Category Archives: Sebaceous Gland

DHT and Skin Disorders

Finasteride and Dutasteride Dosage and DHT Reduction
A comparison of DHT reduction via Finasteride and Dutasteride.

Over the years, I have mentioned a number of times that people with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) tend to have higher rates of scalp itching, dandruff, seborrheic dermatitis, sebum production and inflammation. I feel that treating these conditions can improve the chances of your hair follicles surviving the onslaught of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) for a little longer.

I have also discussed my own positive experiences in treating dandruff with bestselling shampoos, in particular Nizoral and Head & Shoulders. Also see my summary on natural treatments for dandruff.

DHT and Skin Disorders

I was not planning to write this post, but earlier today I saw an interesting new video on DHT and skin disorders. It is an hour long and I only watched one-half of it (via the timestamp subjects that I found of most interest).

The narrator analyzes a number of studies and also discusses Clascoterone (Winlevi) and androgen receptor antagonist KX-826 (Pyrilutamide). I find the video a bit disjointed, but it is a great overall effort. He covers acne, dermatitis, overactive sebaceous glands (and their suppression), scalp inflammation and other DHT-mediated skin disorders.

Of particular note, the video specifically breaks out Clobetasol (a corticosteroid) and Tacrolimus (an immunosuppressive agent) to combat scalp inflammation. Clobetasol propionate shampoos can be purchased online, but require a prescription. The same is the case with Tacrolimus ointments and creams. Do make sure to talk to your dermatologist if you ever try such products. And watch out for any potential side effects, especially with long term use.

Sebaceous Glands, Gynecomastia and other Hair News

Sebaceous Glands and other Hair News

— An interesting human study from Japan about the increase in sebaceous gland area (but not size) in patients suffering from androgenic alopecia.

— Some hair loss sufferers who take Finasteride complain about getting gynecomastia (man boobs) as a side effect. Usually, this side effect is transient or minimal, but in some rare cases, it can be quite bad and lead to major growth in breast size. Several weeks ago, Reddit user Wulfgar1  started an ask me anything (AMA) about his gynecomastia surgery. He included quite impressive before and after photos, and answered almost all of the 100s of questions that were asked of him. Note that Wulfgar1 had gynecomastia since the age of 12, so his man boobs were not due to taking Finasteride.

Histogen filed form D for equity financing and raised about $10 million in funding. The filing took place on June 29th, but I read about it this week. Nothing too interesting or impressive other than the company name and its significance to us in the hair loss world. Glad to read that Histogen is still kicking. Biotech companies usually sell around three-quarters of their offering, but Histogen managed to sell 100 percent of its offering, which may be a sign of investor trust and confidence.

— I discussed Dr. Carlos Wesley and his  revolutionary PiloFocus  scarless hair transplant surgery last year after he was profiled in an excellent article in Verge magazine. Dr. Wesley has now managed to get detailed coverage in the prestigious BBC website’s future section.

More favorable feedback on ARTAS, including a video. Dr. Thomas Griffin seems like a sincere doctor. I like his description of the newly added PRP at his practice: “what we’re trying to do is maximize our results for our patients.” Some doctors will delude patients into thinking that PRP means guaranteed hair growth.

And now on to medical items of interest:

— Fascinating article on CRISPR DNA editing.

— A Chinese girl suffering from hypertrichosis (an extreme level of excessive body hair) is raising funds for laser hair removal. A bit unusual that the least hairy race on earth has such cases. Also see the ending to my post from last year on whether Asians are more evolved than other races.

— A good summary of 30 futuristic breakthroughs that happened during the first half of 2015. I like the heavy focus on medical breakthroughs rather than on less interesting breakthroughs that will just give us better, faster, cheaper or newer “stuff”.

Theranos’ fingerprick blood test gets FDA approval. This company is likely to revolutionize blood testing in the coming years. Also this month, the company obtained FDA approval that will lead to at-home testing. The company’s CEO Elizabeth Holmes is the youngest female billionaire in the US. Theranos is a very secretive privately-held company, and its Board of Directors is filled with retired government officials. Including major ones such as Henry Kissinger and William Perry.