Tag Archive for: Diet

Can You Block DHT Naturally Without Medication?

“No way,” was my initial reaction when my dermatologist first recommended oral Finasteride for my rapidly receding hairline.  My mind was made up, and I was absolutely not taking prescription medication for my hair loss.  I was too afraid of the potential side effects I’d heard about.  Bald certainly was better than impotent, although neither seemed like a great option. True, the number of men who experience sexual dysfunction from Finasteride is minuscule.  With my luck, though, I would be one of the three men out of a million affected.

So, I started checking out natural DHT blockers.  Natural is a better way to go, right?  Here’s what I discovered.  Yes, some natural DHT blockers are showing promise and are worth a test drive.  Are they strong enough to stop your hair loss and regrow your hair?  After many nights of research and weighing the pros and cons, I ended up going the prescription route after all. That doesn’t mean that you won’t come to a different conclusion.   Here’s a guide to help you decide whether natural DHT blockers are the right choice for you.  

Do Natural DHT Blockers Work Differently Than Finasteride, Dutasteride, and Other Prescription Hair Loss Medications?

Is there a difference between how natural supplements and prescription DHT blockers work?  Yes and no.  Functionally, both natural and prescription DHT blockers do the same thing.  They prevent testosterone from converting into Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) that attacks and shrinks your hair follicles.  When your hair follicles are miniaturized, it’s difficult for healthy new hair to grow, and existing hair falls out.  So functionally, both natural and prescription blockers do the same thing.  The main difference is the way they block the DHT and their strength.  

What Enzymes are Being Inhibited?

One milligram per day of Finasteride selectively inhibits the Type 2 isoenzyme that converts testosterone to DHT.  Half a milligram of Dutasteride inhibits both Type 1 and Type 2.  Yes, Dutasteride is considered a stronger medication because it’s a broader spectrum drug.  How do natural remedies compare?  The jury is out.  Not enough research has been conducted to fully understand which enzymes natural DHT blockers inhibit or the amount needed to do the job.  That said, let’s discuss what we do know.  

Some Supplements Effectively Block DHT

Even though more research is needed, preliminary studies indicate that certain supplements show the potential to stop hair loss and promote new growth. Here are some to watch:

Pumpkin Seed Oil

According to a study conducted on 76 men with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness), pumpkin seed oil increased participants’ mean hair count by 40 percent compared to 10 percent of men who used the placebo.  Most participants did not experience any adverse effects from the pumpkin seed oil. (01)  Before you rush out and buy pumpkin seed oil, consider this.  The study was the first of its kind and the sample size was small.  The study also did not determine how pumpkin seed oil works.  Neither DHT nor prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were tracked.  

Rosemary Oil

Rosemary oil was put to the test in 2015 during a small research study of 50 men.  When compared to two percent Minoxidil, rosemary oil had a surprising result.  It was found to be equally as effective. (02)  Here’s the catch, though.  Five percent Minoxidil is stronger than two percent and more effective. (03)  Is there a dosage of rosemary oil strong enough to regrow your hair?  The jury is out.  More research is needed.      

Saw Palmetto

Saw Palmetto is a palm-like tree with berries.  Extracts are known to have medicinal purposes, and there’s evidence that saw palmetto stimulates hair growth.  Thirty-eight percent of men in one research study saw increased growth after using saw palmetto every day for two years.  Sounds promising, right?  It is.  That’s why we added saw palmetto to our supplements, shampoo, and conditioner.  

While saw palmetto is a good complementary treatment to prescription hair loss medications, we don’t recommend it as a stand-alone treatment for androgenetic alopecia.  In the same study, more men who used Finasteride experienced hair growth than men who used saw palmentto.  The study also indicated Finasteride was more effective for men with more advanced hair loss. (04)   

Green Tea

Green tea contains a plant compound called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) that is believed to act as a DHT blocker and prevent hair loss due to male and female pattern baldness.  A study on mice indicated that 33 percent of the mice who drank extracted polyphenol from dehydrated green tea had significant hair growth compared to mice who drank plain water. (05)  Another study conducted in vivo and in vitro on humans substantiated the findings. (06)  Before you stock up, though, keep in mind that further research is needed.  We still don’t know exactly how much green tea is required to stimulate growth in humans or how green tea compares to other hair loss medications.  

Lifestyle Enhancements Can Help With Hair Loss

Sure, you know that eating a lot of junk food, drinking too much, and smoking are bad for you.  But, did you know that certain lifestyle changes can help you fight genetics?  Here are a few:

Scalp Massage

Research has indicated that just four minutes of scalp massage that stretches your skin to open the hair follicles can increase your hair thickness. (07)  Should you run out and get a scalp massager?  Maybe.  The study is promising, but it was only conducted on nine men.  A follow-up study indicates that scalp massage is more effective for frontal, temporal, or vertex thinning than diffuse thinning. (08)  More research is still needed.  

Exercise

Contrary to popular belief, exercise won’t make your hair fall out.  Although not proven, it may help promote hair growth and health by improving blood flow to your scalp.  

Diet

Certain foods aren’t likely to make your hair fall out, but nutrient deficiencies are another story.  Vitamin D and iron are the most common deficiencies that contribute to hair loss.  The good news is that the deficiencies are usually temporary.  Once supplements are taken, hair loss will be reversed.  Foods can help make your hair look thicker, healthier, and shinier.  If you’re concerned about hair loss, ensure you’re eating plenty of protein.  Protein is the primary building block contained in keratin that makes up your hair.  

Sleep

Little research has been conducted on the association between sleep and male and female pattern baldness.  One study did find that men with androgenetic alopecia tend to have more sleep disturbances than men who were not experiencing hair loss. (09)  Neither cause nor effect were established.  One explanation could be stress.  Chronic stress can push your hair into a resting phase and cause hair loss.  The solution?  A good eight hours of uninterrupted sleep.

Is There A Downside to Experimenting With Natural DHT Blockers?

If you’ve seen a Hamilton-Norwood scale, you know that male and female pattern hair loss progresses over time.  Early on, the hair follicles are still open, even though they may be starting to shrink.  It’s easier to regrow hair while those follicles are still viable.  If you use a natural DHT blocker that isn’t strong enough as a stand-alone treatment, the follicles could completely close, and you may lose the opportunity to maximize growth. 

What if you Need Something Stronger?

It’s understandable if you want to go the natural route to block DHT.  If going au natural isn’t right for you, though, there are options that will help you avoid the undesirable side effects that you may have heard about.  Topical treatments exist to treat male and female pattern baldness and have been proven to be as effective as oral pills. (10)  They avoid side effects because they are not metabolized systemically.  Here are the top contenders:

  • Topical Minoxidil 
    • Enlarges your hair follicles to allow for new, healthy growth
    • Sold over the counter in two and five-percent solutions
    • Available by prescription in higher dosages
  • Topical Finasteride
    • First-line DHT blocker 
    • Available to men and women who are not childbearing age
  • Topical Dutasteride
    • Broad-spectrum DHT blocker
    • Available to both men and women who are not childbearing age
  • Topical Spironolactone
    • DHT blocker 
    • Only prescribed to women

Another benefit of topicals is the ability to combine multiple treatments into one formula to give the highest opportunity for regrowth.  Minoxidil is often combined with DHT blockers to enlarge the hair follicles while preventing hormones that attack the hair follicles from converting.  

Want to try prescription topical medication?  Topicals can complement natural DHT blockers or work on their own.  New customers can get 50 percent off of their first order.  Visit us and learn how to get started.  

 

Resources:

(01) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4017725/

(02) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25842469/

(03) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12196747/

(04) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23298508/

(05) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2569505/

(06) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17092697/

(07) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4740347/

(08) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6380978/

(09) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35469370/

(10) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34634163/#:~:text=Conclusion%3A%20Topical%20finasteride%20significantly%20improves,impact%20on%20serum%20DHT%20concentrations.

 

Diet and Hair Loss: Is There a Relationship?

 

When you’re losing your hair, you’ll try just about anything to make it stop.  Shampoos, conditioners, essential oils, vitamins… they’re all fair game.  The easier and less invasive, the better.  So, it’s only natural that diet is a hot topic.  Diet is a manageable lifestyle change that could make a difference.  

But, if you’re like most people, you probably have more questions than answers when it comes to how diet and nutrition affect your hair.  According to a 2017 study conducted by the International Food Information Council (IFIC), there’s a lot of conflicting information, causing confusion about what to eat.  Determining whether specific foods will help or hurt your hair loss condition is even more challenging.  We hear it all the time from patients.  “Can alopecia be reversed by changing my diet?”  “Which diet will best reduce the inflammation on my scalp?”  “Do I have to go gluten, dairy, and sugar-free?”  

Before you resort to radical measures, keep reading.  We’ll help you separate truth from fiction and share firsthand information from our own Dr. Ben Behnam, board-certified dermatologist and co-owner of Happy Head hair loss solutions.  

Can Improving Your Diet Prevent Further Hair Loss and Stimulate Growth?

Does what you eat affect your hair?  That’s the question that most people want to be answered.  After all, why bother changing your diet if it won’t make a difference?  The answer is yes; nutrition may indeed affect your hair.  One study found that nutritional deficiencies can cause telogen effluvium, androgenetic alopecia, or alopecia areata. It also found that over-supplementation can lead to hair loss as well.  

The Wrong Diet Really Can Cause Scalp Inflammation

Nutritional deficiencies aren’t the only problem.  Scalp inflammation caused by an unhealthy diet is another issue.  A high fat, high-cholesterol diet has been found to stimulate the inflammatory process on the scalp.  A study conducted in 2018 found that mice who were fed a traditional western diet experienced skin discoloration, inflammation, and hair loss.  The mice’s hair turned black, gray, then white before falling out.  The diet, which induced inflammation, mimicked the aging process in humans and aged the mice’s hair by 36 weeks.  The hypothesis is that when what you eat generates an inflammatory response, it causes your hair to age prematurely.  

Which Diet Should You Choose to Prevent Hair Loss?

Now that we’ve established that the wrong diet is a recipe for disaster when it comes to your hair, which diet should you consider?  Keto, Autoimmune Protocol (AIP), Mediterranean… the list of possibilities seems endless.   The truth is that further research is needed on the use of diet in alopecia treatment.  One study indicates that the Mediterranean diet, which contains foods with anti-inflammatory properties, may stimulate hair growth and health among people with androgenetic alopecia.  Figuring out the differences between each diet gets tricky, though. In many cases, overlap exists in the philosophies behind the diets.  

A Protein-rich Diet Helps Build Keratin

Regardless of which diet you choose, it’s important to select a protein-rich diet filled with fresh, unprocessed foods.  Hair is primarily composed of keratin, a mixture of filament-forming proteins.  To make keratin, your body needs protein.  All protein is not created equal, though, according to Dr. Behnam.  “Select pasture-raised chickens, raised on a farm and not in a cage,” says Behnam.  “When chickens are trapped in a cage, their testosterone levels increase from the stress of being in the cage.  When you eat caged chicken, you get extra testosterone that can potentially convert to DHT leading to more hair loss.”

Vegetarians Often Lack Enough Protein in Their Diets

Dr. Behnam finds that his patients who are vegetarians tend to lack the protein and vitamins necessary for adequate hair growth.  We’ll talk a little more about vitamins later, so let’s focus on protein for now.  Some excellent sources of plant protein can compensate for animal protein.  Those sources include nuts and nut butter, lentils, beans, peas, leafy green vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, and brussel sprouts.  

Dr. Behnam is a big advocate of protein powder, not only for vegetarians, but for all of his patients.  It’s important to use the right type, though.  According to Behnam, “Two types of protein powder are on the market.  One is whey protein isolate. Whey protein isolate powder is easily found in retail stores in muscle milk, and other types of sports shakes.  It’s less expensive.  The only problem is that whey protein isolate increases the concentration of amino acids such as valine and isoleucine, which lead to higher testosterone production.  That extra testosterone has the potential to convert to DHT and cause hair loss.  The solution is to use whey protein concentrate.  Whey protein concentrate is harder to find, but it will boost your protein without increasing your testosterone or DHT levels.”  

Do You Have to Give Up Caffeine?

If you can’t seem to get moving in the morning without a cup of coffee, don’t despair.  “Caffeine doesn’t affect testosterone levels,” says Dr. Behnam.  “You can enjoy it without worrying.  I recommend that you stay away from energy drinks, soy milk, and anything high in MSG, though.”  

Nutritional Supplements

Vitamins and supplements aren’t a big deal to most people.  You don’t need a prescription to get them, so they’re safe, right?  Not so fast.  Vitamins and supplements aren’t always as innocuous as they seem.  There are a couple of things you need to know:

  1. The FDA does not regulate dietary supplements
  2. Over-supplementation of selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and other vitamins have been associated with hair loss

That said, Dr. Behnam usually tests his patients’ Vitamin D and iron levels because deficiencies are prevalent and are well-documented reasons for hair loss.  Vitamin D plays a crucial role in the hair growth cycle.   While the exact reason why iron deficiency causes hair loss is unknown, reversal of iron deficiency in mice led to a reversal of hair  loss.  

Here’s the inside scoop on other essential vitamins:

Biotin

There has been a lot of hype about biotin supplements, shampoos, conditioners, and more.  Truth be told, biotin deficiency is rare.  Clinical trials have not shown biotin to be effective in stimulating hair growth without a true deficiency.  

Zinc

Zinc deficiency can be either acquired or inherited.  It is common among vegetarians since vegetables contain less zinc than meat.   Zinc deficiency causes telogen effluvium and brittle hair.

Vitamin A

Vitamin A is the main ingredient in retinoids and retinoic acid.  It has been proven to work in conjunction with Minoxidil and Finasteride to increase absorption of the medications.  Vitamin A deficiency does not cause hair loss, although a connection between over-supplementation and hair loss has been found.  

Vitamin E

It’s not common for people to have vitamin E deficiencies.  More research needs to be conducted, but in one small study with 21 participants, people who received vitamin E supplements had an increase in hair count compared to people in the placebo group.  Too much vitamin E is too much of a good thing.  It can increase the risk of bleeding and decrease thyroid hormone production, resulting in hair loss.   

Balancing Your Diet Is A Process

Learning how to eat for healthy hair takes time.  Sometimes you don’t know if changing your eating habits or adding a particular vitamin will help until you try it.  If you’ve already been diagnosed with male or female pattern hair loss or some other type of alopecia, supplementing your diet with topical medications such as Minoxidil, Finasteride, Spironolactone, or Duasteride may be a good option for you.  Topical medications have been found to be as effective as oral medications without the bothersome side effects.  Even better, like your diet, our formulas can be customized to meet your specific needs.  For more information, contact us to determine whether you are a good candidate for Happy Head or one of our other prescription-grade hair loss solutions. 

Resources:

(01) https://foodinsight.org/survey-nutrition-information-abounds-but-many-doubt-food-choices/

(02) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

(03) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6065400/

(04) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7109385/

(05) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

(06) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

(07) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

(08) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5582478/#:~:text=Despite%20its%20popularity%20in%20the,multiple%20factors%2C%20including%20patient%20history.

(09) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

(10) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/

(11) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5315033/