Micro-inflammation

Is there a way to find out (without getting a scalp biopsy) if micro-inflammation is affecting my hair follicles? Are there any visible symptoms of micro-inflammation? I'd like to know this so that I can decide on whether or not I should add nizoral to my regimen.

mphatesmpb - Ketoconazole is not going to counteract the cause of micro-inflammation. It is an anti-fungal

A topical rinse I had used in the past is superior to ketoconazole and it too is anti-fungal, but still does not counter act micro-inflammation.

For micro-inflammation, supplements such Curcumin/Resveratrol, Eckonia Cava and possibly a good probiotic (topically or internally) are needed.

Or, the source of neurotoxins can be identified or diet culprits, heavy metals, etc.

CS,

From AndrogeneticAlopecia.com:

"On the basis of this localization and the microbial colonization of the follicular infundibulum with Propionibacterium sp., Staphylococcus sp., Malassezia sp., or other members of the transient flora, some researchers speculate that that microbial toxins or antigens could be involved in the generation of the inflammatory response. The production of porphyrins (any of various organic compounds containing four pyrrole rings, occurring universally in protoplasm, and functioning as a metal-binding cofactor in hemoglobin) by Propionibacterium sp. in the pilosebaceous duct of 58 percent of androgenetic alopecia patients (compared with 12 percent of control subjects) has also been considered to be a possible cofactor of this initial pro-inflammatory stress."

The link to the containing article is http://www.androgeneticalopecia.com/hair-loss-biology/hair-loss-inflammation-baldness.shtml.

-->Wouldn't an anti-fungal agent be effective against a microbial infiltrate? If Nizoral doesn't combat the micro-inflammation characteristic of AGA, then what is its mechanism of action?

Do you know what is the cause of micro-inflammation in AGA? I don't think there is a certain answer to this question yet. Given that we don't know the cause, how can you be so sure that ketoconazole will not counter-act the effects of the micro-inflammation, or that it will not directly counter-act the micro-inflammation by killing of the microbial infiltrates?



Another thought: the role of antioxidants like vitamin E in the scalp. I've come across two convincing studies about the positive effect of tocotrienol supplementation on hair loss. Tocotrienols are effective at reducing oxidative stress by reducing lipid peroxidation (the process by which free radicals steal electrons from the lipids composing cell membranes, resulting in cell dysfunction and apoptosis).

I'm pretty sure that lipid peroxidation is also an initiating factor in inflammation. And when inflammation targets the bulge of the hair follicle, we know the rest of the story.

I wonder why more people in the AGA community aren't talking about tocotrienols. I've been taking the Swanson full vitamin E spectrum for a couple of weeks now, and I'm hoping for the best.

How can you be so sure that Ecklonia Cava extract is safe for human use? There have been hardly any studies involving its effects in humans. Also, considering that it has not been around for very long, there definitely haven't been studies on its long-term effects.

Can you point me in the direction of some studies which explain the positive effect of the resveratrol/curcumin combination on AGA? I already know about the one on hairloss-research.com, and I found it unconvincing.

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