Anti-aging entrepreneur Bryan Johnson has been in the news even more than David Sinclair over the past year. Mr. Johnson is the founder and CEO of Kernel and the founder and ex-CEO of Braintree. He also runs the OS Fund and most recently created his anti-aging algorithm Project Blueprint.
Mr. Johnson has become famous due to his highly detailed and expensive ($2 million per year) Protocol to fight aging. This week, he got into an online back and forth with Elon Musk on Twitter (where you can follow Bryan if so inclined).
Update: Jan 9, 2024 Interesting new video from Bryan Johnson about how he reversed his hair loss and grey hair. For his hair loss, he uses a laser cap, does microneedling, and applies an interesting proprietary topical lotion.
The latter’s ingredients include caffeine, finasteride, minoxidil, azelaic acid, diclofenac, tea tree oil, rosemary oil, ginkgo biloba, biotin and melatonin. He thinks that the microneedling enhances the efficacy of the topical. Of most interest to me, Bryan just started exosome treatment for hair loss. He mentions PRP, but does not mention dutasteride mesotherapy like he did in his past videos.
For his grey hair reversal, he uses relatively less well known products from Mayraki and GR-7. The latter seem to be a natural dye rather than a permanent grey hair cure.
Jan 4, 2024
Bryan Johnson’s Hair Loss and Grey Hair Reversal
Most of the comments seems to be critical of the 46-year old Mr. Johnson’s before and after transformation. However, I am impressed at his tremendous efforts and transformation. His 2,250 calories per day diet and supplement regimen seems to be very effective.
Having said that, the marketing and media publicity that he gets and thrives for is ridiculous. Is he a narcissist only there for the money and Insta fame? Or is he really trying to improve humanity? I am leaning towards the latter, which in the modern world can only be achieved through shocking and viral publicity it seems.
As soon as I saw Bryan’s before and after transformation, the first two things that I thought of were:
Bryan Johnson’s beard hair has entirely disappeared. No-one seemed to point this out at all.
Bryan Johnson’s scalp hair has become lengthier and thicker.
I also started to wonder if Bryan got on a male-to-female transgender type hormone regimen that allowed him to lost his facial hair? Or did he get electrolysis or laser hair removal?
Bryan Johnson before his Blueprint anti-aging protocol.
Upon further research, right away I stumbled on to Reddit threads about his hair loss regimen that includes minoxidil, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), red light laser cap therapy, microneedling, vitamins and dutasteride injections. I am impressed that he picked dutasteride over finasteride, something that very few hair loss sufferers in the US prefer.
An even bigger surprise for me was that Bryan discussed his hair loss and hair regrowth regimen in a detailed November 2023 video interview. I entirely missed this YouTube video before. He started losing his hair in his early 30s, but clearly has no obvious hair loss at the moment.
Bryan Johnson’s hair loss regimen includes:
Platelet-rich plasma plus ACell plus dutasteride injected into his scalp every 30-60 days. A total of 13-15 ml per injection.
Daily red light therapy via a laser cap for 6 minutes.
Update: February 2024 — List of 13 supplements and drugs that Dr. David Sinclair takes for boosting his longevity.
Update: March 2023 — Dr. David Sinclair credits four habits that have made his biological age a decade younger. These include: supplements, intermittent fasting, less stress, and exercise. He now eats an entirely plant based diet.
Update: January 2023 — An important new paper from Dr. David Sinclair and his team at Harvard concludes that loss of epigenetic information causes mammalian aging. There is a loss in the cell’s ability to read its original DNA, so it forgets how to function. The team calls this the information theory of aging. And in a new Harvard interview, Dr. Sinclair states that the first person to live to be 150 has already been born.
Update: December 2022 — The US FDA recently announced that NMN can no longer be classified as a new dietary ingredients (NDI) supplement. This means that it is not allowed to be sold in supplement products anymore. However, the enforcement of this ban seems to be nonexistent at the time of this update. Edit: Amazon bans NMN for use as a dietary supplement as of February 16, 2023.
Dr. Sinclair gives us his thoughts on the FDA’s new regulations governing the marketing and sales of NMN as a supplement to boost NAD levels.
Scroll through this post to see some of the bestselling NAD and NMN products. Note that Dr. David Sinclair does not endorse these supplements. Also check out:
Update: April 2022 — In his interesting new Lifespan with Dr. David Sinclair Podcast, a recent episode covered “NMN, NAD, NR, Resveratrol, Metformin & Other Longevity Molecules.
Dr. Sinclair recently added Spermidine to his protocol; became vegetarian (while still fasting and eating just once per day); lost 15 pounds; and entirely quit alcohol. So we now know that Dr. David Sinclair’s current supplement list in 2022 includes the following:
NMN (1g per day in the morning with yogurt).
Resveratrol (0.5 mg per day in the morning with yogurt).
Metformin (1g per day at night).
Statin (for cholesterol control).
Spermidine.
Vitamin D3.
Vitamin K2.
Quercetin.
Fisetin.
In fact in December 2023, Dr. Sinclair mentioned that Resveratrol and Fisetin (both SIRT1 activators) induce the proliferation of hair follicle bulge stem cells. This in turn promotes hair growth.
Most importantly, the February 9 , 2022 podcast covered hair loss and grey hair in detail. It seems like the doctor trusts the studies that tout the benefits of laser hair growth devices and PRP.
Update: June 18, 2021 — New episode of David Sinclair on the Joe Rogan show. Besides NAD and NMN, they also discuss intermittent fasting.
Note that NAD stands for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide . And NMN stands for Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN).
Also make sure to follow the developments of MIB-626, a NAD+ precursor that is currently in clinical trials.
Update: April 2020 — A new paper from China concludes that NMN is a promising molecule for therapy of various diseases. Likely via the targeting of NAD+ metabolism.
Update: January 14, 2020 — Dr. David Sinclair is participating in a Reddit AMA on January 14th from 4-6 pm EST. Official link. He will cover NAD, NMN, NR and resveratrol supplements. I hope someone asks Dr. Sinclair about his 80-year old father’s hair quality (the latter takes NAD supplements).
Update: In September 2019, Dr. David Sinclair made yet another appearance on the Joe Rogan show. Besides discussing his new book “Lifespan” and NAD plus NMN, he also talked about metformin in greater detail. He also discussed HGH, rapamycin, caloric restriction and fasting for longevity. On a related note, make sure to read my past post on TA-65 and Telomerase.
Update: In January 2019, Dr. David Sinclair made an appearance on the Joe Rogan show. He discussed NAD and other supplements in there. Also, in a recent Linkedin post, Dr. Sinclair said that his own regimen and NMN dosage was pretty simple: “I take 750 mg of NMN every morning, along with a gram of resveratrol and 500 mg of metformin.”
David Sinclair discusses longevity, NAD and NMN supplements on the Joe Rogan Show.
I first mentioned Harvard University’s Australian professor Dr. David Andrew Sinclair in several posts in 2016 and 2017. At that time, he presented some groundbreaking findings regarding anti-aging research in relation to increasing declining Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD or NAD+) levels in aging humans. He is also renowned for his lab’s research on resveratrol. Make sure to also check out Dr. Sinclair’s AMA on reddit.
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD)
Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD or NAD+) is a cofactor and coenzyme that is found in all living cells. Levels and bioavailability in humans decrease with ago. In December 2019, Dr. Sinclair posted a link to new research on real-time NAD biosensors.
NAD versus NAD+
Note that NAD and NAD+ are not exactly the same thing. The latter it the oxidized version of the former. It is also written as NAD+ via the superscript in technical articles. Time magazine had a lengthy article on NAD+ in 2018. The NAD+ co-enzyme is largely synthetized through NMN.
NAD versus NADH
NAD+ and NADH are two different forms of the coenzyme nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). NADH is the reduced form of NAD, while NAD+ is the oxidized form. NADH stands for nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen.
Dr. David Sinclair states that his team does not recommend people taking NAD precursors, since they have not yet been formally tested for safety.
NAD+ Supplements
However, on Amazon, it looks like NAD+ pills can be purchased legally, and they seem to be a form of Vitamin B3 (brand name Niagen). A company named Tru Niagen also sells them directly. A company named Alive by Nature also sells sublingual NAD+ and NMN online. Dosages can vary for most of these supplements.
Elysium Health is another popular company selling NAD+ supplements under the name “Basis”. The US FDA approval process for a new NAD or NMN related drug is extremely lengthy and expensive. So most companies are instead focusing on supplements.
Best NMN Supplements
While NAD itself is difficult to administer directly to humans, its precursors — nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) — are promising natural compounds to test in humans.
MNN supplements such as the one on the right are especially popular online and at GNC. However, make sure to read customer reviews in detail to make sure that there are long term benefits. Some people might just be experiencing placebo short term benefits. NMN supplements can come in pill, tablet, capsule and powder forms.
Nicotinamide Riboside
Nicotinamide riboside (also called Niagen) is an alternative form of Vitamin B3. It has been touted to reverse grey hair, wrinkles, hair loss and various other signs of aging. Thorne Research makes a popular combination version of nicotinamide riboside with resveratrol and cofactors. Tru Niagen also makes popular NR supplements.
Also see this article on Nicotinamide riboside (NR) vs. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN).
NAD and its Precursor NMN
Human trials for both NAD and its precursor NMN have been underway in recent years. This will allow for more conclusive evidence in regards to both benefits and side effects in the near future. For now, it is wise to exercise caution when it comes to NAD and NMN supplement related potential side effects.
In regards to side effects, some cancer cells depend on NAD+ for sustained and rapid growth. So rather than increasing NAD levels to live longer, one may need to decrease them to fight cancer.
Dr. David Sinclair has formulated a capsule version of a precursor to NAD+ called Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN). This precursor is a naturally occurring compound that is found in small amounts in fruits and vegetables such as broccoli, cucumber, avocado and edamame.
David Sinclair, Resveratrol and Sirtuins
Dr. David Sinclair has all the credentials of a reputable and brilliant scientist. For well over a decade, he has promoted the benefits of resveratrol, which is found in small amounts in red wine, grapes, berries and other related fruits. Resveratrol switches on the well known anti-ageing gene Sirtuin-1. Both NAD and sirtuins are necessary for healthy aging, longevity and DNA quality.
Dr. Sinclair has conducted significant research on how sirtuins are modulated by endogenous molecules as well as pharmacological agents such as resveratrol. Other areas of anti-aging research in which Dr. Sinclair has participated include senolytics and caloric restriction.
However, many of Dr. Sinclair’s peers accuse him of being overoptimistic and impatient. Not always a bad thing in the hair loss world, where we typically have the opposite situation. The resvertarol angle has had some hiccups over the past decade and Dr. Sinclair seems to have shifted his focus to other anti-aging research in recent years.
Dr. Sinclair is using his own NAD molecule. He has supposedly reduced his biological age by 24 years after taking the pill.
David Sinclair’s father is 79 years old, and has been white water rafting and backpacking since starting to ingest the molecule a year-and-a-half ago.
Dr. Sinclair’s sister-in-law is now fertile again after taking the pill. This despite that fact that she started to transition into menopause in her 40s. (My note: I assume this implies that she is in her 50s now).
Potential increase in human lifespan to 150 years of age.
The pill leads to a decline in age related hair loss. (My note: Ironically, I find this to be the most believable of all the above fantastical claims. Even though hair loss is as yet almost impossible to cure in most people. New hair growth in bald regions of the scalp is especially difficult.
Human trials still two years away, but Dr. Sinclair aims to release the product into the market in five years.
David Sinclair Companies
Dr. Sinclair is the co-founder of a number of biotechnology companies (Sirtris, Ovascience, Genocea, Cohbar, MetroBiotech, ArcBio, Liberty Biosecurity). He is also the founder of Life Biosciences LLC, a longevity startup. And he is a scientific adviser to many companies, including InsideTracker.
Note: make sure to not confuse Dr. David Sinclair and Dr. Rodney Sinclair (who is also from Australia). The latter is a well known dermatologist and hair loss expert, who I have covered a few times on this blog.
Edit: I posted links to some critiques of Dr. Sinclair earlier in this post. A reader also posted this new one that is worth a read.
