Does Honokiol (an Inhibitor Of 5-alpha-reductase Type 1) Helps Against Hairloss?

[Saulus]

I have it from a study against skin ageing where it also seems to be affective..


"In men, the level of testosterone decreases with age. At the skin level, the result is observed as a decrease in density and in a lower elasticity. Identifying compounds that are able to increase the level of testosterone appears to be an attractive strategy to develop new antiaging bioactive ingredients for men. Reverse pharmacognosy was successfully applied to identify new natural compounds able to modulate testosterone levels. Among several in silico hits, honokiol was retained as a candidate as it has the greatest potential to become an active ingredient. This result was then validated in vitro on aromatase and 5-alpha-reductase type 1 and 2, which are two types of enzymes implicated in the degradation of free testosterone. Indeed, honokiol was identified as an inhibitor of aromatase, with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) of about 50 μM. In addition, honokiol was shown to be an inhibitor of 5-alpha-reductase type 1, with an IC50 of about 75 μM. Taken together, these data indicate that honokiol modulates testosterone levels, and its structure has the potential to serve as a lead for future designs of highly selective inhibitors of 5-alpha-reductase type 1."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3459575/


The question is: does it helps against hairloss?

@IdealForehead

@Afro_Vacancy

 

[IdealForehead]

Found this article on it in general:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3769637/

Sounds like a good supplement! I will give it a try. Thanks.

But I have to clarify what they say in your post about testosterone and male skin aging.

Testosterone has a lot of effects on the skin and many may not be positive. In wound healing testosterone is pro inflammatory and there are rat studies showing that giving rats flutamide accelerates their wound healing by blocking androgens at the wound.

Bodybuilders who use steroids which are extra strong androgens commonly complain that they prematurely age and wrinkle on these agents. If androgens were anti aging they'd look better not worse on steroids.

So I don't know if everyone knows what good or bad androgens offer for the skin in general, but this supplement probably couldn't hurt any of it if what they're saying is true about it.

 

[InBeforeTheCure]

Not on its own. Unlike selective 5ar type II inhibitors finasteride, selective 5ar type I inhibitors don't work for A.G.A.

Human type 1 5α-reductase (5α-R) is the enzyme that converts testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in non-genital skin and sebaceous glands. A specific inhibitor of type 1 5α-R, MK386(4,7β-dimethyl-4-azacholestan-3-one), was used to test the effect of such a compound on hair growth in the stumptail macaque, a commonly used model of human androgenetic alopecia. Animals were matched by weight, age and sex and divided into two groups; MK386 treated (oral 1 mg/kg/day; n=6 females, 7 males) or vehicle treated (n=5 females, 6 males). Hair shaved from a pre-marked 1 sq in. area was weighed and blood was collected once/month. Samples from 19 months were collected; 7 months baseline, 12 months on treatment. DHT was measured in serum of selected animals. Preliminary data from males showed MK386 treatment caused a 30-50% decrease in serum DHT. Final analysis of hair weights from all animals showed mean weights were similar in both groups (p>0.25). Large monthly variations in hair weights were observed (p<0.001), emphasizing the need for long term studies in this model. These results contrast with those from a previous study in stumptailed macaques using an inhibitor of type 2 5α-R (finasteride, 1 mg/kg/day, orally) which caused an increase in hair weights during 6 months of treatment.

(Rhodes et al.)

Inhibiting aromatase is also bad.

 

[whatevr]

So basically, inhibits aromatase with greater effectiveness than even 5-AR1 (which is in itself useless for hair loss)?

Sounds like a recipe for disaster and turbobaldness. Wouldn't touch it with YOUR dick.

 

[Saulus]

Do we actually have a hard proof that aromatase is important for male hair?

 

[whatevr]

Success of estradiol in treating male pattern baldness
Success of MTF regimens
Experience of users using aromatase inhibitors like letrozole

Look around enough and you shall find more than enough evidence.

 

[Bigbone]

Found this article on it in general:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3769637/

Sounds like a good supplement! I will give it a try. Thanks.

But I have to clarify what they say in your post about testosterone and male skin aging.

Testosterone has a lot of effects on the skin and many may not be positive. In wound healing testosterone is pro inflammatory and there are rat studies showing that giving rats flutamide accelerates their wound healing by blocking androgens at the wound.

Bodybuilders who use steroids which are extra strong androgens commonly complain that they prematurely age and wrinkle on these agents. If androgens were anti aging they'd look better not worse on steroids.

So I don't know if everyone knows what good or bad androgens offer for the skin in general, but this supplement probably couldn't hurt any of it if what they're saying is true about it.

Do you think there's any correlation between DHT and skin aging? Also, do you think inhibiting DHT is beneficial for the youth of your skin?

I've searched a lot, but all I can find is speculations and no actual studies.

 

[Retinoid]

Do you think there's any correlation between DHT and skin aging? Also, do you think inhibiting DHT is beneficial for the youth of your skin?

I've searched a lot, but all I can find is speculations and no actual studies.

As men get older their Testosterone decreases while their estrogen and dht seem to remain constant (or remain on a level where there is a higher ratio of dht/estradiol: Testosterone). What this means in terms of male aging is anyone's guess. When people's ratios are off then a very low dose aromotase inhibitor and 5AR blocker may actually be very beneficial.

 

[IdealForehead]

Do you think there's any correlation between DHT and skin aging? Also, do you think inhibiting DHT is beneficial for the youth of your skin?

I've searched a lot, but all I can find is speculations and no actual studies.

Absolutely I do. There isn't a lot of hard science, but you'll find far more reports of people saying their acne or skin inflammation stopped after starting finasteride/dutasteride, which is to be expected, since acne is at least partially androgenic.

We know androgens impair wound healing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC151108/

While estrogens accelerate wound healing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5713294/

If you want perfect skin, in theory, you should probably block all your androgens and add a bunch of estriol/estradiol. Of course that's not practical for most of us. But that's what trannies do and many of them report their skin looking dramatically better from it.

Here's an example of a guy who is not gay but did this and was very happy with the skin (and hair) transformation as a result:

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=109546

 

[Retinoid]

Absolutely I do. There isn't a lot of hard science, but you'll find far more reports of people saying their acne or skin inflammation stopped after starting finasteride/dutasteride, which is to be expected, since acne is at least partially androgenic.

We know androgens impair wound healing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC151108/

While estrogens accelerate wound healing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5713294/

If you want perfect skin, in theory, you should probably block all your androgens and add a bunch of estriol/estradiol. Of course that's not practical for most of us. But that's what trannies do and many of them report their skin looking dramatically better from it.

Here's an example of a guy who is not gay but did this and was very happy with the skin (and hair) transformation as a result:

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=109546

To say testosterone is pro aging and estrogen is anti aging is very simplistic. Testosterone will help support underlying muscular structure of the skin which is just as important as estrogens support of fat cushion/volume. DHT seems to exacerbate skin disorders when it comes to inflammation (hair loss can be considered under this) which is why it helps to inhibit localized activity. There is usually an underlying inflammatory issue that DHT then exacerbates however.

 

[Bigbone]

Absolutely I do. There isn't a lot of hard science, but you'll find far more reports of people saying their acne or skin inflammation stopped after starting finasteride/dutasteride, which is to be expected, since acne is at least partially androgenic.

We know androgens impair wound healing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC151108/

While estrogens accelerate wound healing:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5713294/

If you want perfect skin, in theory, you should probably block all your androgens and add a bunch of estriol/estradiol. Of course that's not practical for most of us. But that's what trannies do and many of them report their skin looking dramatically better from it.

Here's an example of a guy who is not gay but did this and was very happy with the skin (and hair) transformation as a result:

http://www.hairlosshelp.com/forums/messageview.cfm?catid=10&threadid=109546

Thanks for the answer! What I don't understand is that hormone levels are the highest during puberty and up to 25 but it's not until after that your skin starts to decline. Is it all about the receptors?

I also found these:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2527144

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1401498

Personally, I hope that Retin-a will be enough keeping skin looking youthful. I really don't want to get on dutasteride just to maybe achieve ideal skin.

 

[IdealForehead]

Thanks for the answer! What I don't understand is that hormone levels are the highest during puberty and up to 25 but it's not until after that your skin starts to decline. Is it all about the receptors?

I also found these:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2527144

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1401498

Personally, I hope that Retin-a will be enough keeping skin looking youthful. I really don't want to get on dutasteride just to maybe achieve ideal skin.

Keep in mind a lot of the aging process is just genetics and the fact that we're all programmed to wear out and die by a certain age. "Life" isn't a perfect process and there's no way to completely cheat the aging process.

R-equol looks like a good agent for anti-aging:
https://www.gourmetstylewellness.com/intera...-and-the-primary-ingredient-in-brotzu.113209/

I use differin which is like retin-a on my face for mild acne and anti-aging. I'm still getting older - we all do - but it helps a bit.