Are these the lines of attack? (put simply)

Insulin--> Diet
Estrogen--> Iodine?
Fibrotic(sp?) Build up--> ??
Scalp Laxity--> Scalp exercises
DHT --> Beta Sis, Saw Palmetto, FIN
Sebum --> ACV topical?, ??
Micro-Inflammation --> Diet, IH6

I really appreciate all the research and information put forward by CS and others. I believe it is leading to better changes for my all over health, both mental and physical.
Sometimes I get a bit lost in all the studies and threads and just wanted to try and make a simplified (although this is no simple disease) list of the various problems and solutions.
Can anyone fill in the ??

Cheers
Fritz

fritzenburg - I'll make this really easy, but with some explanation:



I should break this down to the lowest common denominator. Insulin excess causes all of the above to occur. More DHT, estrogen increase, testosterone decrease, fibrosis, micro-inflammation, and excess sebum.

What the IH-6 program targets primarily is optimal glucose/insulin regulation, and prevention of inflammation caused from various insults related to it.

On crucial area that should be mentioned is intestinal "ecology" or balance. Not only are anti-biotics incredibly detrimental for health, but are long term for the health of hair. This is because this increases yeast overgrowth, which can exacerbate the negative effects of diet.

There is also a large concern about grains, especially wheat. Anywhere there is genetically modified grain there is a concern also about the transgene that produces a pesticide. While pesticide sprayed grains are bad enough, the plants that actually produce the pesticides due to this transgene have some very disturbing animal studies. Irregardless the FDA "thinks" they are safe. I have casually observed and have read numerous reports that patients who have autoimmune diseases feel much better and sometimes improve dramatically when they leave off the grains.

On other disturbing element is that the pesticide producing grains (which make up some of the genetically modified varieties) can cause long-term disrupting to infestinal microflora long after first ingestion. This is apparently due to the bacteria in the guts being influenced to also produce pesticides. It's a frightening thought and to what extend this occurs in humans is unknown. Unfortunately, the researchers were ordered to stop continued exploration since they did not like the results. Sorry for the tangent.

I should further add that our genetic make up was developed long before the 6,000 year-old
agriculture technology. Simply stated, we are not designed to eat grains and unfortunately the processed variety are even worse for our hair. With all the marketing and advertising, not to mention government (food pyramid), most of us have been practically brainwashed to believe at least for a time that grains are "essential" for health.

While this has been mentioned before, two island peoples who were studied within the last century were found to have not a single case of acne. The reason, they eat no refined carbohydrates of any kind.

Excellent reply CS, tangent included.

Well, I will keep on keepin' on with IH6 + Diet + iodine (sounds like this is good for everything)

Thank You.

ok saying refined carbohydrate is removed, once the hairloss has started is it not like a chain reaction, and continues anyway

hoping4hair - Good question. Unfortunately, refined carbohydrate consumption is only one of many factors in hair loss.

One avenue that is hair related is heart disease. Before 1920, heart disease was very rare. Everyone before 1920 ate plentiful amounts of real butter, eggs, bacon and real cheese.

After 1920 came the emergence of vegetable oils, which at the time were "high-tech" and new. They were super cheap and the public didn't know any better. They provided longer shelf-life and stability. Of course we know today that such oils are harmful--well not everyone knows this. Most people still think canola oil is healthy or than using vegetable oil is heart "healthy." These oils cannot be heated without generating untold numbers of free-radicals. Worse, they increase DHT.

Animals that we eat no longer eat their native food on a commercial scale, so they eat junk and so do we. Cows are supposed to eat grass, but we feed them grain which shortens their life and makes them fatter. It also makes them very high in omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid ratios. Good for profits, bad for our health.

Animals are lower in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than they are supposed to be and what a marvelous anti-inflammatory this is. So we need to supplement with extra fatty acids or increase our grass-fed consumption if possible. I take krill oil as it is very effective in getting the prostaglandins necessary to promote balance away from Omega-6 dominance.

So besides avoiding refined carbohydrates for some, and all carbohydrates for others (depends on your metabolic type, i.e, protein, mixed or carb), using real oils instead is important, such as butter, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and lard (yes lard).

On that note, only the saturated fats (not the olive oil, it is a monosaturated omega-9)
lower Lp(a), that pernicious heart disease risk marker.

What else? Heavy metals, especially lead, mercury and iron.

Drug use (prescription and certainly others).

Anti-biotics (they destroy good bacterial life, vital to healthy steroid expression).

Hormone balance. What affects this? All of the above, including liver health, thyroid, mineral balance and much more.

Stress (neuropeptides)

Minerals in our food are solely lacking. Magnesium, Selenium, iodine, salt (real salt) are lacking in today's diet.

Vitamin D regulates over 2,000 genes and is a marvelous anti-inflammatory. If you're not getting enough sun from a location that is generating enough UVB, then 5,000 IU per day will help.

Mitochondrial defects. Most of the above contribute to this as well as what our parents ate and perhaps their parents ate. This is a recipe for increasing free radicals and even with a good diet, such a defect that is most likely very common in us. Studies show that in MPB our endogenous antioxidant reserves are lower than non-MPB.
So while a good diet helps, it is not enough for most of us.

That is the reason a powerful antioxidant routine is necessary.