The Fallacy Of Blood Flow As A Non Factor In Balding.... And What To Do About it...

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15149507

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Alopecia areata (AA) is a relatively common inflammatory form of nonscarring hair loss of unknown pathogenesis, but possibly of autoimmune origin. Topical immunotherapy, using a potent contact allergen such as diphencyprone (DPC), is currently considered the most effective mode of treatment. However, the way in which DPC operates on hair follicles in AA still remains to be elucidated. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), essential for angiogenesis and vascular permeability, may be responsible for maintaining proper vasculature around hair follicles, and several studies provide evidence that apoptosis is a central element in the regulation of hair follicle and vascular regression. The cutaneous lymphocyte-associated antigen (CLA) and the skin-associated chemokine CCL27 highlight an important role for epithelial cells in controlling homeostatic lymphocyte trafficking.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the expression pattern of VEGF, factor (F)VIII, survivin, p16, CD4, CD8, CLA and CCL27 in alopecic skin before and after treatment with DPC. Methods Immunohistochemical staining methods were applied to skin biopsy specimens obtained from alopecic areas of 14 patients before and after DPC treatment and from five healthy subjects. Sections were incubated with monoclonal antibodies against VEGF, FVIII, survivin, p16, CCL27, CLA, CD4 and CD8, and their immunohistochemical expression was evaluated by light microscopy.

RESULTS: The intensity of VEGF staining in alopecic human hair follicles was significantly lower than in healthy scalp tissue. FVIII immunostaining showed a significantly reduced development of the microvasculature in AA in comparison with healthy scalp tissue. After DPC therapy, cells of alopecic hair follicles showed a significant increase of VEGF immunopositivity, and the number of capillary vessels expressing FVIII was markedly increased in comparison with untreated scalp tissue. The increase in microvessels was associated with strong survivin expression in endothelial cells after treatment. All alopecic specimens showed expression of p16 in the hair follicle outer root sheath (ORS), with a significant increase after therapy. After treatment we observed a significantly decreased number of CD4+ cells and an increase of CD8+ cells (CD4/CD8 ratio 0.85) in alopecic skin compared with untreated scalp tissue (CD4/CD8 ratio 3.45). Most of the T lymphocytes found in inflammatory skin lesions expressed CLA antigen and after therapy we observed a significantly higher CLA positivity in hair follicles (50% or more) in comparison with untreated alopecic scalp tissue. Alopecic patients showed a CCL27 immunopositivity significantly lower than in normal scalp tissue. After DPC therapy the labelling intensity for CCL27 showed a significant increase both in the ORS and in the inner root sheath; similarly, in the basal interfollicular keratinocytes we observed a moderate increase in CCL27 expression.

CONCLUSIONS: Topical immunotherapy exerts an important role in angiogenesis, upregulating VEGF in human hair follicle keratinocytes and upregulating survivin to preserve endothelial cell viability. Moreover, it considerably alters the peribulbar CD4/CD8 ratio, restoring a condition close to normal scalp skin. Our study could contribute to explaining some aspects of AA pathogenesis that are still unknown and aid understanding of how DPC could act in this complex disease.

I have deer antler velvet extract in a spray that i may try misting on my scalp with some emu oil. I already mist it in my mouth and am currently taking some AOR igf as well. Added to the towel rubbing, brushing, headstands; this could be a promising and exciting experiment.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC199257/
-Study

http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-98223.html
-Excellent info so far, haven't read it all yet.

As far as massaging and hypoxia, you ever noticed how when you press on your nail beds they go from red, to white, like if you were checking capillary refill time? Youre basically pushing the blood out of those cap. beds and then the blood rushes back. Im sure massaging any other part of body has the same effect to a certain degree. Cap refill time of <2secs is considered abnormal in EMS, its possibly a sign of a circulatory problem....

gbp2000 wrote:

Balthier wrote:I will quote the book pg 24 it seems like headstands should be avoided handstands if you want to

Should you stand on your head? No, because that posture does not increase blood flow to the top of
your skull where you need it most; on the contrary, it constricts the capillaries and decreases the
blood flow there.

Assuming you want to go with the Margo method - yes, by all means avoid them. However, as I'm sure you read - temporary hypoxia is caused by massage - the same as a headstand. I'm not advocating people differ from the method - I believe it works - but I think its quite possible Margo didn't understand the underlying method of why this works.

As I posted previously, I've been doing the headstand for much of my life now and I can attest to the benefits for hair.

Delphine, FYI, got my scritcher. LOVE IT! It feels really good on the scalp. I think I will order some more horn combs for combing, as well. They are very nice. I think you'll like them.

FWIW, I also like the products. I hate that the ingredients aren't listed but my hair seems to like them. There's a nice leave-in conditioner which I think I will grow particularly fond of. Overall my hair's got good body, no fly-away.

Thanks for letting me know, I'll go for one of those scritchers and a couple of horn combs! What's the leave-in conditioner called? Sounds good.

" #11 Longhairs® Magic Spray Leave-On Conditioner "

http://www.hairgasm.com/products.php?cat=134&prod=86

Take a gander around the whole site. It's old-school HTML style, not very slick and kinda confusing, but IMO worth figuring out. My hair seems to like their products, which hasn't happened in a while.

OK, thanks!

Bump for some very good information

probably the best post I've ever red on this forum!

Hmmm, took another quick read over the beginning of this thread. I have TMJ, nose bleeds have started everyday for the last 3-4 weeks (since i started brushing/massaging my scalp), diffusion of the entire upper scalp, veins up the side of my temples bulge considerably after brushing/massaging. Seems like there is some definite blockage/plaque somewhere in the interior carotid artery. Maybe the plaque has moved since the massaging, explaining the sudden onset of nose bleeds.

B2/B3 and salt/potassium could play a huge role here as well.

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=7&threadid=81825

^

My dad has congestive heart failure and is on some blood thinning medications as well as CoQ10. While there was no miracle regrowth, the quality of his hair has seemed to improve and I see more fuzz on his norwood5/6 head lol

Circulation seems like one of the most promising lines of attack in baldness.

To those who use boar bristle brushing. Is there a preferred method of brushing?

elan164 wrote:Hmmm, took another quick read over the beginning of this thread. I have TMJ, nose bleeds have started everyday for the last 3-4 weeks (since i started brushing/massaging my scalp), diffusion of the entire upper scalp, veins up the side of my temples bulge considerably after brushing/massaging. Seems like there is some definite blockage/plaque somewhere in the interior carotid artery. Maybe the plaque has moved since the massaging, explaining the sudden onset of nose bleeds.

B2/B3 and salt/potassium could play a huge role here as well.

You could take alfalfa tablets for the nose bleeds. It has vitamin K which encourages clotting. Has many other benefits as well, including for hair.

High dose vitamin C is also indicated.

LawOfThelema wrote:^

My dad has congestive heart failure and is on some blood thinning medications as well as CoQ10. While there was no miracle regrowth, the quality of his hair has seemed to improve and I see more fuzz on his norwood5/6 head lol

Circulation seems like one of the most promising lines of attack in baldness.

To those who use boar bristle brushing. Is there a preferred method of brushing?

I bend from the waist and give it 100 strokes, following each stroke with my other hand, to keep down static electricity. This works well for all lengths of hair, and does a lot to increase
circulation to scalp. I think it's better for straight and/or wavy hair though. Curly-haired folks are better off just with scalp massage, inversions etc.

cool. my hair is pretty straight, so thats good.

Delphine wrote:

elan164 wrote:Hmmm, took another quick read over the beginning of this thread. I have TMJ, nose bleeds have started everyday for the last 3-4 weeks (since i started brushing/massaging my scalp), diffusion of the entire upper scalp, veins up the side of my temples bulge considerably after brushing/massaging. Seems like there is some definite blockage/plaque somewhere in the interior carotid artery. Maybe the plaque has moved since the massaging, explaining the sudden onset of nose bleeds.

B2/B3 and salt/potassium could play a huge role here as well.

You could take alfalfa tablets for the nose bleeds. It has vitamin K which encourages clotting. Has many other benefits as well, including for hair.

High dose vitamin C is also indicated.

Thanks i already do take vitamin k2 in dropper form as well as ascorbic acid (vit c) anywhere from 5-15 grams

elan164 wrote:

Delphine wrote:

elan164 wrote:Hmmm, took another quick read over the beginning of this thread. I have TMJ, nose bleeds have started everyday for the last 3-4 weeks (since i started brushing/massaging my scalp), diffusion of the entire upper scalp, veins up the side of my temples bulge considerably after brushing/massaging. Seems like there is some definite blockage/plaque somewhere in the interior carotid artery. Maybe the plaque has moved since the massaging, explaining the sudden onset of nose bleeds.

B2/B3 and salt/potassium could play a huge role here as well.

You could take alfalfa tablets for the nose bleeds. It has vitamin K which encourages clotting. Has many other benefits as well, including for hair.

High dose vitamin C is also indicated.

Thanks i already do take vitamin k2 in dropper form as well as ascorbic acid (vit c) anywhere from 5-15 grams

OK, maybe the bleeding is a passing thing. I still think the alfalfa would be good though.

hi...
in the first pages of this thread were a few references in sea salt and chlorophyll...
So, does anyone use any of this?
Any benefits?

ok, i found the following

The Two Types of Chlorophyll

http://www.webnat.com/articles/ChlrophyllLiqvsGel.asp

Which type looks better for the hair?

gbp2000 made perfect sense. connected the dots brilliantly.
i'd like to add to it:

the hypodermis (subcutaneous layer) lies beneath the dermis. loose connective tissue such as adipose tissue (fat) insulates the body, conserving heat. It also contains blood vessels, lymph vessels, and the bases of hair follicles and sweat glands.
http://owh.adam.com/pages/guide/reftext/html/skin_sys_fin.html

now, the yale study tells us that adipose tissues deplete as we go bald, is it safe to say that this is exactly how our blood flow is compromised? as adipose tissue contains blood vessels, and the bases of hair follicles?
please correct me if i'm wrong..

restoration of capillary network is essentially linked to healthy adipose tissue, right?

the rebuttal to this position is that why do transplanted hairs, aside from the loss due to shock to the body, often remain indefinitely even in areas that were once bald. there is poor adipose tissue and poor circulation in those areas. why does the transplanted hair survive? to those who raise this point it shows that the loss is more about the conditions at the follicle itself (androgen receptors) than circulation or anything else. i do think circulation is an issue and that improving and maintaining circulation would be beneficial for us and our hair, but i dont know how to respond to the point raised by the hair transplantation.

Hair Transplants do not always stay intact.

LawOfThelema wrote:the rebuttal to this position is that why do transplanted hairs, aside from the loss due to shock to the body, often remain indefinitely even in areas that were once bald. there is poor adipose tissue and poor circulation in those areas. why does the transplanted hair survive? to those who raise this point it shows that the loss is more about the conditions at the follicle itself (androgen receptors) than circulation or anything else. i do think circulation is an issue and that improving and maintaining circulation would be beneficial for us and our hair, but i dont know how to respond to the point raised by the hair transplantation.

your question, why does transplanted hair survive?

Transplanted follicles are avascular (i.e., without blood vessels) and must successfully stimulate angiogenesis (new blood vessel generation, or vascularization) if they are to survive. The following reference confirms this:

transplanted hair follicles are avascular immediately after transplantation.
And:
It has been demonstrated that the hair follicle provides its own angiogenic stimulus.
Source: http://www.fitologica.it/doc/articolo_forum_07-08-2007.pdf

So, to fully answer your questions:

1. Follicles transplanted from the occipital region can successfully stimulate angiogenesis because:

i. They are healthy and active, vigorously producing hair.

ii. They are normal sized, not miniaturized. This means that, when inserted, they should be slightly closer to the microcirculation beneath the follicle than are the remaining (miniaturized) follicles in the MPB region.

iii. They have a small protective layer of brown adipose tissue (BAT) which probably assists in angiogenesis.

This last statement is supported by extracts from the following web pages:

This first page states that FUE transplants:
often lack the protective dermis and fat of microscopically dissected grafts. This may result in poor growth.
Source: http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/hair-transplant/follicular-unit-extraction/

The following page shows and states that: donor hair follicles extend deep into the fatty tissue
Source: http://www.keratin.com/aw/aw013.shtml

This next page links fat cells to the occipital region and states that fat cells are likely to assist in hair growth:

The roots of actively growing hairs are embedded in a layer of fat cells (adipocytes).
And:
inventors noted that, while balding areas of the scalp are generally depleted of fat tissue, the occipital area of the scalp (in which balding seldom occurs) contains a thick layer of fat tissue. They considered it likely that fat cells produce a growth factor that is essential for hair growth. They are attempting to use hair follicle with adipose tissue to be implanted to the balding area.

- They have a small protective layer of brown adipose tissue (BAT) which probably assists in angiogenesis.
- The roots of actively growing hairs are embedded in a layer of fat cells (adipocytes).
- Inventors noted that, while balding areas of the scalp are generally depleted of fat tissue, the occipital area of the scalp (in which balding seldom occurs) contains a thick layer of fat tissue. They considered it likely that fat cells produce a growth factor that is essential for hair growth. They are attempting to use hair follicle with adipose tissue to be implanted to the balding area.

- Follicles transplanted from the MPB region to some other part of the body cannot provide adequate angiogenic stimulus and re-establish vascularization. This is because:
i. They are weaker and less active than follicles from the occipital region.
ii. They are miniaturized and so will be further away from the microcirculation when inserted.
iii. They do not carry any supportive adipose tissue (BAT).

http://www.regrowth.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=83976&start=60

So it's not that the transplanted follicles don't for their entirety have adequate circulation and supporting adipose tissue but that the follicles themselves are causing a rejuvinination in this locally to support the follicle itself? Am I grasping this correctly?