Vitamin D Deficiency and Hair Loss

My favorite vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) supplement is this oil. Each drop contains 2,000 IU, so be careful to not overdose. I rarely recommend any product so highly, but this one quickly raised my vitamin D levels to the desired number. Having said that, my hair loss did not stop even after this supplementation.

Vitamin D and Hair Loss

Vitamin D Hair Regrowth
Vitamin D hair regrowth after 1 year of supplementation. Source: Dr. Sharon Keene.

Update: August 2022 — Dr. Sharon Keene just released an incredible case report of a severely vitamin D deficient patient. More here. His vitamin D value was just 12ng/ml, which is also around my level when I do not supplement. This patient regrew significant hair after completing a 6-week course of weekly dosing of 50,000 IU vitamin D3; followed by 10,000 IU/week for 8 months.

I often stop taking my own Vitamin D supplement for up to a month, and it might even be expired or damaged (I store it outside). After reading this report, I plan to purchase a new bottle this winter and adhere more closely to the recommended treatment protocol.

Update: July 2020 — Turkish scientists found that mean serum ferritin and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were significantly lower in patients with hair loss.

Update: June 2020 — A new study from India found that 86 percent of men with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern hair loss) had low vitamin D levels.

July 31, 2017

Vitamin D deficiency has been blamed for hair loss in select cases. Usually, this type of hair loss is temporary. Some researchers believe that vitamin D supplementation can reverse hair fall and lead to hair regrowth in select cases. One recent study concluded that:

“Lower expression of CYP27B1 in patients with AGA supports the notion that changes in vitamin D metabolism contributes to hair loss.”

The role of vitamins and minerals (such as Biotin and B-12) in hair loss is important. During the past decade, vitamin D has been in the news more so than any other vitamin. Its deficiency has been touted as the reason for dozens of human health problems. These include rickets, osteoporosis, teeth loss, depression, cancer, high blood pressure and multiple sclerosis.

Deficiency

For most such health related problems, there is insufficient evidence that a vitamin D deficiency caused the condition in the first place. Nor is there concrete evidence that vitamin D supplementation causes any significant improvements in most such health problems.

Vitamin D Hair Loss.
Vitamin D for Hair Loss.

Having said that, there are some conditions (e.g., rickets and other bone problems) where prolonged vitamin D deficiency has been proven to have a strong causative effect.

And there exist a number of other conditions where there is some evidence of the importance of a sufficient intake of vitamin D. After all, most plants and animals need direct sunshine (which generates vitamin D) in order to thrive.

As is the case with most vitamins and minerals, deficiencies are usually far more dangerous in early childhood than in adulthood. Initial symptoms of vitamin D deficiency include fatigue, mood changes, and bone and muscle weakness.

Types of Vitamin D

There are five types of vitamin D, known simply as D1, D2, D3, D4 and D5. Of these five, the two major forms are D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). When doctors talk about vitamin D, they generally mean D2 or D3 or both (collectively referred to as calciferol). D3 is generally preferred over D2.

Direct sunlight exposure is the easiest way to raise one’s vitamin D levels. The skin synthesizes vitamin D upon exposure to ultraviolet rays (US). Darker skinned individuals require longer exposure times to sunlight than lighter skinned individuals, in order to garner similar benefits.

Numerous food items naturally contain vitamin D. Many are artificially enhanced with the addition of D2 or D3, especially in developed countries. The US FDA allows up to 84 IU/100g of Vitamin D3 addition in milk; and up to 84 IU/100g of Vitamin D2 addition in yogurt. Both males and females required similar levels of this crucial vitamin.

Optimal Vitamin D Levels

Modern life is heavily indoor-focused. Daytime computer based work is followed by entertainment and social media related screen-time in the evenings for most people. Not to mention 24/7 smartphone access, usually indoors or in shady areas in order to avoid sun glare. This has drastically reduced direct sunlight exposure in just one generation. Sunlight has historically been the best way for most of us to get our daily vitamin D.

Moreover, daily warnings about skin cancer and skin aging have meant that even when outdoors, most people lather on sunscreen and suntan lotion. This drastically limits vitamin D synthesis via the skin. Moreover, if you are mostly getting your daily sunshine through office windows or car windows, it does not raise your levels either. Glass prevents UV rays from synthesizing D vitamins on your skin.

Vitamin D for Hair Growth
Vitamin D for Hair Growth.

Because of all the above, most readers must have heard a lot in recent years about the huge number of people who are vitamin D deficient and the potential dangers of this problem. In fact in a radio show just last week, I heard that some scientists think that the current cutoff levels are too low, and if corrected, around 80 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient (although this is a controversial issue). Quite often, people who are warning about this issue are also selling vitamin D supplements. So one must be vary about the messenger.

There is significant debate about:

  1. Ideal levels of vitamin D (i.e., what number seems to be the best for overall health).
  2. Insufficient levels of vitamin D (i.e., below what number does it become dangerous for your health).

The most common measurement for vitamin D levels is done via a blood test known 25-hydroxyvitamin D, with resulting numbers given in ng/mL. For those outside the US, just multiply these numbers by 2.5 to get corresponding numbers in nmol/L.

Most doctors consider that levels below 20 ng/mL are insufficient. Many nowadays have raised this number and consider levels below 30 ng/mL to be insufficient.

Vitamin D Supplement.
My Favorite Vitamin D Supplement.

Ideal levels are even more heavily debated, with some data suggesting as high as 70 ng/mL. Other data suggests that anything over 50 ng/mL can be dangerous if consistently that high. Yet other data suggests that anything over 30 ng/mL does not lead to any benefits.

Trying to analyze the 100 plus studies on this subject matter would be way beyond the scope of this blog. Moreover, your genetics, race, sex, height, weight and more can also impact the ideal levels for you.

I am happy if my levels are over 20 ng/mL, which they are not in winters. So I supplement with capsules. If they go really low, I use this oil based liquid product.

Past Research

Over the years, I have read numerous comments from people suggesting that a lack of vitamin D has an undesirable impact on hair loss and growth. Moreover, while researching for this post, I found that even some respected scientists have postulated this theory and a WSJ article in 2012 looked at this subject in detail. No vitamin D deficiency before and after pictures were provided.

  • Per the above article, the leading researcher in this field seems to be Dr. Marie Demay, a professor at Harvard Medical School. According to her, the vitamin D receptor (VDR) activates hair growth, rather than the vitamin itself. The Demay Lab continues to do research on the vitamin D receptor and hair growth (plus keratinocyte stem cells). Their latest study related to this subject matter came out in March of 2017, and is titled: “Absence of vitamin D receptor (VDR)-mediated PPARγ suppression causes alopecia in VDR-null mice“. Previously, they covered the role of VDR in hair follicle biology.
  • Also important, in 2012, a research team led by Dr. Yuko Oda at UCSF found that knocking out (ablating) the transcriptional coactivator mediator (MED1) in mice led to increased hair growth.
  • And finally, a team from Japan led by Dr. Kotaro Yoshimura and Dr. Noriyuki Aoi published an important study in 2012 . It found that 1α,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 (Calcitriol or VD3) promotes functional differentiation of dermal papilla cells (DPCs). This “could be useful in preserving the hair follicle-inductive capacity of cultured DPCs for hair regeneration therapies”. Apparently, this could also help improve hair transplantation results.
  • A 2016 study from Egypt found lower serum and tissue VDR levels in patients with AA and AGA. This was in comparison to those with neither form of hair loss.

Other Notes

  • Many  hair loss products that I have seen over the years have included vitamin D3 as one of the ingredients. I highly doubt that this makes much of a difference in re-growing lost hair despite great before and after photos.
  • It should be noted that even if you take vitamin D supplements orally, for many people (including myself), it sometimes requires mega doses (upwards of 20,000 IU per day, at least initially) to have any significant impact on one’s blood test readings. Some doctors will not prescribe that much due to potential side effects, although I do not think this danger has been proven. Some people have tried topical vitamin D for their hair loss.
  • I seem to have better hair when I am out in the sun a lot. I am certain this is not psychological. How about you? Like other animals and plants, I think that humans need sufficient levels of sunshine, water and oxygen in order to thrive.
  • It is interesting that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has been shown to benefit hair growth in a number of studies. The average wavelength of light from LLLT devices is in the 600nm-900nm range. UV rays from the sun fall in the 300nm-400nm wavelength range.
  • In most scenarios where things such as vitamins, minerals, growth factors and so forth are involved, it seems like women tend to benefit more than men. This is based on my general intuition from what I have read over the years. Male hormones are usually the predominant reason for men’s hair loss. When it comes to hair loss in women, other factors are often more important. I would not be surprised if when vitamin D does benefit hair, it is more effective in women.
  • Sunlight also seems to kill mites (e.g., demodex) and improve other scalp problems for many people.
  • An interesting study from Hungary suggests that androgenetic alopecia might have been an evolutionary mechanism to protect men from advanced prostate cancer. A bare scalp enhances UV ray absorption into the scalp, and increased UV radiation apparently reduces the risk of prostate cancer. Not sure about this finding. Men who suffer from AGA are more likely to have prostate cancer. So according to this theory, they would be even more likely to have prostate cancer if they had all their hair intact.
  • Reddit Tressless often has anecdotal reports on this subject. e.g. Vit D saved me.

Vitamin D Supplements for Hair Loss

I had considered writing this post in the past, but put in on the backburner until I recently got two e-mails from a person I will address as “Mr. BB”. These e-mails entail taking Vitamin D supplements  for hair growth. I am pasting most of his two e-mails’ content below:

E-mail 1:

“I found this page and thought it could be of interest for you as you also follow closely the AA. Its dated from February 2017:

https://www.vitamindcouncil. org/new-study-finds- derivative-of-activated- vitamin-d-helps-manage-hair- loss/

I am taking vitamin D3 supplement since 14th of April 2017 and must say that within 3 or 4 days (not weeks or months) I noticed the hair stopped falling. I even think my hair is growing back in some places. The doses I take are important. In fact today I am taking 30000 UI daily.

I started to lose my hair around 1992-1993. It’s been a slow process, but it has reached a level that made me think I’d better shave it all. Until I found some study on D3 and started to supplement myself. I think it is working.

It is already a miracle that something could make your hair loss stop let alone something that makes it regrow and boosts thickness and growth. What if the cure has always been here and it was just of Vitamin D deficiency? In countries in which we live in (Europe, North America), it has been proven that 80 % of population is deficient.

By the way Vitamin D3 is not a Vitamin. It is a Hormone and is said to enter in the expression of about 200 genes among which is the synthesis of a natural antibiotic that fights against the seasonal flu (influenza).”

E-mail 2, after I sent him a brief reply:

“There is something that I have heard about D3 from a specialist who even wrote a book about it.

That guy was saying that they discovered that French are Magnesium Chloride deficient. And guess what? Magnesium Chloride is a cofactor to the vitamin D. Meaning that you they need to go hand in hand if you want to see real benefits. Magnesium Chloride is the key!

I was on Magnesium Chloride since 22nd of March 2017. And taking only that stopped my spring allergy and breathing problems. I am taking about 200 ml of magnesium chloride a day. That is 100 ml after each meal.

Few weeks later as I saw my health was improving I started to also take vitamin C. I dilute about 5 g of vitamin C powder in my 100 ml magnesium preparation.

Than I started vit D on the Easter weekend with just 4000 UI and before the weekend was over I noticed the hair stopped falling.

Note that you can find many studies that suggest a correlation between magnesium levels and vitamin D levels.”

111 thoughts on “Vitamin D Deficiency and Hair Loss”

    1. Yes, it does. Even more effectively so. Anyone telling you otherwise is ignorant and should do some studies at the medical school.

  1. I believe vitamin d may be beneficial for slow moving pattern loss. I also think it aggravates the faster moving andro alopecia as it seems to stimulate the male hormone system. I say this because I have aggressive hairloss and also low on vitamin d. Every time I start supplementing with vitamin d my hairloss picks up 10 fold. My scalp becomes it chief too. I also noticed my libido goes up a bit. So for me it makes my scalp less healthy. Fyi I am not on fin or minox.

  2. And I know this message is off topic but has anyone tried dermarolling once per week like in the successful studies? I’m highly curious if the derma rolling would help WITHOUT the use of minoxidil??? Anyone??

    1. I have. Tried minoxodil and fin for years and then switched to 1mm dermarolling since last year. I use it with a custom combination of castor, olive, sesame and coconut oil. Have seen my hair get a lot better and density has increased.

      Btw I also switched to a topical fin + minox combo. So, that might also play a role. I also take oral fin.

    2. A guy on YouTube just uses very good conditioner and shampoo with coconut oil and dermarolled for a whole year and his hair started to grow back very well, he said that it’s a very long process and you have to do it constantly

  3. Remember the old photos of the sick wheeled out to the yard to get sun light? In the hot summer months your veins expand and you’ll look more vascular unless you’re fat. Maybe this is evolutions way to get more uv?

  4. I used to squirt a vitamin D capsule into my minoxidil bottles after reading a research paper about 5 years ago.

    I believe it really does help with hair growth. My hair stopped shedding and the hair started thickening and looked really healthy. However I started noticing (perhaps coincidentally) that the skin on my face was not looking so great and seemed to be accelerating the aging. Google scholar articles suggest that topical vitamin D can increase skin wrinkling, so needless to say I stopped doing that.

    It was very promising though and I suspect there really is some underlying mechanism that is helping hair to grow. But I’d rather look youthful with thinning hair than old with a stunning mullet.

    1. You’re probably better off taking vitamin d orally but the real culprit for your aging skin was probably the minoxidil. It’s known to deplete collagen stores that’s why I personally stopped using it.

  5. Hi everyone, I know that is off topic, but what do you guys think of this reboost product (former kelopesia) made by this turkish university? I know it`s probably snake oil, they claim they use stem cell technology, does anyone know more information about this?
    cheers

  6. I do use oral Vitamin D together with oral Cetirizine since about 6 weeks now and already see good results. After reading the new article I will double the weekly dose of Vitamin D. Thanks Admin! I really think its worth trying such easy Treatments. You get it over the Counter everywhere, it has no sides and taking it is very easy without oily or greasy Hair and Skin. So why not trying it? Its cheap and you do not need a clinic or doctor for it.

      1. I am using oral Cetirizine and also oral Vit D …. both available at Pharmacy. I dont know where to get these topicals but I know there are Clinical Trials for both topicals already.

  7. @ Tom & the rest,
    As it is my last hope to maintain:

    I am dermarolling now for 1,5 weeks.
    2 times a week, so I had 3 sessions already.
    Depth 1,5mm, 192 needles on roller.
    4 times horizontally, 4 times vertically and 4 times diagonally.
    Putting mild to hard pressure on it.
    24H waiting time before using MIN again.
    I only use MIN foam in the evening, so 1x a day.
    And I use ketoshampoo 3x a week. That’s it.
    80% alcohol to clean the roller.

    Results so far:
    Dermarolling hurts, but I can take it, no numbing cream needed
    Some bleeding, but not much, after 24 hours a lot of visible little wounds are gone
    All my (internal) scalp pain is gone, for now the inflammation seems gone
    Hair, no effect so far, but it is too short to tell

    1. @Netshed – I am using a micro-needle pen once a week, gentle pressure, no blood at 1.5 mm., 25 minutes, no pain. Also my last hope to maintain. You may have seen my post under the last topic but if not see below: The forum users who experimented with micro-needling in the past substantially reported no positive results. After carefully reviewing all of the data I could find on micro-needling, there is a very major distinction between what the majority of the forum users did and the Indian studies. In the Indian studies, they gently rolled until there was mild erythema or superficial reddening……..there was no blood. Forum users by and large bloodied their scalps. My initial thought was that a 1.5 mm needle is a 1.5 mm needle and can go no deeper so how could there be a difference. However, then I realized that if you press the roller and therefore compact the scalp the needle will penetrate far deeper than 1.5 mm. When this occurs, I believe instead of getting a growth response, there is a scarring response: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17440346/ Micro-needling therefore likely requires gentle pressure or a much more exacting procedure.

      1. Okay Pinotq,

        How are your results so far? Do you use derma+MIN only? Because that would be comparable with the study.

        So they keep continuing it for 25 minutes (that’s a pretty long session!) without bleeding the scalp. Well it was not my goal to bleed, it just happened during the second and third session. Anyway, next time I will dermaroll longer and more gentle. Thanx for the info!

        As many of us, I am waiting for Follica to release.
        Even if it’s $€2.000 / $€2.500 a year, I would take it. Because it might maintain my hair for years, without depleting the donor (hairtransplant) and without scarring the donor (hairtransplant). If Follica would fail for me, I still could shave my head afterwards. Something that is not so sure in case of HT FUE scars.

      1. Here is the second study by Dhurat: http://www.e-ijd.org/article.asp?issn=0019-5154;year=2015;volume=60;issue=3;spage=260;epage=263;aulast=Dhurat. In this study, all 4 users had maintained on Fin & minox for at least 2 years with no new regrowth. They gained hair after micro needling. The take away with both Dhurat studies is not so much how much hair was gained but that 100% gained something……..so they at least maintained consistently plus some boost. There are other anecdotal examples of positive microneedle success if you scour the internet. But the most instructional are the Indian studies and I believe that Dr. Dhurat’s addition to the collaborative team at Follica legitimizes the studies if there was any doubt. And both of those studies clearly say gentle rolling mild reddening……….no blood. If you took a 1 inch needle and punctured a piece of 3 inch thick foam rubber, you could easily pierce thru all 3 inches if you press the foam together. Similarly, I believe if you press the roller, you will pierce way deeper than 1.5 mm. This is just amateur theory but it is at least a plausible explanation of why 100 +Dhurat trail participants had positive results and forum users did not. So I think letting the weight of the roller control the depth of the puncture, as opposed to much physical pressure might be advisable. Just a guess though. If you look at how small 1 mm is on a ruler, you can see how it wouldn’t take much to compress right thru several mm of scalp. Too early for me to tell yet. I use Fin and minox and have for years but fading fast now.

        1. FYI Netshed, I believe a microneedle pen to be less painful than a roller as they pierce straight down, although the better models are very expensive. The $100 models I tried were junk.

        2. Most of the users who try it knowingly exclude some component of the trial and then complain because they didn’t see results.

          It’s pretty obvious that with this stuff, the devil is in the details.

  8. Aclaris general Business update on August 8th. Live webcast will be available.

    Jak update? Nasa_rs? still alive?

      1. In my opinion, Aclaris won’t discuss any further with regards to AGA subject matter.

        This event is more of a financial targeted effort. Best case scenario, will be that Aclaris will just briefly mention their intention to further study JAK potential in relation to AGA.

        Having said that, I’m awaiting anxiously for Neil Walker to finally state whether JAK (Decernotinib, or any other variant), will be the real deal for all hairloss sufferers….even those who like me have lost all the turf on top.

  9. Has anyone tried derma rolling once per week WITHOUT minoxidil? I KNOW I’M GRASPING AT STRAWS HERE AS I CAN’T TOLERATE MINOX OR FIN. Anyone?

    1. Tom why not derma and then use peppermint oil and or rosemary oil both have had studies pointing to minox like growth it still seems anecdotal and more tests need to be had however there is a growing body of evidence they do work.

  10. The question comes through;
    in south Europe, South America and other sunny places where there shouldn’t be any vitamin D deficiency people loose hair too ..

    1. As far as I know the majority of Greeks have a genetic abnormality leading to D deficiency, despite the great number of sunny days.

  11. Hey admin,
    Wasn’t shiseido’s trial of RCH-01 supposed to be hitting the one year milestone around now? Have there been any updates that you’ve been aware of?

  12. @Richieron and Fadi: I used the peppermint oil but I didn’t dilute it and it became very intense. I washed it off and then diluted with castor oil. Did this last night and my scalp was itching just as much as ever. I’ll try again tomorrow.

    1. @Fadi.

      So…I based it partly on Histogen’s mechanism of action. It definitely worked, but it may have ruined my joints perhaps permanently due to the epicatechin. Now i strongly believe epicatechin must be cycled. I took it for like 11 months in a row and now think i should have taken higher dosages and not chronically.

      I used to do:

      Propecia (DHT/BMP)
      Ketokonazole weak strenght less than 1% (2-3 week) (DHT/BMP)
      LLT (VEGF/gene expression)
      L-Citruline (NOxide)
      200mg pure epicachin (VEGF/neovascularization/gene expression)
      Food based Multivitamin/multimineral/diet (nutrients)

      The anti DHT aspect is important since it makes it easier for follistatin to affect BMP.

      Recently about 3 months ago I took off epi and my progress slowed but i have not lost what i gained yet, so im hoping its permanent. I had pictures taken 3 months ago and the comparison vs a year ago is quite unbelievable similar to histogens picture with the asian guy. I have also started taking Biosil since a study showed increased hair diameter so it must be helping dermal papilla cells.

      1. Forgot to add the obvious epi (follistatin booster to kick off BMP this will enable growth factors to do their thing).

  13. I try to do exactly the same as during the dermarolling + MIN study. However, I have read that those guys also used FIN for at least 2 years.

    So it’s possible in my case that, IF I get regrowth AT ALL, the HF’s will have a hard time to grow, because I don’t use a a5r-blocker.

    In fact, I don’t expect anything in this industry anymore. Maybe Acell is our last hope at the moment. I mean, MD’s claim it even can regrow fingertips, then what about some follicles?!

    1. So actually, who is the best and most reliable Acell clinic in the US guys? If it’s a great city, I might book a flight, go for a holiday and go for an Acell treatment there. Without Acell, I don’t want to try PRP. Please let me know, which one …

      – Dr. Jerry Cooley
      – Dr. Jeffry Rapaport
      – Dr. John Cole
      – Dr. Gregory Greco
      – Dr. McGrath
      – Dr Amiya Prasad
      – …

      1. I had noticeable success twice with Dr. Cooley (but it fades within a year). He is very good and very professional. I also tried BioD Restore and it did absolutely nothing.

      2. Prasad is a hack. He promises huge gains from PRP and is sitting on a bunch of generic hair loss website names. Also charges $1000 just for a consult.

    2. In the first Dhurat study, there were participants who had used fin/minox in the past with no success. Both those who had used fin/minox in the past (and were no longer on it) and those who never used fin/minox had positive results. The second study was designed to determine whether those on fin/minox and were maintaining (and still on during the study) could grow more hair……..and they did. So according to Dhurat, they saw positive results for those who did not use fin/minox, those who had no success with fin/minox and those who had maintenance on fin/minox.

    1. I’m 5 weeks in with 1.5 mm with mild erythema and no blood using a pen for an average 25 minutes. With the pen, it doesn’t hurt for me. I find it sort of invigorating. I’ll keep you posted.

  14. This question is for mjones…. Do you remember when we spoke of the greek forum members success with wounding? Do you remember the link? I lost it

  15. https://www.baldtruthtalk.com/threads/13420-Dermarolling-Community-Trial/page235

    Here is the link. The pics are in the middle of the page somewhere in that thread. He definitely got good regrowth.

    Kerastem confuses me. 35 new hairs cm2. Sounds like a great breakthrough but these must vellus hairs and not terminal because nobody has ever posted such great results on these forums. So far the European Kerastem patients said that it didn’t work and that it was super expensive looks 6k. Seems a bit steep for price. I’ll pay 1k for it if it worked to thicken and stop further loss.

    1. exactly. And a 20 something % increase implying they used this on a place with roughly over 100 hairs/cm^2. Likely useless for bald areas. Follica is best chance of anything coming out relatively soon.

  16. Mjones: can you do me and some others a favor? Can you ask the guys over at BTT if they ended up having any success with derma rolling without minox or fin? I believe username “Just thinning” and I think a guy by the name elvis or something were/are trying without minox. Can you help? Thanks bro

  17. Hi Tom, unfortunately I don’t have an account on that site. I’m sure it didn’t work for them or else we would have heard about it. We just have to wait for follica.

  18. Mjones I can’t wait. I won’t have any hair left up top.. there was a guy names elvis that is using minox once per week and microneedling. I’m curious how he is doing. I don’t think follica will be around any time soon. Their pipeline has not changed in some time now.
    Pinotq please tell us your full regimen. I’m reading your last post and I don’t know if you are using minox or fin with the dermarolling.

    1. Tom, I am on fin and minox. I also use nizoral daily. I have used all 3 for over 15 years but am now fading at what seems like an accelerated rate. I tried dut for the past 2 years to slow things down but switched back to fin because I saw no benefit. Microneedleing is the last thing I will try until a new treatment is officially released. I have studied up on this from as many sources as I can find and am trying to replicate the process in detail. FYI. Follica used disruption alone as a control in one of its trials and it resulted in as much of an increase in hair as the lithium + disruption they were testing. So disruption alone would seem to at least maintain with some sort minimum increase if done correctly.

  19. 100 terminal hairs per square centimeter would be a cure 25 per square inch would not what is follica working with?

    1. Egghead. Follica is claiming 100 hairs cm2 not inch. The thing is 25 terminal and the rest neogenic hairs. What is considered neogenic is the big question. If it’s finer hait but grows long as terminal I’ll be happy but if it’s short vellous hair you see only up close in a mirror then it’s bad unless they can make those terminal overtime. I’ll still take 25 cm2 terminal plus maintenance and thickening of existing hair. That would save my ass. We just need something real, legit and cosmetically difference than current treatment. Something that will show you had a difference in hair coverage and growth by your friends. I want my friends to be like” bro…your hair has thickened up an man you don’t look bald no more….” or ” dude your hairline looks solid..filling in nicely ” not ” yo man that Rogaine ain’t doing man.”

  20. Tom….don’t worry about follica website. Follica has always been under the radar for clinical trials and pre trials. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are done with everything and getting their distribution ready for 2018 release. Now for the minox and microneedlimg….just try it. Buy a needle or roller and gently press it on your scalp then apply some minox. I’m sure it will work better than non needdling. Always use Propecia bro. If you don’t get sides hop on 1mg daily. It’s the only thing that stops hair loss at the root. Rogaine is a good addition. Don’t wait just do it and try it.

  21. Mjones I guess you forget my situation. I can’t tolerate fin or minox despite them both working well. It isn’t in my head. If you saw me when taking these drugs you would see I look very very tired amongst other things. It is what it is. I can’t use nizoral either. I used nizoral twice or so per week for many years with no problem until I hopped on fin and my system crashed. Since then if I use nizoral I crash for a few days and look awful with bad dark circles under my eyes and depressed….so I’m trying like hell to find something that can help with no sides. I use the laser comb with no success and micro roll once per week but I think that’s all I can do. If someone comes forward and says something to the effect of using minox once per week and micro needling increased their density then I’ll do it. It will make me sick for a couple days but I’ll put up with it. I just don’t want to try and and be sick for nothing. I need to know minox once per week with dermarolling or something similiar will definitely help.

  22. Hi Tom…not sure what other treatments are out there besides Propecia and minox. I’m surprised to hear that Nizoral gave you those sides. I never heard of anyone getting sides like that from niz. Only dry scalp or frizzy hair. You could try RU or stemoxydne. Dermatolling should help but if you aren’t using Rogaine daily not sure how effective it would be. You could try saw palmetto that might not give you sides like Propecia but not sure how effective it is. I heard people crush their Propecia tables and use it like a topical. Not sure how they do it but you could Google and see. That might work.

    1. Interesting discussion Bob. I note from the patent that the device is adjustable to penetrate to different levels. I also note that bleeding indicates penetration to a deeper level (See below). Since the device is designed to penetrate at multiple levels, there is obviously a purpose for each. It may be that deeper penetration should only be done at certain intervals as I have seen some reference to this in my research (i.e. not going over 2 mm more than once every 3-4 weeks). Until I know more, I will stick to the mild erythema indicated in the Indian studies. Here are some patent excerpts: “(…) For example, integumental perturbation can be controlled to limit perturbation to part or all of the epidermis, to part or all of the stratum corneum, or deeper into the papillary dermis, reticular dermis, and/or hypodermis. The occurrence of pinpoint bleeding would indicate removal of the stratum corneum, epidermis (or part thereof) and portions of the upper layer of the dermis, such as the superficial papillary dermis. The occurrence of increased bleeding would indicate deeper penetration (and thus perturbation) into the deeper papillary dermis and reticular dermis layer.”

      “(…) The depth of integumental perturbation depends on the thickness of the skin at a particular treatment area. For example, the skin of the eyelid is significantly thinner than that of the scalp. The occurrence of pinpoint bleeding indicates that the epidermis and portions of the dermis have been removed. Deeper penetration can result in much more bleeding, and the perturbation can go as deep as the hypodermis.
      Disruption of the papillary dermis can be detected by the appearance of small pinpoints of blood in the treated area.”

      1. This isn’t Follica…it’s a company called “Switch biotech” and is significantly behind Follica in term of a finished product…from what I gather anyways

  23. Not to veer off the topic of discussion but I always wondered why certain celebrities haven’t openly chosen to back some of these cutting edge companies on the verge of a hair loss discovery. Especially those like LeBron James who obviously would have their hair back if given the choice. You’d think if there was more open support on the topic more things could possibly get done but for some reason, as far as research goes, hair losss continues to be a taboo subject that always lacks the funding it needs. I hope one day a group of celebrities chooses to openly team up and start a campaign towards the funding of this specific research.

    1. Probably throwing money down the toilet. It takes vast vast amounts of money to fund this stuff probably too much for even a rich person like a lebron.
      In another year or two we will have breezula which is will be a pretty effective preventative cure for people looking to keep hair safely. FINALLY, we should have had a breezula about 15 years ago to be honest. Propecia is not a good thing to take long term IMO.

  24. @ANONYMOUS I agree 100%. They have leadership abilities far above what you or I could do to rally the troops. And that goes for any kind of situation.

    1. Celebs would never spend their money on future hair treatments. Can you imagine the crap they would get from everyone who doesnt suffer from hairloss? They would constantly be crapped on for caring more about cosmetic defects than actual diseases such as cancer or something. It would be bad for their image. Besides they can quietly get hair transplants and no one other than us is the wiser.

  25. And I’m curious to know if any of the doctors involved with testing samumed product are affiliated with the follica team. I did notice that the samumed poster mentions u penn philadelphia, which we all know is cotsarelis home turf.

    1. Woofy there will be no news, imo the cure i many many years away, they have so many unsolved problems….2030 for Tsuji is a very optmistic date, but not sooner

              1. “2030 for tsuji very optimistic date” jan are you for real? i’m getting annoyed because you’re comments just don’t make sense at all they are just negative unrealistic dramatic comments without any evidence i’m not sure if you’re trolling or not? last week we got very good news reguarding tsuji and he says trials will begin this year. do you not remember that? and i have said in past comments that tsuji will release no later then 2024 now i’m just going circles with you because we have already talked about this.

                1. Woofy, sorry, I’m not a troll. What else needs to be done in Dr. Tsuji’s method? will they be able to control the thickness of the hair?

    1. There is a link in there with “death totals” anchor text. UK recently reduced their death total by 5,000 due to overestimation. I would not be surprised if the US will do the same at some point in the future.

      In my state, they were counting homicides and suicides as Covid deaths if the dead person also had the virus upon autopsy. Later, they removed those numbers, but it makes me wonder how many other states do the same?

      Almost everyone agrees that China’s less than 5k death total is beyond sketchy. Same with Africa’s low numbers.

      Some people also think the numbers are sketchy because they are undercounting at-home Covid-19 deaths.

      Personally, I think there is overestimation rather than underestimation in the US.

  26. Is true that Covid patients have experienced hair loss. I was diagnosed with Covid-19 in March. My fever lasted 3 weeks and during this 3 weeks. I have lost a lot of hair. Mostly on the Top side. Before Covid , I was on medication, propecia & minoxidil & vitamin D3.
    And during Covid. I can’t take these hair loss medication. I was having fever. And the only medication for my fever is Panadol and rest.

    After 3 weeks. My hair loss was so much that I can see my entire scalp. Before that. I can’t see my scalp. Now I’m back with propecia , minoxdil & vitamin D3. But the gain was little.
    Is been more than 4 months since March.

    So do be careful. Wear a mask. Wash ur hands and don’t touch ur face if you are outside. Unless u sanitise ur hands.

  27. That study you linked was pretty interesting:

    – The average age of the cases was only 23 years old.
    – 86% percent of the cases had deficiency of vitamin D (<30 nmol/L)
    – The other 14% had insufficient vitamin D levels (31–50 nmol/L).

    So nobody that was bald had adequate vitamin D levels.

  28. Hello admin,

    Hope all is well. My apologies as this is very off topic but have you notice that the price for hair transplant are slowly going down. I been in an out of the hair loss world for over 10 years now and just recently here in London, Harley Street clinic are offering hair transplant at £1999.

    My question to you or anyone on here is; is this due to only how COVID 19 has affected the general economy or we will see a continual decline in pricing as more and more men are going for surgery?

    I hope this reached you and I wish you a very pleasant day :)

    1. Very interesting to hear and I did not know. Must be due to the overall bad economy and lockdowns this year. Otherwise, demand kept going up every year recently (see my July post on ISHRS stats).

      1. Thanks for the reply, I am just hoping the price wouldn’t just increase again if and when the economy does rise again. My only reason for this is, I want to perform a hair transplant in the near future and I am a diffuse thinner ( had great results from meds but now I’m losing ground) and I want to perform the surgery preferably in London where I can trust the surgeons more than let’s say Turkish based surgeon.
        Fingers crossed

    2. Or maybe they can feel that a real cure is near and therefore will try to squeeze as much as they can out of hopeless baldies:)

  29. IDK, I think if vitamin D plays any significant role in MPB it has nothing to do with your systemic vitamin D levels. It has everything to do with your hair DP cell receptors that actually convert the vitamin D inside the hair follicles.
    There have been studies saying vitamin D might be the issue but its genetic defect inside the follicle that is unable to use any vitamin D not the levels themselves.
    So its not really something you can fix by taking more vitamin D. I see many many chrome domes outside on beaches or sunburned bald heads so IDK about that theory

  30. 29 days of 10k iu vitamin d+k2 brand ZHOU I got at sprouts (amazon has it as well) I take it with a slice of Grassfed Butter. I never though hair would grow again on my hairline but black hairs are coming through. It’s crazy, not the reason I started vitamin D. I am 41.5 years of age for reference. Hoping it keeps up they are growing at normal rate of the rest of my hair. I’m not bald but I could use some more thickness. Just thought I’d share. *also I have been consuming Raw Local Milk 2 to 4 cups daily only 2 changes I’ve made.

  31. One more thing totally forgot. I practice semen retention look it up guys. Best thing you could ever do for yourself. Just trying to throw everything out that may help.

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