This study shows that whatever the underlying metabolic mechanism of Androgenetic Alopecia is, it also makes us more prone to develop several deficiencies and that the problem we are facing goes deeper than the simple "androgen sensibility" of the follicles explanation that we have heard for years.
They found that patients with Androgenetic Alopecia had higher levels of DHT (22.1% on average) and that regardless of the level of DHT, all of them were characterized by multiple deficiencies of trace elements, metals and vitamins in comparison with the healthy controls. In particular, zinc content was reduced by 21.4%, copper by 42.1%, magnesium by 10%, selenium by 30%, vitamin B12 by 15.5% , and vitamin D by 53.3%. All Androgenetic Alopecia patients were also deficient in folic acid and the more DHT they had the more deficient they were compared to the controls. In the subgroup of the Androgenetic Alopecia patients with more DHT folic acid was reduced by 66% and in the subgroup with less DHT by 39%.
The study also discusses several implications and possible explanations for several of its findings. I attached a pdf with the complete paper in case anyone is interested.
This sentence from the study sums it up nicely.
"This fact confirms the assumption that there are more complex mechanisms for the development of this condition with a significant role of non-hormonal factors acting in combination with hormonal and genetic risk factors which, however, requires further study."
This is the link to the abstract.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12011-020-02468-2
"Androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia) is the most common variant of male pattern baldness in which occurrence and development of multiple genetic, hormonal, and metabolic factors are involved. We aimed to estimate plasma element content (Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu, Se, Fe), vitamin status (B12, D, E, and folic acid) in patients with Androgenetic Alopecia using direct colorimetric tests or atomic absorption spectrometry, and the influence of these parameters in the formation of various hair loss patterns. The study included 50 patients with I–IV stages of Androgenetic Alopecia divided into two groups with normal and high levels of dihydrotestosterone compared with 25 healthy individuals. The presence of two patterns of pathological hair loss in the androgen-dependent (parietal) and androgen-independent (occipital) areas of the scalp was confirmed. It was shown that all patients with Androgenetic Alopecia have a deficiency of elements (Zn, Cu, Mg, Se) and vitamins (B12, E, D, folic acid). However, the hair loss rate was not due to their content. А positive interrelation between quantitative trichogram parameters in the occipital region and iron metabolism in pairs “hair density vs Fe” and “hair diameter vs ferritin” was shown. In turn, in the parietal region, an inverse correlation of hair diameter with plasma Cu level was found, the most pronouncing in patients with high levels of dihydrotestosterone. The obtained results indicate the importance of multiple micronutrient deficiencies in the Androgenetic Alopecia occurrence accompanied by the existence of two different hair loss patterns, differently related to the content of certain trace elements and androgens in the blood."
They found that patients with Androgenetic Alopecia had higher levels of DHT (22.1% on average) and that regardless of the level of DHT, all of them were characterized by multiple deficiencies of trace elements, metals and vitamins in comparison with the healthy controls. In particular, zinc content was reduced by 21.4%, copper by 42.1%, magnesium by 10%, selenium by 30%, vitamin B12 by 15.5% , and vitamin D by 53.3%. All Androgenetic Alopecia patients were also deficient in folic acid and the more DHT they had the more deficient they were compared to the controls. In the subgroup of the Androgenetic Alopecia patients with more DHT folic acid was reduced by 66% and in the subgroup with less DHT by 39%.
The study also discusses several implications and possible explanations for several of its findings. I attached a pdf with the complete paper in case anyone is interested.
This sentence from the study sums it up nicely.
"This fact confirms the assumption that there are more complex mechanisms for the development of this condition with a significant role of non-hormonal factors acting in combination with hormonal and genetic risk factors which, however, requires further study."
This is the link to the abstract.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12011-020-02468-2
"Androgenetic alopecia (Androgenetic Alopecia) is the most common variant of male pattern baldness in which occurrence and development of multiple genetic, hormonal, and metabolic factors are involved. We aimed to estimate plasma element content (Mg, Ca, Zn, Cu, Se, Fe), vitamin status (B12, D, E, and folic acid) in patients with Androgenetic Alopecia using direct colorimetric tests or atomic absorption spectrometry, and the influence of these parameters in the formation of various hair loss patterns. The study included 50 patients with I–IV stages of Androgenetic Alopecia divided into two groups with normal and high levels of dihydrotestosterone compared with 25 healthy individuals. The presence of two patterns of pathological hair loss in the androgen-dependent (parietal) and androgen-independent (occipital) areas of the scalp was confirmed. It was shown that all patients with Androgenetic Alopecia have a deficiency of elements (Zn, Cu, Mg, Se) and vitamins (B12, E, D, folic acid). However, the hair loss rate was not due to their content. А positive interrelation between quantitative trichogram parameters in the occipital region and iron metabolism in pairs “hair density vs Fe” and “hair diameter vs ferritin” was shown. In turn, in the parietal region, an inverse correlation of hair diameter with plasma Cu level was found, the most pronouncing in patients with high levels of dihydrotestosterone. The obtained results indicate the importance of multiple micronutrient deficiencies in the Androgenetic Alopecia occurrence accompanied by the existence of two different hair loss patterns, differently related to the content of certain trace elements and androgens in the blood."
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