule of thumb" I saw on a hairloss specific forum. One of the more respected posters on there mentioned that regrowth appears to be very difficult after 30 months of beginning to lose the hair. Could be related to calcification and I think massage might be the only way around this if that's the case.

I think patience is key here. Many of us have done half a lifetime or more of damage to our bodies that has resulted in hair loss. We have taken control of the wheel, but it may take several years before we see any significant course correction.

I've been using Overmachogrande's laser helmet for about a year and a half and a handheld device for when travelling. Before that I was using devices that were woefully underpowered and did not have a proper treatment regime. The helmet and the handheld device I have are on paper sufficiently powered. The handheld device I use is very high powered and comes from Elixa.com, it has 32 high powered LED's with a fan for cooling. Here is the link to the product. I recently purchased the red light device from red light man for more general red light application and have been thinking about using that for my hair to see if that gives me a better result. Out of the three devices I own the one that is actually lowest in power output is the helmet from OMG, it is still very high powered when compared to 99% of devices out there but the device from Elixa requires only 1-5 minutes of use (depending on the energy level you want to reach). Also the helmet is the only one that uses lasers. There is some argument that non-laser light might be better because laser light overrides the cells natural feedback loop that stops it from taking in more energy then it needs, the laser light in the helmet will not damage the hair but too much light will just negate the regrowth benefits. Apologies for this simplistic description, what I have just stated is not meant to specifically describe the biomechanical process that takes place due to overexposure of laser sourced red light, it is just the best way I know how to describe what is occurring without getting very technical.

Thats great to hear that the scalp massages have worked so well for you! I've been doing them for about a month and I definitely feel an improvement in my scalp, but I have yet to see any major regrowth. What technique have you been using? I have been using a machine.

I think that your right about it being more difficult as more time passes and that it is down to a number of factors including calcification. I think that one of the factors is that build up of the scalp also means there are a number of hair growth inhibiting hormones such as PGD2 that are in the scalp and do not want to be removed.

If you don't mind could you tell me what your hair loss and hair regrowth journey was in a bit more detail. I'm always interested to hear other peoples experiences to cross reference them with my own and others. It helps for one to determine whether or not they are on the right track.

Patience absolutely key, I did years of damage to my body through low carb, too much exercise, fasting and a "healthy" diet high in PUFA and gunk. It's been a long progress improving it. Everyone wants quick fixes and 30 day results but that simply is not possible for long term health in my opinion.
 
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Soren

Soren

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Did any of you tried to apply methylene blue topically to see how hypoxic some part of your scalp might be???

It would be a good way to have a tangible insight rather than just guessing...

I would be rather skeptic of time frame in which the body can do something or not (regrowing hair)...Ray said that he grew 2 inch (I think) when he was in his 40s. Say that to anybody and most of them would start laughing at you.

I think some people on this forum have tried MB on the scalp and they said they did not see any results. Others might have though and I might have missed it.

Just saw your previous answer about how MB to test for hypoxia not for hair regrowth. That is interesting because there is some research and a few products that claim hypoxia is good for hair growth. I think mild hypoxia of the scalp might cause some hair growth short term but long term cause hair loss.
 

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