Armando, I really doubt any free form fatty acids are in sebum....
: Br J Dermatol. 1980 Aug;103(2):131-7. Related Articles, Links
Differences in the lipid constituents of sebum from pre-pubertal and pubertal subjects.
Sansone-Bazzano G, Cummings B, Seeler AK, Reisner RM.
Significant differences have been reported in the composition of skin surface lipid in pre-pubertal subjects when compared to pubertal subjects. Analytical studies were performed to determine whether group mean changes in the fatty acid composition of the triglyceride and wax ester fractions of sebum could be detected in pre-pubertal versus pubertal subjects. Twenty males (ages 6-9), twenty females (ages 6-9) and twelve teenagers (ages 11-16) were studied. Skin surface lipid was examined by densitometry and gas chromatography. There were significant changes in the fatty acid composition of the wax fraction of sebum in the 11-16-year-old children when compared to the 6-9-year-old group. As wax is of sebaceous gland origin, this may represent a change in sebum composition probably in response to the hormonal stimulus. Changes in the fatty acid fraction of triglycerides were also noted with age, but this may be due to the change in source of triglyceride from predominantly epidermal origin to sebaceous gland origin.
PMID: 7426411 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
Here is another paragraph describing whats found in some sebum:
Quartz capillary gas chromatography was used to analyze the wax ester fatty acids of 4 sebum samples collected at 2-week intervals from each of 10 adult human subjects. Marked differences in wax ester fatty acid composition between subjects were apparent. The greatest variation was present in the even-carbon-numbered iso-branched acids, which ranged from 1–22% of the monounsaturated acids and from 1–13% of the saturated acids. The anteiso chain structures formed 3–7.5% of the unsaturated acids and 3–13.5% of the saturated acids. Fatty acids bearing one or more methyl branches at other positions in the chain made up 12–22% of the saturated acids, but were not present in the unsaturated fatty acid fraction. This and other features of the composition of the unsaturated fatty acids indicate that the 6-desaturase that produces the monounsaturated fatty acids of human sebum requires a substrate having a straight chain of at least 12 carbon atoms extending from the carboxyl group. The differences in fatty acid composition between subjects and the constancy of composition for each of the subjects over the 2-month period indicate that the synthesis of each of the types of chain structure is under genetic control
I have read in the past that some linolenic acid was in sebum, but I dont know if its free-form linolenic acid or not.
I HAVE read that sebum INJECTED into the dermis has an inflammatory effect.
Armando,
Byran has shown that MK386 (or whatever Merk's type ONE alpha five reductase inhibitor was named) DEFINITELY reduced sebum excretions, but only had a small effect on hair sizes.
Finasteride, a type two alpha five inhibitor, has NO effect on sebum, but does positively effect hair size.
We know Nizoral shrinks the sebaceous gland by 19.4 percent according to the sudy here at GourmetStyleWellness, reduced sebum secretions, and led to larger hair shafts about equal to what two percent minoxidil usage did. Im currently testing nizoral shampooed on my left wrist every third day will do. It will be about three more months at least before Im able to render a verdict as thats about how long it takes for that to happen.
Green tea extract (or the ECGC therein) was able to reduce human sebum secretions on a forehead (Bryan posted that way back), so it may lead to much less sebum also.
All I can say about the revivogen success I had in reducing body hair was WHAT I SAW MYSELF> I wish I took a picture of that now.
HOWEVER< I have read that beta sitosterol sees an uptick in TGF-beta production and that is worrisome about that product to me.
Harm,
MSM has been used on racehorses and other animals for a long, long time and has been claimed by trainers to make their coats look beautiful. I used to have a link to a study that demonstrated that people who took MSM had better hair growth than controls, but dont know wherethefuck it is. Sulfur used to be used in anti-acne creams. Perhaps its an antimocrobial, or an anti-inflammatory. I dont know. Its been claimed by beacoup people over the years on these hairsites that it seeminlgy makes hair less oily when one takes MSM every day. There are sulfudryl receptors on some dermal tissues I think. I have no idea how it might work though. I know sulfurs are regardes as good for hair however. Abscorbyl palmitate, a form of vitamin C, is also good for hair.
Wookie posted this at HLR.........................
An interesting article on vitamin C and stem cells:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/2914589.stm
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quote:
In an exhausting process, they mixed stem cells with a total of 880 "bioactive" substances to see if any of them nudged the embryonic cells into heart muscle cells.
Only one had any effect whatsoever - vitamin C, or ascorbic acid, which turned the embryonic stem cells into cardiac myocytes - heart muscle cells.
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Vitamin C is also known as ascorbic acid. It appears to have hair growth stimulative properties:
http://www.ehrs.org/conferenceabstracts ... 37-kim.htm
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quote:
P37 ASCORBIC ACID 2-PHOSPHATE PROMOTES HAIR GROWTH
[...]
The growth stimulation of dermal papilla cells and induction of hair follicle growth seems to be, at least in part, mediated by IGF-1 over-expression from dermal papilla cells by Asc 2-P. In addition, these data suggests that signalling pathway that leads to versican expression is activated by Asc 2-P and Asc 2-P may keep dermal papilla cells to maintain hair-inducing activity by regulating versican.
Harm, if youre not into supplements.................a couple of glasses of orange juice and some onions (sulfur) might be good for hair dietarily. Ive run across one proposed study that wanted to evaluate the differenes in human sebum of people who ate high cabohydrate diets vs. lower ones. We know sebum secretions between adults and children are a little diffferent in composition. Perhaps people with high glycemic index diest have sebum secretions that are somewhat pro-inflammatory when reabsorbed. Another reason to shampoo every day and get that off your head though.
