stress and hair loss

[tas]

maybe i'm in denial, but trying to figure this out. i'm 44 with no previous history of hair loss. then, starting in january of this year all of a sudden i started seeing thinning in the crown and across the top of my head. seems to be accelerated over the past month. so, i got seperated from the wife in october 2005 which didn't go well, then broke my collarbone bad in a nasty ski crash in late january. i don't see any increase in shedding, but i have noticed a slowing in the growth rate of my hair and nails over the same time frame. no temple recession. i've had two hair cuts since january, and would normally have three, and have clipped the nails once. i exercise and eat well. both my brothers who are younger were bald in their 20's. i'll go in for the meds if i need to, but don't want the hassle or side effects if unnecesary. does this sound like the onset of male pattern baldness?

 

[powersam]

the only connection there can really be between hairloss and stress is that stress raises cortisol levels which in turn raise insulin levels. there is a direct link between high insulin levels and the incidence of hairloss

 

[-cj-]

I personally believe that a mix of Stress & Anti-Depressants at 19 pushed me into Telogen Effluvium which in turn speeded up my male pattern baldness. My father didn't start losing his hair until he was into his 30's.

 

[Lessofarockstar]

the only connection there can really be between hairloss and stress is that stress raises cortisol levels which in turn raise insulin levels. there is a direct link between high insulin levels and the incidence of hairloss

Can you explain the insulin link? I have seen this being mentioned before, and I havent been able to find studies that really proves it. I have seen some however that show that early onset of hairloss can be an indicator of insulin problems (Diabetes/Insulin resistance I guess?)
But do you think battling insulin resistance would be beneficial too many hair loss sufferers?
I am curious to know.

 

[Goingat20]

a good vitamin B complex could help with hair loss associated to stress

 

[powersam]

lessofarockstar - in a word yes. i do believe battling insulin resistance will help your hair. just quickly i have

http://www.mercola.com/2000/oct/22/baldness_insulin.htm

but also, though i always rant about anecdotal evidence i think in this instance it carries some weight. my dad has 5 brothers, 4 of whom are bald and fat in the midsection, my family has a history of type 2diabetes. the one brother who has a full head of hair also has coeliac disease, a condition which prevents your body from digesting food. this would be excellent protection against insulin resistance. and only he out of all my fathers brothers has hair.

 

[Lessofarockstar]

Powersam - It's interesting but it seems to me that most of those studies are about how premature baldness might indicate insulin resistance. Not that insulin resistance normally is the cause of balding. But you are more or less saying that all balding guys have insulin problems?

I am sure that some people might be in this category, and this may include you as diabetes runs in your family. And this group will therefore benefit from specific diets but I think that this only goes for a minority of balding guys.
Have you got any studies that shows that a majority of male pattern baldness suffererers have insulin resistance?

 

[hairhaircomeagain]

From the link

" CUT DOWN the grains "

In thought that whole grains was good energy and should be good for health.
Am I reading something wrong?

 

[powersam]

hairhaircomeagain - yeah that is a mistake on his part. a diet to combat insulin resistance would simply avoid foods which would cause insulin spikes. bread, potatoes, ice cream etc. find the glycemic index of foods is not hard if you look around on the internet.

lessofarockstar - "Have you got any studies that shows that a majority of male pattern baldness suffererers have insulin resistance?" that study that i posted found that of the bald people they investigated, most of them had insulin problems, the way you take the info is up to you. they selected people for that study by their baldness and discovered their insulin problems afterward.

as to it being the cause of balding? i remember some other studies showing a link between dht and insulin levels but dont have them at hand. i obviously think it is a part of the problem, due to what i've read, experienced and seen in my family. but this is my opinion and nothing more.

theres more information about it when you read into sex hormone binding globulins, shbg. theres some info on this at wikipedia no less http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baldness read the insulin metabolism and androgens part

just google insulin dht . lots of stuff comes up