Hair Loss (2023) -Roger Mason

It is estimated that about 50 million men and 30 million women in the U.S. suffer from hair loss. After reviewing the international published literature on alopecia in Chemical Abstracts SciFinder for the last three decades, the first truly scientifically formulated product for supporting good scalp health in men has been developed. Hair loss in men and women is a very complex issue with a strong genetic component. Hair Again® is not a cure for baldness. It is the most complete formula available for supporting good scalp health in men. This product is not for women. Women can cure their hair loss with hormone balance, diet, and lifestyle. Women should read the article Balance Your Hormones. They should read my book Natural Health for Women. They should not use worthless supplements like Viviscal®. hers®, Nutrafol, Keranique, or minoxidil. Hair loss for them is emotionally, mentally, and psychologically catastrophic. We cannot change our genetic inheritance obviously. Not only is this a very multifactored issue, but each individual person is biologically unique. Therefore, we cannot generalize about the universal causes of hair loss. All factors must be dealt with. For example, to simply say that DHT (dihydrotestosterone) binding to follicles causes hair loss is oversimplifying the situation. Blood levels of DHT have not been shown to be clearly correlated with baldness. We need to find more natural ways to stop DHT binding to the follicles. Decreased blood flow to the follicles is another factor. Diet is a major factor. Stress is important. The side effects from prescription drugs are a major cause. Americans take more of these than anyone else. Chronic scalp inflammation is central to hair loss, but this has many causes. This is seen in such symptoms as dandruff, redness, dryness, itching, and flaking. Lack of  follicle nutrition is another basic factor in scalp inflammation. There are many causes yet to be discovered. There are no simple answers here for men.

Synthetic drugs, such as minoxidil, simply treat the symptom, while ignoring the cause. Minoxidil has been proven generally ineffective for decades now, as has oral finasteride (Propecia®). There are no current drugs that treat hair loss effectively. There are also no OTC products that have any value, despite the endless and incessant advertising claims. Hair transplants usually fail, and merely rob Peter to pay Paul. We cannot transplant hair from one person to another (like we do with internal organs such as hearts, kidneys, and livers) due to the rejection factor. The most promising remedy will be follicle cloning and stem cells. This will probably not be realistically available for another ten years or more. It will be very expensive. This still will not be a cure, but it will replace lost hair. Google "hair loss" to keep up on developments here, but beware of misleading ads promising results now with cloning and stem cells.

About 80% of existing hair is actively growing (anagen phase), while the other 20% is resting (telogen phase), or in transition (catalogen phase).  Again, hair loss is basically due to scalp (and follicle) inflammation. The hair follicles no longer get the proper nutrients and hormones they need. They lose their ability to grow new hair. Healthy scalps feel good- they simply feel stronger and healthier. The negative symptoms are itching, flaking, redness, dryness, irritation, and other such conditions. This is basically due to inflammation. Dormant hair follicles still have the potential to awaken and produce hair again. As inflammation subsides, less hair is lost. Once a follicle dies, however, it cannot be rejuvenated. A dead follicle is just that- dead.

Ideally, you should maintain youthful levels of all your basic hormones. Read the Balance Your Hormones article. As men age, their testosterone level falls, and their estrogens (estradiol and estrone) rise. The testosterone-to-estrogen ratio reverses. This is a major cause of hair loss. Keeping a youthful blood level of testosterone is one way to stop the DHT from binding to the follicles. Men over 50 generally have higher estrogen levels than their postmenopausal wives! Melatonin, pregnenolone, DHEA, and growth hormone levels usually fall in both men and women as they age. The thyroid hormones T3 and T4 often fall, especially the latter. Low thyroid function is a known cause of hair loss (read the Thyroid Health article). Progesterone falls in both men and women, and is the basic protection from unopposed estrogen levels. Our thymus glands literally disappear as we age, but there is no real effective way to replace thymus function. There are no thymus hormones we can take. Blood sugar dysfunction, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes are epidemic now, and certainly have causative effects on hair loss. Keep your blood sugar below 85, and your insulin at 4-5. Your HbA1c should be at 4.7 or lower. All in all, you should try to test and balance your basic hormones as you age for optimal health and good hair growth. You can now do this with inexpensive saliva test kits, and Internet labs, without a doctor. Always remember that hair loss is a symptom of problems with our general health. Deal with the cause, not the symptom. Think whole body health, and not "hair loss".

Topical testosterone and DHEA are not used to stimulate hair growth, as no research has shown them to help. Topical thyroid hormones T3 and T4 may well have potential to stimulate the hair follicles, but these are prescription drugs, and cannot be put into an over the counter formula. Using estradiol and estrone would make hair loss worse, since American men and women generally tend to have excessive estrogen levels as they age. Estriol, the “good” and “safe” estrogen, will not promote hair growth in women. Growth hormone would be potential addition to any topical hair gel, but is a prescription drug. Actually, GH cannot be used, as it has a very short shelf life (7 days) after being reconstituted. Also, rubbing it into your scalp would break the 191 chain amino acid molecule, and render it useless.

Anyone over the age of 40 should treat their whole body, and consider take the 17 proven natural supplements. Read the Serious Supplement Program article. Anyone under the age of 40 should take the eight proven supplements, plus glutamine. Read Supplements for Younger People.

Good diet is all important. Americans eat 42% fat calories, and most of these are saturated animal fats. We also eat 160 pounds of various sugars every year. We eat twice the protein we need. We eat twice the calories we need. Nearly all our grains are refined, and we only eat 1% whole grains. We eat few green and yellow vegetables. Take milk and dairy products out of your diet (everyone is lactose intolerant after weaning). Stop eating red meat, poultry, and eggs. End any bad habits such as coffee, tobacco, and alcohol.  Stop using recreational drugs, including marijuana. Stop taking prescription drugs. Read the Most Medicated Nation article. Eat more whole grains, beans, fresh green and yellow vegetables, seafood, soups and salads. Remember you want your whole body to be healthy and well- your scalp is just one part of your entire physical health. Obesity is certainly one of the many factors in hair loss, and overweight people have less hair. Please read my book, Macrobiotics for Everyone to learn more about natural diet, supplements, hormones, exercise, and fasting. You can eat all you want, never be hungry, and stay slim all your life if you’ll just make better food choices.

It is important to realize that no “exogenous” products are effective, as they lose their value after about six months. This must be emphasized. Exogenous simply means substances that do not naturally exist in our bodies or in common food. Read the Endogenous Supplements article. Only endogenous products can be used. Therefore, the use of such exogenous supplements as aloe vera, rosemary, curcumin, nettles, saw palmetto, horse-tail, camphor, anise, grape seed (or skin) extract, plantain, Pygeum, arnica, evening prim-rose, jojoba oil, nettles, peppermint, milk thistle, gingko, fo ti, gotu kola, hawthorn, borage oil, green tea, and the like cannot be used. When you see useless ingredients like this in a formula, you know it is merely an advertising promotion rather than a scientifically formulated product that is going to give you real world results.

Only “endogenous” substances can be used in any topical hair loss formula. Endogenous means ones that exist naturally in our bodies and/or in the common food we eat. Amino acids are endogenous, but none of them has shown any value when applied topically for stimulating hair growth. For example, topical L-arginine solution is a popular myth for stimulating hair growth. We only need very small amounts of endogenous nutrients applied directly to the hair follicles. A good rule of thumb for many of these is to have a daily oral dose that is used for a month of topical application (e.g. 100 mg of CoQ10 would be used topically for 30 days).

Minerals are not included in this formulation as they should be taken internally. Minerals are vital here, but should not be applied topically. You should have healthy blood levels of all the known needed minerals. The only real mineral formula in the world with the 17 minerals you need in the biologically required amounts is All Your Minerals^®. This includes calcium, magnesium, iron, selenium, copper, chromium, iodine, molybdenum, zinc, manganese, vanadium, boron, silica, strontium, nickel, tin, and cobalt. All health problems are due in part to mineral deficiency, and this includes alopecia. For more information please read my booklet The Minerals You Need.

There are only 13 vitamins, and you should get these orally in a daily multi-vitamin. Ten of these are water soluble. Use methyl cobalamin instead of B-12. The three oil soluble vitamins, however, have shown powerful topical properties- vitamins A, D and E. Topical biotin is a myth.

There are eleven endogenous supplements in Hair Again®, in the biologically significant amounts that will feed the hair follicles. This is the most complete topical formula available. Each one of these is normally found in our bodies, and/or the everyday foods we eat. Let’s discuss each of them:

BETA GLUCAN- the most powerful immune enhancer known to science, and more effective than interferon alpha. Please read my book What Is Beta Glucan? for more information. 100 mg of actual beta glucan is in every jar. Beta glucan has powerful topical properties that help lower inflammation. Low follicular immune function is a major cause of poor follicle metabolism This helps reduce scalp inflammation.

CoQ10- the premier anti-oxidant (ubiquinone) has such impressive science behind it and now is being used topically. The CoQ10 levels in our cells fall as we age. This costs $800 a kilogram. A full 100 mg per jar. Every month more studies show the powerful benefits of CoQ10 supplementation as we age. Ubiquinol is a scam with no shelf life.

GLUTATHIONE- is one of the two (S.O.D. is the other) most important anti-oxidants in our bodies. Topical use of glutathione also has the potential to match the proven internal benefits. 100 mg per jar. Glutathione is anti-inflammatory, and scavenges dangerous free radicals.

LIPOIC ACID- has many proven topical uses, as well as internal ones. Our lipoic acid levels fall as we age. This is one of the most important supplements to use for diabetes and blood sugar disorders. 100 mg per jar. The supports your scalp metabolism and re-stores youthful dermal levels of lipoic acid.

PROGESTERONE- is not a feminine hormone at all, since it opposes and balances excess estrogens in both men and women. Estradiol and estrone are the feminizing hormones. Men over 50 generally have more estrogen in their blood than their postmenopausal wives! This excess estrogen is a basic cause of baldness, obesity, cancers, diabetes, impotence, and other male aging problems. Supplemental progesterone has shown medical benefits in men with prostate disease and other conditions. 30 mg per jar of real USP progesterone per jar. A very anti-inflammatory hormone.

VITAMIN E- is one of the most important vitamins for healthy skin. The internal and external uses of vitamin E have been known for decades now. 30 IU per jar which is the Recommended Daily Allowance. Vitamin E is very good for your skin and scalp.

QUERCETIN- is a powerful antioxidant found in our daily food. The potential topical uses of this are very promising and are just starting to be investigated. This is a very underutilized and effective antioxidant. The published literatures on the internal benefits are most impressive. 10 mg per jar, which equals more than the average daily dietary intake. More is not better.

MELATONIN- is the anti-aging and anti-oxidant hormone that regulates our biological clock. The anti-aging and healing properties of melatonin are being clinically demonstrated all over the world. Finally we have seen this has dramatic topical powers for better skin health. Melatonin levels fall badly in our blood and our skin as we age, from our teens. 3,000 mcg per jar.

VITAMIN A- Retinyl palmitate, or retinol-A, is the most important of all vitamins for the skin. 5,000 IU per jar. This is the safe and natural form of the prescription drug RetinA®. The science on topical vitamin A goes back decades. Vitamin A has soothing and anti-inflammatory properties.

VITAMIN D- is really a hormone, and most people around the world are deficient in this. Vitamin D is basically not found in our food. The topical value of vitamin D has been well proven in the scientific community, especially for chronic skin conditions like psoriasis. 1,000 IU of vitamin D3 are in every jar. Vitamin D helps reduce inflammation.

PREGNENOLONE- is a powerful and very overlooked anti-aging hormone. This is one of our very basic hormones, and falls after the age of 40 in men and women. This is in the Miraculous Cream® due to it’s benefits for skin health. This was added in 2018. 50 mg per jar.

We wanted to add 1% adensosine, as there area good published human studies on it. This caused scalp irritation in some people however.  You may see ingredients in other hair loss formulas not included here. That is because these are advertising gimmicks with no science behind them. Hair Again^® is the only formulation based on the international scientific research over the last thirty years. All eleven ingredients are present in the amounts needed to feed the hair follicles. Use this daily to feed and nourish your dormant follicles. You cannot revive dead follicles. Many people are happy just to keep the hair they have. No product can guarantee to grow hair obviously. For best results eat well, take proven supplements, balance your basic hormones, exercise regularly, fast weekly, end any bad habits (like coffee) you may have, and drop any Rx drugs. Think whole body, holistic health, and not merely hair growth. Read the article Seven Steps to Natural Health. Do all seven with no excuses. Natural health is about diet and lifestyle.

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