The Truth About Baldness

A deep dive into the underlying causes of hair loss and the reasons why young men are balding earlier than ever nowadays, debunking the prevailing dogma

Based on the Metabolic Theory of Health — not the scapegoat, Dihydrotestosterone (DHT)

THREAD ⬇
If you ask the average doctor what causes hair loss, it's almost a guarantee that they'll tell you DHT and predetermined genetic factors are the causes

Then they'll prescribe you a drug and end the appointment

Ask a random person the same question and they'll say the same thing
If such a commonly held belief is true, why are guys still losing their hair?

Didn't big pharma "solve" this problem... don't we have a cure?

Based on a massive rise in hair loss treatment surgeries in recent years, it appears as though the issue is only getting WORSE over time
In just 4 years, from 2008 to 2012,

Data from The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) saw a whopping 48% increase in surgical hair restoration procedures in the United States of America

Then another 27% from 2012 to 2014

Then another 18% from 2014 to 2016
Alongside this rise in surgeries adding up to multiple billions of dollars per year in the USA alone

Procedures are rising even more massively in areas like Central & South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa & the Middle East

Look at the colossal increases from '14 to '16
We're also seeing a simultaneous eruption in pharmaceutical sales for this specific issue

Follow the money, as the saying goes, and you'll see the Truth

The hair loss industry itself is projected to cross 11 billion dollars PER YEAR in sales market value by the year 2024
Drugs like Finasteride are a rapidly growing part of this segment; projected to double in value from 2015 to 2024

Especially with expansion in large markets like China, due to huge rises in hair loss after suspiciously sudden changes in hormone levels in the Chinese population
Clearly something's been happening lately

To fully understand this sequence of events, we must go back to the beginning:

How does an industry that "cures hair loss" blow up to billions of dollars per year in sales

While the instances of hair loss are simultaneously increasing?
To fully understand this, let's examine the origin of the Androgen Hypothesis

The Androgen Hypothesis and the subsequent multi-billion dollar industry that spawned around it

Is entirely based around TWO — that's not a typo — TWO research papers

Let's take a look at both papers
The first was an observational study of 104 castrates, also known as eunuchs, done by Dr. James B. Hamilton in 1942

Dr. Hamilton studied these eunuchs, who were obviously charactized by low-to-nonexistent androgen levels, and he noticed a couple key things about them...
First and foremost—they all had a complete retention of head hair

Quotes from Hamilton:

"Men who failed to mature sexually did not become bald

Even the recession of the line of hair of the temples and foreheads which is observed in the majority of normal men, failed to appear"
Secondly, "The sebaceous secretions were low,

All three tests demonstrated that the quantity of these secretions was small

Even during the latter half of the second decade of life, when secretion is copious in normal males...

The hair in the scalp was significantly less oily."
Lastly, he saw that dandruff was limited

"The dandruff was either absent or was present in such limited amounts that only a few white flakes could be brushed from the scalp

In men who had failed to mature sexually, excessive quantities of dandruff were never present at any age"
After recording these observations, Dr. Hamilton gave them testosterone injections (testosterone propionate)

He observed the following:

Out of the group, four of the castrates began to bald (out of 104)

The balding pattern was essentially what we now call Male Pattern Baldness
The main affected areas of MPB are the forehead, the frontal parietal regions, and the crown of the head

Hamilton noticed that in addition to the hair loss, the eunuchs now had much oiler skin and more dandruff

According to Hamilton, all four eunuchs had relatives who were bald
In the conclusion of his research paper, Dr. James B. Hamilton wrote the following

"In an individual genetically susceptible to alopecia (hair loss)

Development of the gonads as testes will ASSURE in the usual course of events the secretion of androgenic incitants of alopecia"
In other words, based on the observation of an unnatural group of people, less than 4% of whom reacted to testosterone injections by balding

Hamilton concluded that ALL MEN who complete puberty, who have some unknown genetic predisposition to MPB, will become bald...

Seriously?
There are some major holes in Hamilton's theory, yet they are widely ignored for convenience and monetary sake

An entire multi-billion dollar industry is based upon his research hypothesis

No wonder there are so many unexpected side effects from taking hair loss pharmaceuticals
His entire theory revolves around using genetics as a scapegoat

Think about this: A group of 104 men who failed to mature sexually are immune to genetic predispositions for baldness

But when injected with testosterone FOUR of these men suddenly fall victim to their genetics...?
That is confusing, to say the least

I'd say it begs more questions than it answers

And to use the cop-out of genetics, which is commonly used as a scapegoat in modern science, while completely ignoring the reality of EPIGENETICS is another irritating piece to this tricky puzzle
So where does DHT fit into all of this?

The answer is an observational study done on Dominican Republic Pseudohermaphrodites in 1974

The study found that a group known as the Guevedoces had normal T. levels but lacked the 5-alpha-reductase enzyme, yet they never experienced MPB
This finding in itself is even less correlative than the previous one from Dr. James B. Hamilton

However, Big Pharma decided to step in at this point 😉

You see, they noticed that in this study regarding the Guevedoces, all of them had small prostates...
Merck, the pharmaceutical company, had already seen a massive rise in enlarged prostate issues in Western men

So, between them and all of the other pharma companies, everybody was urgently waiting to jump on the prostate issue

They needed a drug they could sell for this problem
They saw a 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor as a fantastic potential drug to sell to this specific audience

They especially liked this drug's potential of crossing into multiple niches, both hair loss and prostate enlargement $$$

Finasteride was born, which is also known as Propecia
The Androgen Theory fails to address some glaring holes in the argument about androgens causing hair loss

In Dr. Hamilton's study, none of subjects who were castrated pre-puberty went bald (there were different types of castrates)

This is interesting, yet it remains unaddressed
Testosterone injections are well known to have numerous negative side effects

For example, T injections have been found to lead to issues such as liver toxicity, prostate cancer, heart & circulation problems, and hair loss

Whereas natural T production doesn't cause these things
So why is using an injection sufficient "evidence" to be extrapolated to all normal and natural situations?

If DHT & testosterone cause hair loss in men—why does nearly all hair loss in men come during the years when all the data points to a simultaneous decline in DHT & T lvls?
Meanwhile, data shows that very little statistical hair loss occurs in men during the time when androgen levels, T & DHT, are at their peak (in the late teens & early 20s)

Yet more young men than ever are experiencing early hair loss

All while global T. levels are plummeting...
Despite the fact that androgens are known to be responsible for the growth and thickness of hair,

The fact that the entire Androgen Hypothesis is based on the idea that some "unknown genetic predisposition" makes them do the opposite,

Points to the shallowness of this theory...
The "unknown genetic predisposition" argument is always a cop-out for scientists that means "we don't know"

While sounding good to the masses who have been conditioned to accept anything said by the High Priests of Big Science as facts that cannot be questioned

(Authoritarians)
This entire theory of hair loss is literally the least scientifically rigorous theory on the planet right now... it is a castle built on sand

Unfortunately, as the tide comes in,

Big Pharma sails away on their megayachts while thousands of men suffer from terrible side effects:
Merck claims that Propecia (Finasteride) is effective at stopping hair loss

Yet the data shows that after 5 years of use,

The average Propecia patient can only expect around a 10% improvement in their condition over not using the drug
Nevertheless, Merck's sales continue to rise for an ineffective drug...

Not to mention the massive boom in drug sales for all of the conditional side effects that are caused by Finasteride

E.g. erectile dysfunction, which is another humongous multi-billion dollar per year niche
Obviously, the Truth about hair loss and finding legit solutions to it doesn't matter to Big Pharma & Science

They're literally making billions of dollars every year by NOT solving the problem

Sounds a little like the cancer industry, too...

Our system is so amazing, isn't it?
Now that you understand how bad the DHT theory is

Let's look at what the actual causes of hair loss are, because the research actually exists out there!

The research is in plain sight for everyone to see, yet the causes aren't being shared and translated via the medical system
So, what causes hair loss?

Interestingly the best clues to what causes hair loss come from studies on babies and women

Some babies lose their hair shortly after birth, it's commonly called postnatal or neonatal hair loss, and it's in the exact same Male Pattern Baldness pattern
Menopausal women also lose their hair...

So do women postpartum (after pregnancy)...

So do women using contraceptive drugs (the birth control pill)...

Hmm, what do all of these situations have in common?
For men, baldness is a key symptom that occurs with instances of:

• Heart Disease
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Atherosclerosis
• Insulin Resistance
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Prostate Cancer
• Obesity-Related Inflammation

Now we're getting somewhere...

Let's connect all of the dots
By examining this full body of research and all of the blood markers tied to these conditions

You start to notice some painfully obvious patterns...

All of these situations

Between babies, women, and men having this same pattern of hair loss

Involve the following seven things
Chronically Elevated Cortisol Levels

Chronically Elevated Estrogen Levels

Low Thyroid Function

Liberation of Free Fatty Acids into the Bloodstream

Chronically Elevated Prolactin Levels

Calcification of the scalp tissue

Drops in protective hormones levels like Progesterone
If you control and correct the ratio of protective hormones to stress hormones

Through proper nutrition, micronutrient deficiency correction, stress management, and improving the function of your thyroid

You WILL reverse your hair loss, especially if you have youth on your side
Before I move onto specific recommendations and actionable advice that can be followed by anyone who wants to stop, reverse, or prevent hair loss

If you've enjoyed this thread thus far, you'll absolutely LOVE my e-book, The Art of Mewing

Check it out at: http://gum.co/mewing 
First things first, control your excess estrogen

To lower estrogen, I recommend doing the following:

1. Methylate the estrogen in your system with Choline and Betaine

2. Lose extra body fat that's above about 14% (for men)

This excess estrogen is being stored in your body fat
3. Increase the intake of Fat-Soluble Vitamins via tweaks in diet & supplementation

• Vitamin A retinyl palmitate (not beta-carotene which increases rates of lung cancer)

• Vitamin K2 MK4 (not MK7 which is extracted from fermented soy)

• Vitamin D3 (from sunlight or a supp)
4. Drastically reduce your exposure to estrogenics from your environment and diet

Avoid chemicals from hygiene products (body wash, face wash, moisturizers, hand soap, hand sanitizers)

Stop drinking from plastic bottles

Filter the water you drink

Here's a helpful infographic:
Moreover, controlling your cortisol levels is imperative because there is a vicious feedback loop between cortisol, estrogen, and other stress hormones

Cortisol management comes down to stress management

We can approach this from both the psychological and physiological levels
On the psychological level, break free from a submissive and "learned helplessness" mindset

Shift to viewing yourself as an individual that has full autonomy & responsibility over your health, success, and overall fulfillment

Understand that Awareness solves problems on its own
Physiologically, you MUST increase oxygen consumption by improving your breathing

Look up the Wim Hof Method

Spend 10-20 minutes per day doing a deep-breathing session with great posture

Mouth breathing is so detrimental

The Art of Mewing can help you shift to nasal breathing
Furthermore—stop eating shitty food

It's causing cellular stress via inflammation which impacts your overall health

Regarding exercise, stop doing chronic endurance training

Focus on heavy lifting and/or calisthenics (resistance training)

You want more eustress, less distress
Moving on from cortisol, LOWER YOUR PROLACTIN LEVELS! This is crucial!

Stop busting so many nuts

Frequent orgasms significantly increase prolactin

Also try increasing the amount of high-quality vitamin E that you're intaking via diet changes and/or by taking TocoVit by @haidut
Up your zinc intake — one of the key symptoms of a zinc deficiency is hair loss

Daily supplementation of zinc was found to cut male prolactin levels in half

Lastly, increase your vitamin B6 consumption (P5P form if supplementing)

B6 increases dopamine while lowering prolactin
Regarding liberation of free fatty acids into the bloodstream

Taking a Niacinamide (B3) supplement can really help with lowering fatty acid oxidation & improving the energetic state of your body

"Niacinamide may treat depression by improving energetic state"

Article by @haidut
Moving onto calcification!

Improve blood flow by taking Vitamin K2 MK4, which is associated with the inhibition of arterial calcification

To decrease inflammation in the scalp, lowering consumption of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) such as vegetable & seed oils is paramount
The next thing you have to do is improve your thyroid function

If you're losing hair, you have a damaged thyroid

Kickstarting your thyroid with a desiccated thyroid supplement can be helpful

It's important to increase the calcium:phosphate ratio and eliminate stressful habits!
Stop fasting—it lowers your metabolism and damages your thyroid

Stop following the Keto Diet—consume plenty of carbohydrates from whole food sources such as fruits

For reference, here are before-and-after photos of people with low thyroid function who went on a similar protocol
One way to tell that you have low thyroid function (hypothyroidism) is to just look at elements of your facial structure in the mirror

Use the pic below as a guide

Dry, puffy skin and thin hair are common symptoms

Another indicator is your body temperature

Are you cold often?
And if you don't believe me about the keto diet causing hair loss, I'm gonna touch on this subject briefly

Long story short, the biological mechanism of the hair follicle REQUIRES glucose to metabolically function and actually grow hair
Hair follicles are already very inefficient organs, however in the absence of readily available glucose, they become extremely dysfunctional

Hair follicles require oxygen and fuel from either glucose, fructose, or pyruvate in order for hair to grow consistently and adequately
In the absence of these fuels, fatty acids or ketone bodies were found to not be able to sustain hair growth

I was blown away when I searched for this on YouTube & saw thousands of videos on the subject of keto & hair loss

So many people have reported this problem while on Keto
This video in particular was misleading

His recommendations were to eat more calories, from the keto diet nonetheless, & also eat more protein

No mention of high cortisol from the stress induced by Keto, increased estrogen from free fatty acids, increased prolactin levels, etc.
The comment section was even more disturbing

Here are a few comments I screenshotted and compiled

"I lost HALF of my hair 3 months after adding intermittent fasting to keto"

"My hair is falling out too from 2 years of Keto"

"Yep lost lots of hair. Don't know if it'll regrow."
That's enough on Keto — but consider that a wake-up call for anyone who's currently on it

I sincerely hope you got IMMENSE VALUE from this in-depth thread

If you did, please share it and check out my e-book which covers Orthotropics with the same depth: http://gum.co/MEWING 
In conclusion, huge thanks to Dr. Ray Peat for all of his work and his devotion to the Truth which I find inspiring

Also big thanks to @haidut & fellow Peaters

Check out the great podcast Georgi frequents called "Generative Energy" and his blog at http://haidut.me 

Peace
If you've read this far

You'll enjoy my thread on The Truth About Serotonin

In which I discuss why SSRIs are so harmful and why the government wants to keep you in a high-serotonin, "learned helplessness" state so you're easier to control and manipulate https://twitter.com/danielvelez/status/1365315286065373191
You can follow @danielvelez.
Tip: mention @twtextapp on a Twitter thread with the keyword “unroll” to get a link to it.

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