Hypothesis of Hair Loss from Micro Metabolic Dysfunction and Nutritional Management without Finasteride

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Hair loss has polygenic inheritance and is influenced by lifestyle, environmental, nutritional, gut, epigenetic, and stress factors. Metabolic studies have shown that these factors also cause early senescence, micro metabolic dysfunction, and overexpression of the androgen receptor, and trigger androgen mediated pathways leading to androgenetic alopecia (AGA) despite normal androgens.

Material & Methods: We conducted a study on hair loss in men and women, enrolling 50 patients in both the study group and the control group. In the study, we compared the effectiveness of the standard treatments of 5% minoxidil and finasteride 1mg in men, and 5% minoxidil in women, against a combination of minoxidil 5% and a supplement regimen containing antioxidants, curcumin, quercetin, amino acids, iron, calcium, omega 3, vitamins, and minerals. All patients underwent evaluations for serum ferritin, vitamin B12, vitamin D, free testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS); trichoscopy and global photography were also performed.

Results: We found serum ferritin was low in 42% of patients, vitamin D was low in 70%, and vitamin B12 was low in 36%. At 4 months, the male and female control groups had an improvement of 7-8% in density and 9-10% in caliber, while the male and female study groups had an improvement of 21-24% in density and 29-32% in caliber.

Conclusion: Improvement in hair growth was achieved without finasteride. Antiandrogens cannot address the etiopathology of metabolic dysfunction and senescence. Nutrients can potentially counter reactive oxygen species (ROS), prevent androgen overexpression, repair DNA damage, correct metabolic dysfunction, support active cell division, and achieve hair regrowth.