The Effects of Androgens on Hair Growth

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The two major breaks on hair growth that we want to think about are PDE, which is a phosphodiesterase and TGF-beta-2. Young men have higher levels of testosterone than old men, right? Well, although some older men in their 40s, 50s, even 80s maintain testosterone levels similar to many men in their 20s but most don't. Women, too, have testosterone. In fact, women have higherlevels of testosterone than they do estrogen. A healthy woman has higher levels ofosterone than she does estrogen.

In this episode, I explain the biology of hair, hair growth, why hair growth slows and what causes hair to stop growing and/or “fall out.” I discuss the essential role of hair stem cells and other supporting biological factors for healthy hair growth. Then I describe various approaches (mechanical and chemical) to slow hair loss by increasing blood flow to hair stem cells, including minoxidil, tadalafil, PRP, microneedling, Botox and ketoconazole treatments. I also discuss how age-related hormone changes cause hair loss and explain the effectiveness of treatments such as caffeine, saw palmetto, growth hormone, finasteride and dutasteride. For all hair growth options, I describe potential side effects, how soon to expect results and the amount of hair regrowth to expect and I highlight effective combination treatments for hair regrowth even in hair “dead” (bald) zones. For many listeners, thinning, brittle hair, or pattern baldness are a source of anxiety and stress. This episode explains the mechanisms underlying hair regrowth tools and the science behind them so that you can evaluate potential treatments and associated side-effect profiles and select the best one(s) for you.

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