Testosterone and Hair Loss: What You Need to Know

[Andy Peloquin]

Testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) is one of the most effective methods for treating hypogonadism, erectile and sexual dysfunction. Sadly, as with any treatment, a minority of men may experience hair loss.

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A small but concerning percentage of men (mostly under 45 years of age and with genetic predisposition to hair loss) undergoing TRT begin to notice that their scalp hair tends to thin drastically within 3 to 6 months of the hormone therapy. This isn't the case with all men, and it's still not quite clear WHY men undergoing TRT begin to lose their hair although some studies speculate that one of testosterone's main metabolites, DHT, may exert negative effects on hair follicles. However, if you're unlucky enough to fall into the "going bald" category, you may be wondering what to do. After all, you can't stop the TRT, but you don't want to have to continue to lose your hair. It's like being caught between a rock and a hard place! What can you do?

Many men turn to Rogaine (Minoxidil) or Propecia (Finasteride) as a means of combatting hair loss. These are the two most popular anti-balding topical drugs, the ones that receive the most media attention and advertising time.

But, one thing you need to understand is that they may not be the best solution in your case. Why is that? Two words: drug interactions.

Oral Finasteride, the medical name for Propecia, is designed to block dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an androgen hormone that is believed to play a large role in hair loss. However, while it may help to combat balding, it may contribute to low sperm count, impotence, and a number of other significant (and terrible) side effects. The medication may reduce the effectiveness of the TRT, as it's essentially blocking another form of testosterone. You may not be able to stop the hair loss, and you'll only make your testosterone replacement therapy less effective.

If you're looking for another solution to combat hair loss, here are a few alternatives to consider:

Rogaine

Unlike Propecia, Rogaine doesn't come with all the negative side effects. This OTC treatment is a topical one rather than oral, so it is applied directly to the scalp as a means of combatting male pattern baldness--or, in this case, baldness as a result of the testosterone replacement therapy.

Note: Consult your doctor before using Rogaine while on TRT.

How does it work? Rogaine helps to increase the flow of blood to your scalp and hair follicles, preventing the follicles from shrinking--basically jump-starting them and getting them back into working order. The topical treatment is very unlikely to interact negatively with oral medications (or topical testosterone), so it should be fairly safe for your use.

Bonus: There are a few preparations of Rogaine that have been fortified with Propecia, which may prove even more effective at combating hair loss. The addition of finasteride can help to maintain hair density, though it's usually only used after taking oral finasteride. However, it won't be absorbed into your body, just directly to your scalp. Topical finasteride (Propecia) mixed with Rogaine is far less likely to cause negative side effects, and may be safe to use while on TRT. Consult your doctor before using.

Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix Injections

In 2014, a study was published in the journal Facial Plastic Surgery, detailing the results of using platelet-rich fibrin matrix as a means of treating hair loss.

Platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PFRM) is a mixture made by separating the red and white blood cells from the platelets and plasma. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, " It is collected in a vacuum-sealed collection tube with a thixotropic separator gel, and the tube is centrifuged for 6 minutes at 1100 rpm. This process separates the red and white blood cells from the plasma and platelets, which are then transferred in a closed system to a second tube containing calcium chloride; it is this small amount of calcium that initiates the fibrinogen cleavage and the fibrin polymerization."

In the Facial Plastic Surgery study, 15 men and women with androgenetic alopecia were given injections of PFRM three times a month over the course of 1 year. During that time, their hair density indexes were monitored. After just 1 year, hair density indices increased significantly, meaning the patients' hair grew thicker and more dense on the scalp.

For those looking to combat the hair loss resulting from TRT injections, PFRM may be a viable, safe option to consider.

Fat Stem Cell Injections

In a 2015 meeting of the ISHRS, a Spanish doctor presented clinical data regarding the use of Kerastem regenerative cells as a means of treating genetic alopecia in both men and women. The injections enriched fatty (adipose) tissue in the patients, and all 9 of the patients showed a positive response to the injections. Hair count and density improved by an average of 29% in the men with early grade hair loss, and an average of 17% for all of the subjects studied.

Latanaprost

Latanaprost is a medication used to help regrow eyelashes that have fallen out as a result of thyroid disorders or stress. However, studies have shown that the hair re-growth benefits extend beyond just the eyelashes, but the medication can even help to replenish hair that has been lost from the head.
A 2012 study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that latanaprost "significantly increased hair density (terminal and vellus hairs) at 24 weeks". Essentially, it could help to stimulate activity in the hair follicles, making it a potentially effective treatment for hair loss. Best of all, there should be no negative interactions with the TRT, as it is another topical treatment.

For more information, visit: https://www.excelmale.com/?s=46-Options-for-Hair-Loss-Beyond-Propecia

 

[Nelson Vergel]

There are medications available which have shown to be effective for the treatment of alopecia when applied topically to the scalp. These medications are available at compounding pharmacies who specialize in making custom medication formulas, by combining different ingredients into one solution.

Doctors who specialize in hair loss have partnered with various compounding pharmacies to design topical formulas which effectively treat, prevent, and reverse hair thinning and loss depending on the cause. Many of these formulas are available at Empower Pharmacy and can be customized based on your condition, and the cause of that condition. Empower is one of the only pharmacies licensed in 50 states to ship medications. A prescription is required to purchase these formulas.
There are medications available which have shown to be effective for the treatment of alopecia when applied topically to the scalp. These medications are available at compounding pharmacies who specialize in making custom medication formulas, by combining different ingredients into one solution.

Doctors who specialize in hair loss have partnered with various compounding pharmacies to design topical formulas which effectively treat, prevent, and reverse hair thinning and loss depending on the cause. Many of these formulas are available at Empower Pharmacy and can be customized based on your condition, and the cause of that condition. Empower is one of the only pharmacies licensed in 50 states to ship medications. A prescription is required to purchase these formulas.
There are medications available which have shown to be effective for the treatment of alopecia when applied topically to the scalp. These medications are available at compounding pharmacies who specialize in making custom medication formulas, by combining different ingredients into one solution.

Doctors who specialize in hair loss have partnered with various compounding pharmacies to design topical formulas which effectively treat, prevent, and reverse hair thinning and loss depending on the cause. Many of these formulas are available at Empower Pharmacy and can be customized based on your condition, and the cause of that condition. Empower is one of the only pharmacies licensed in 50 states to ship medications. A prescription is required to purchase these formulas.

New Hair Loss Formulations from Empower Pharmacy

 

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Platelet-Rich Injections Improve Hair Loss in Alopecia

 

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Drug used to grow eyelashes also helps scalp hair growth

 

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Other options:

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Hair Loss, Thyroid and Mitochondrial Function

 

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Topical Therapies for Hair Loss

 

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Drug used to grow eyelashes also helps scalp hair growth

 

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Andro-Block 2 for Hair Loss


Common male pattern baldness (MPB) or Androgenetic Alopecia is responsible for more than 95% of hair loss in men. By their mid-thirties, approximately two-thirds of American men will show a significant amount of hair loss, and by the time they reach 50 roughly 85% of men will have noticeably thinning hair (1).

The odds of getting through your thirties with a healthy head of hair are against you.

Fortunately, science hasn't just discovered many of the mechanisms that cause hair loss but has also revealed the most effective treatments to not only prevent hair loss before it becomes a problem – but to actually regrow your hair(2).

How DHT Affects Your Hair


The chances that you'll keep a full head of hair as you age depend on how sensitive you are to a chemical called dihydrotestosterone or simply DHT (3).

Let's start by taking a look at what DHT isn't; DHT isn't a toxic substance, and without it, we couldn't be men in the first place. DHT is simply a modified, more active form of the masculinizing hormone testosterone (4, 5).

DHT is what helps develop male sex organs in fetuses— it's needed to make us healthy baby boys at birth. As a sex steroid it also does the work of transforming us into grown men during puberty; DHT lowers our voices and gives us our body hair (5).

Unfortunately for many of us, this essential hormone comes at a price.

DHT can also bind to our hair follicles, shrinking them so that hair grows in progressively thinner and weaker – eventually ceasing to grow at all (6).

Andro-Block 2 Effectively Stops the Effects of DHT


Andro-Block 2 contains two extremely effective ingredients to block the follicle destroying effects of DHT that bring on male pattern baldness.

Andro-Block 2 contains minoxidil and azelaic acid to mitigate the effects of DHT on your hair follicles by acting synergistically to both inhibit 5-alpha-reductase (7) and augment the growth phase of the typical hair growth cycle (8).

Quick Facts about Hair Growth


Your scalp is home to about 150,000 hair follicles. Around 90% of your hair is in the anagen or growing phase of a 4-step hair growth cycle at any time.

Throughout this cycle, the hairs on your head will be in different stages of growth and shedding (9).

1. Anagen (Growing Phase): This phase typically lasts 2-7 years, and the length of this phase determines how long your hair can be.

2. Catagen (Transition Phase): A transitional phase that lasts approximately ten days. At this stage, your hair follicle shrinks in size and becomes detached from the dermal papilla.

3. Telogen (Resting Phase): During the resting phase - which usually lasts around three months; about 15% of the hair on your scalp is in this phase at any point in time. While your old hair is in the resting phase, a new hair will begin its growing phase.

4. Exogen (Shedding Phase): This is a continuation of the resting phase when the old hair will be detached and sheds as new hair continues to grow. Typically, 50 to 150 of individual hairs can fall out daily in a healthy person.

When DHT binds to the hair follicle, it can interrupt this critical hair growth cycle by shrinking follicles and progressively shortening the growth phase; preventing new hairs from growing sufficiently to replace the old hairs that are shed.

How Azelaic Acid Restores Hair Growth


Azelaic acid is commonly found in grains but is also produced naturally by the yeast that lives on healthy skin. It's used to brighten skin tone, visibly improve skin texture and reduce the visibility of blemishes. It can also act as a powerful antioxidant. Commonly used to treat acne, research has demonstrated that azelaic acid has certain properties that make it an effective hair loss treatment.

Azelaic acid does this by acting as a specific competitive inhibitor of a chemical called type 2 5-alpha reductase that is used in the body to convert testosterone into DHT. To successfully convert testosterone into DHT, 5-alpha reductase has to bind to testosterone first – azelaic acid prevents that from happening (10).

Since we know that high levels of DHT in your scalp can shrink hair follicles to cause male pattern hair loss, the azelaic acid in Andro-Block 2 will act to actually prevent the testosterone in your scalp from converting into its follicle shrinking form (10).

Minoxidil for a Full Head of Hair


Originally, minoxidil was first used as a prescription drug for the treatment of high blood pressure that came with a very curious side effect; new hair growth (11). Minoxidil works to relieve hypertension by acting as a strong vasodilator. This means that it opens and relaxes blood vessels enough to reduce the force with which blood is pumped through them (11, 12).

As the hair growing properties of minoxidil became common knowledge, the drug's potential as a treatment for hair loss quickly overshadowed its initial use in lowering high blood pressure.

It's thought that the mechanism that causes reduced blood pressure; the vasodilation of blood vessel by stimulating the release of nitric oxide (which is known to widen the diameter of the vessels) is responsible for the scientifically demonstrated effectiveness of Minoxidil in stimulating hair regrowth (13).

Minoxidil was the first breakthrough, reliably successful treatment for hair loss that balding men and women could turn to for the restoration of healthy, attractive hair.

Andro-Block 2 contains the minoxidil that sufferers of male pattern baldness and significant hair thinning need to improve their appearance with renewed hair growth.

A Winning Combination


Instead of purchasing azelaic acid and minoxidil topical preparations separately – you can reap the benefits of these two powerful hair growth stimulators in one carefully formulated product.

Why go through the hassle of applying two different solutions to your scalp and worrying about smearing off one while you're applying another – or worse – having to remember which one you used first during the day?

Andro-Block 2 contains the concentrations of both minoxidil and azelaic acid necessary to give you the best results. The combination of these ingredients in Andro-Block 2 results in a more efficient and effective method to reduce your levels of DHT; significantly speeding up the process of hair regrowth (7, 8).


1) Rhodes T, Girman CJ, Savin RC, Kaufman KD, Guo S, Lilly FR, Siervogel RM, Chumlea WC. Prevalence of male pattern hair loss in 18-49 year old men. Dermatol Surg. 1998 Dec;24(12):1330-2.

2) Clinical Methods: The History, Physical, and Laboratory Examinations. 3rd edition. Walker HK, Hall WD, Hurst JW, editors. Boston: Butterworths; 1990.

3) Cultured dermal papilla cells from androgen-dependent human hair follicles (e.g. beard) contain more androgen receptors than those from non-balding areas of scalp. V. A. Randall, M. J. Thornton and A. G. Messenger. Journal of Endocrinology.

4) Best Practice & Research Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism Volume 25, Issue 2, April 2011, Pages 221-238. Rodolfo A.ReyMD, PhD (Senior Researcher, Professor) and Romina P.GrinsponMD(Paediatric Endocrinologist, Research Fellow).

5) Androgen-stimulated pubertal growth: the effects of testosterone and dihydrotestosterone on growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-I in the treatment of short stature and delayed puberty B S Keenan G E Richards S W Ponder J S Dallas M Nagamani E R SmithThe Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 76, Issue 4, 1 April 1993, Pages 996–1001

6) Dermatologic Therapy, Randall, Valerie Anne Androgens and hair growth. Dermatologic Therapy 21 5 Blackwell Publishing Inc 1529-8019

7) J. Med. Chem., 1993, 36 (3), pp 421–423 DOI: 10.1021/jm00055a014 Publication Date: February 1993

8) Messenger, A.G. and Rundegren, J. (2004), Minoxidil: mechanisms of action on hair growth. British Journal of Dermatology, 150: 186–194. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2133.2004.05785.x

9) Plikus, Maksim V., and Cheng-Ming Chuong. “Complex Hair Cycle Domain Patterns and Regenerative Hair Waves in Living Rodents.” The Journal of investigative dermatology 128.5 (2008): 1071–1080. PMC. Web. 7 Sept. 2017.

10) Passi S , Picardo M , De Luca C , Nazzaro-Porro M Giornale Italiano di Dermatologia e Venereologia : Organo Ufficiale, Societa Italiana di Dermatologia e Sifilografia [01 Oct 1989, 124(10):455-463]

11) Evelyn E.VanderveenM.D.Charles N.EllisM.D.SewonKangM.P.H.PatriceCaseM.D.John T.HeadingtonM.D.John J.VoorheesM.D.Neil A.SwansonM.D. Topical minoxidil for hair regrowth. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology Volume 11, Issue 3, September 1984, Pages 416-421

12) Lachgar, Charveron, Gall and Bonafe (1998), Minoxidil upregulates the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in human hair dermal papilla cells. British Journal of Dermatology, 138: 407–411. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2133.1998.02115.x

13) ORASAN, MEDA SANDRA et al. “Hair Loss and Regeneration Performed on Animal Models.” Clujul Medical 89.3 (2016): 327–334. PMC. Web. 7 Sept. 2017.

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[Nelson Vergel]

Regrow Hair with Andro-Block P For Women


The most commonly experienced type of hair loss is a condition that is called androgenetic alopecia (1). This particular type of hair loss can be suffered by both men (it affects 30-50% of men by age 50) and women; where the fact is that fewer than 45% of women will manage to go through life with a full head of hair.

More commonly used terms for androgenetic alopecia are “male pattern balding” and “female pattern hair loss.” Androgenetic alopecia will cause hair loss at the crown and front of the head in men and thin the hair over a woman's entire scalp (1).

This hair loss happens due to a genetic predisposition to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) sensitivity (2). Although testosterone is a hormone typically associated with men, women will also produce low levels of testosterone in their bodies. The dihydrotestosterone will bind to receptors in your hair follicles, shrinking them and making it difficult for healthy hair to thrive.

For many people losing their hair, it can be a shocking experience.

Unfortunately, there is an army of snake-oil salesmen ready to part you from your hard earned cash on ‘natural treatments' that are both ineffective and a waste of your time/money. But, there are proven treatments available that will help to not only prevent further hair loss but even regrow your lost hair.

The ingredients in Andro-Block P have been proven effective in treating hair loss by a broad range of scientific studies.

Let's learn a bit about the hair growth cycle and discover how the ingredients in Andro-Block P can give you youthful looking, healthier, and more abundant hair.

The Hair Growth Lifecycle


You should be familiar with your hair growth cycle so you can better understand how hair loss problems can prevent you from maintaining a healthy head of hair.

The hair growth cycle consists of distinct stages:

Anagen Phase


Human hair grows approximately half an inch each month, and grows faster in the summer than during the winter months. This growth phase can last an average of 3-5 years; making a full-length hair between 18-30 inches.

Catagen Phase


At the end of the anagen phase; your hair enters the catagen phase. This is just a short transitional period that will last roughly 10 days.

Telogen Phase


Finally, your hair begins the telogen phase. This is a resting phase when hair is also released from the scalp and falls out (shedding).

In this phase, the follicle can remain inactive for up to 3 months until the whole growth cycle process is repeated. Every one of your hair follicles is independent of the rest, and will go through this growth cycle at different times; otherwise you'd shed all your at the same time.

Ordinarily a healthy individual will shed between 80-150 hairs per day.

Hair loss, hair thinning and problems with hair growth will occur when this growth cycle is disrupted by illness, malnutrition or conditions like androgenetic alopecia caused by DHT.

How Does Andro-Block P Help You Regrow Hair?


Andro-Block P contains 3 powerful follicle protecting and hair restoring ingredients that work synergistically to treat the most common causes of both male and female pattern baldness:

• Sensitivity to DHT
• Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), which causes hormonal imbalances in women
• Genetic predisposition to baldness

By combining ketoconazole, progesterone, and spironolactone; Andro-Block P powerfully inhibits hair follicle damage due to DHT sensitivity and hormone imbalances while creating a positive environment for renewed hair growth.

Ketoconazole


Ketoconazole (KCZ), originally used for seborrheic dermatitis, dandruff and as an anti-fungal medication, has also been found to be effective in stimulating new hair growth when applied topically. In a paper published in The Journal of Dermatology (3); a study was conducted to quantitatively examine the stimulatory effect of KCZ on hair growth in a mouse model.

Researchers clipped the coat hairs on the dorsal skin of seven week-old male mice and either a 2% KCZ solution in 95% ethanol or a placebo was topically applied once daily for three weeks. The clipped area was then photographed, and the ratio of re-grown coat area was calculated. The results showed that just 2% KCZ had a significant effect on stimulating new hair growth (3).

Even though the exact mechanism of topical KCZ for hair growth is not clearly understood, evidence suggests that KCZ acts as an androgen receptor suppressor (4).

Further tests conducted on human test subjects in Japan (4), strongly suggest that topical application of KCZ is an effective and safe treatment for both hair regression and male pattern hair loss (4).

The KCZ in Andro-Block P has been scientifically proven to encourage renewed hair growth.

Progesterone


Progesterone is a critical hormone produced by the female body. Progesterone acts as a precursor in the production of other vital hormones, such as estrogen and cortisone.

Progesterone-based hair restoration therapy is demonstrably effective in treating hair loss according to multiple studies (5). It's believed that progesterone acts by inhibiting an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, the enzyme needed to convert testosterone into DHT (5). Specifically; progesterone will prevent DHT from forming in the first place by blocking the action of 5-alpha reductase (6).

Certain other studies have also suggested that progesterone could have a significant effect on human hair growth beyond its ability to prevent testosterone from converting into DHT (7).

Higher levels of estrogens during pregnancy are thought to be the reason for an increase in the ratio of hair follicles in the growing phase of the female hair growth cycle. It's also true that after giving birth (when progesterone levels decrease), these new follicles enter a resting phase that results in increased hair shedding and temporary hair thinning (7, 8).

Andro-Block P contains the progesterone that both blocks production of DHT and creates a hormonal environment in your scalp that encourages hair regrowth (8).

Spironolactone


Spironolactone is a powerful androgen receptor blocker, and when applied topically can prevent DHT from attaching to both hair follicles and oil glands (9).

Spironolactone can effectively prevent DHT from binding to androgen receptors in your follicles and stimulating your body's immune response to attack your own hair. Although the reason for this isn't clearly understood, topical spironolactone is a scientifically verified way to stop DHT from causing a follicle destroying immune response (10).

Unlike Propecia, another popular hair growth treatment that also reduces DHT levels, topically applied spironolactone has no systematic effects that can create hormone imbalances that cause sexual side effects (11). Recent studies all confirm that topical spironolactone is completely safe for men and has no systemic side effects in human test subjects (12)

The spironolactone in Andro-Block P is effective and safe.



1) Olsen EA. Androgenetic alopecia. In: Disorders of hair growth: Diagnosis and treatment, Olsen EA (Ed), McGraw-Hill, New York 1994. p.257.

2) Biochemical Roles of Testosterone and Epitestosterone to 5α-Reductase as Indicators of Male-Pattern Baldness.

3) Jiang, J., Tsuboi, R., Kojima, Y. and Ogawa, H. (2005), Topical Application of Ketoconazole Stimulates Hair Growth in C3H/HeN Mice. The Journal of Dermatology, 32: 243–247. doi:10.1111/j.1346-8138.2005.tb00756.x.

4) Shigeki Inui'Correspondence information about the author Shigeki InuiEmail the author Shigeki Inui, Satoshi Itami. Department of Regenerative Dermatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2, G2, Yamadaoka, Suita-shi, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

5) Dewis P, Newman M, Anderson DC. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1984 Oct;21(4):383-92.

6) Mauvais-Jarvir, Frederique et al.The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 38, Issue 1, 1 January 1974, Pages 142–147.

7) Stevenson, Susan, and Julie Thornton. “Effect of Estrogens on Skin Aging and the Potential Role of SERMs.” Clinical Interventions in Aging 2.3 (2007): 283–297. Print.

8) Wallace, Michael L. M.D.; Smoller, Bruce R. M.D. American Journal of Dermatopathology: April 1998 - Volume 20 - Issue 2 - pp 160-163 Articles

9) Berardesca E, Gabba P, Ucci G, Borroni G, Rabbiosi G. Int J Tissue React. 1988;10(2):115-9.

10) Grant, Paul, and Shamin Ramasamy. “An Update on Plant Derived Anti-Androgens.” International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism 10.2 (2012): 497–502. PMC. Web. 5 Sept. 2017.

11) Michael S. Irwig, MD, Department of Medicine, The George Washington University, 2150 Pennsylvania Ave NW, Suite 3-416, Washington, DC 20037, USA. Tel: 2027412489; Fax: 2027412490.

12) Rey FO1, Valterio C, Locatelli L, Ramelet AA, Felber JP. Lack of endocrine systemic side effects after topical application of spironolactone in man. J Endocrinol Invest. 1988 Apr;11(4):273-8.

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[Nelson Vergel]

Thoughts about propecia topical solution

 

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Options for Hair Loss Beyond Propecia