All theories should be heard... But this one is really weird

Stem cell; cell based hair therapy
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Quoted from :
http://m.medicaldaily.com/gravitation-theory-explains-baldness-vicious-cycle-testosterone-surplus-and-gravitational-pressure

Male pattern baldness, also known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA), accounts for more than 95 percent of hair loss in men, and affects an estimated 35 million of them in the U.S., according to the National Institutes of Health. But what exactly causes this kind of balding? According to a new report, the answer lies in something we’re all susceptible to: gravity.

Dr. Emin Tuncay Ustuner, a plastic surgeon in Ankara, Turkey, came up with the theory that calls out gravity’s “force of downward pull … on the scalp” as the main culprit in male pattern baldness. But there’s a little more to it, and it involves a potent form of the male sex hormone testosterone, known as dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which has been known to thin hair follicles in the scalp.

Dr. Ustuner’s theory posits that aging, and to a lesser extent testosterone, causes people to lose the fatty tissue that lies under their scalp. This tissue is able to keep itself “well hydrated” during youth, thereby protecting the hair follicles from gravitational pressure. But as it’s lost, pressure increases on the follicles, and the body tries to compensate for the added pressure by sending more testosterone to help grow hair. This leads to an overabundance of DHT, and what was once just a contributing factor to lost fatty tissue becomes a major factor, according to a press release.

These processes become a “vicious cycle” in which DHT tries to grow hair, but causes the fatty tissue to dissolve, subsequently leading to more gravitational pressure, Dr. Ustuner said. For this reason, many people lose hair on the top of their heads first, and then at the front of the head, where weight from facial tissue pulls down further, he said. Hair remains on the side of the head because the ears are there to provide support.

“There is not another theory that reasonably and satisfactorily explains hair loss in AGA without ascribing a function to DHT that is opposite to its known function,” he wrote, according to the statement. While certain theories say that genetically predisposed people are susceptible to these hormonal patterns, Dr. Ustuner said that increases of DHT in the scalp are “not an occurrence directly determined by genes.”

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Yes, it is weird but seems meaningful. If the fat thinning on the scalp is prevented, the hair loss can exist. Perhaps the solution may be so simple…

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Roger_that; you can say something about this theory.

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I can say that doctor should have his medical license revoked.

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[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by roger_that[/postedby]
I can say that doctor should have his medical license revoked.[/quote]

LOL :lol2:

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More knowledge about this theory. I think it is worthy to think and discuss. The fatty tissues in the scalp is interesting.

The “force of downward pull caused by the gravity on the scalp skin” is the key contributor to the events leading to progressive hair loss in male pattern baldness, writes Dr. Emin Tuncay Ustuner, a plastic surgeon in Ankara, Turkey. He adds, “The new theory’s unparalleled ability to explain even the details of the hair loss process and the formation of the pattern in AGA is apparent.”
“Gravity Theory” Helps Explain DHT’s Role in Androgenic Alopecia Dr. Ustuner’s theory seeks to reconcile some puzzling observations related to the development and progression of AGA. Balding areas of the scalp show increases in a potent form of testosterone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT), while drugs that block conversion of testosterone to DHT can slow hair loss.
In the scalp, DHT seems to cause hair follicles to become thinner. But in other areas of the body, such as the underarms and genital area, DHT and other male sex hormones promote thickening of hair follicles. Why should DHT affect scalp hair one way but hair in other areas in a different way? And why does balding – and the associated increase in DHT levels – occur only on the top of the head?
The answer, Dr. Ustuner believes, is the weight of the scalp on the hair follicles. In youth, the scalp has sufficient fat tissue under the skin, and it is “capable of keeping itself well-hydrated,” buffering the pressure on hair follicles. But with aging, the skin and underlying (subcutaneous) fat become thinner, and the pressure on the hair follicles increases. Testosterone contributes to thinning of the subcutaneous fat. In women, estrogen prevents thinning of these cushioning tissues, at least until menopause.
Aging and Testosterone-Related Changes Create ‘Vicious Circle’ Leading to Hair Loss As the cushion decreases, the hair follicle must strive against higher pressure, requiring more testosterone to achieve normal growth. This “local demand” leads to a buildup of DHT levels in the scalp, but not in the bloodstream. Rising DHT levels cause further erosion of the subcutaneous fat – creating a “vicious circle,” according to Dr. Ustuner.
The hair growth cycle accelerates in response to DHT, but it’s not enough to overcome the increased pressure. Over time, the hair follicle becomes smaller and smaller, resulting in progressively increasing hair loss.
If the pressure created by the weight of the scalp is the cause of balding, then hair loss should occur at the top of the head – “This is exactly what happens in AGA,” Dr. Ustuner points out. He believes that individual hair loss patterns are affected by differences in the shape of the head, reflecting variations in scalp pressure. The weight of the facial soft tissues adds to the pressure at the front of the scalp, contributing to hair loss there. In contrast, the ears help resist the effects of gravity on the scalp, lessening hair loss on the sides of the head.
“There is not another theory that reasonably and satisfactorily explains hair loss in AGA without ascribing a function to DHT that is opposite to its known function,” Dr. Ustuner writes. He notes that, while several factors suggest that genetic factors contribute to male pattern baldness, the increase in scalp DHT levels "is not an occurrence directly determined by genes."
Dr. Ustuner acknowledges that his “gravity theory” of AGA has met with “notable skepticism and resistance.” But he adds, “Simplifying a very complicated problem is probably the only disadvantage of the theory.”

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“He believes that individual hair loss patterns are affected by differences in the shape of the head, reflecting variations in scalp pressure. The weight of the facial soft tissues adds to the pressure at the front of the scalp, contributing to hair loss there. In contrast, the ears help resist the effects of gravity on the scalp, lessening hair loss on the sides of the head.”

Come on lol. Even by this gravity theory, a better explanation would be that some people sleep lying on their back so gravity would then be acting on the hair line. The whole theory is still completely ridiculous.

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Ok.,the shape of the scalp and gravity is ridiculous but the fatty tissue seemed different to me and the affect of dht on head and on the other parts of the body.

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We may need to launch balding astronauts into space to find out if men can go bald in zero gravity.

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He must be a non responder

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well there goes that theory

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Please read the article to understand the theory better. It can be accessed free of charge (published in PRS GO). If you look around after reading the article you may begin to see the relation between the shape of the calvarium and the hair loss area.

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Dr. ,

Have u done studies on the fatty tissue in bald vs non bald?

Contrary to what’s being said in the thread, I realize u don’t need an astronaut to test your theory… it revolves around the fatty tissue not gravity.

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RT,

Can you explain why you disagree with this theory? Thanks.

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If you are talking about studying the thickness of the fat tissue in bald vs. non bald scalps, everyone can easily appreciate the difference between the two simply by palpating and pinching both scalp areas themselves. However, lack of terminal hair follicles also contributes to this difference, so that a study showing how thinner the skin and subcutaneous fat tissues in the bald scalp would be argued against too. If you are talking about studying DHT levels in bald vs. non bald scalp tissues, these levels have been studied. There are also a number of studies showing the effects of androgens on subcutaneous fat tissues. Please see the references in my articles.

If there were no gravity there would not be the baldness called AGA. However, as long as there is enough cushion (the major cushion being the subcutaneous fat tissue) that buffers the pressure caused by gravity, hair follicles would not be affected.

When the cushion reduces to an insufficient amount, the vicious circle that I disclose in my article is initiated. Testosterone surge at puberty is the main reason for the early start of hair loss in the male.

An experiment on astronauts would require enough number of astronauts who would stay long enough in the space. It would be a valuable experiment, but, yes, we do not necessarily need astronauts to test the theory. There are experiments that can be done on earth.

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Dear Dr Ustuner,

I don’t know what your formal training is, but you are not using the scientific method. You have created this “theory” based on a number of untested, subjective impressions rather than actual empirical evidence gathered in the laboratory, and when someone asks if you’ve tested a certain aspect of the “theory”, you sidestep his question.

Moreover, your idea is not based on an identifiable chain of linear reasoning, e.g., A —> B —> C —> D, but instead it’s based on a rather disorganized, holistic interpretation of multiple observations without a clear sequence of cause and effect.

While you do present some of these items as causes and effects, if they are examined more carefully, they obviously are not. Your idea fails BOTH the tests of science and logic.

I could point out so many different flaws, holes and logical fallacies in your idea, but it would take too much of my time to enumerate them all here.

Frankly, I’m shocked that someone who supposedly holds a medical degree in a major country like Turkey could put forth such an intellectually and academically lazy, disorganized idea with a straight face.

Please see this article from Wikipedia about the scientific method:

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Don’t insult the guy. I’m pretty sure he is aware of the scientific method.

You can throw a theory like this together, and have it be scientifically acceptable, by citing the findings of others… just because he hasn’t put the exact studies for proof together doesn’t mean it doesn’t have merit. He doesn’t peddle is as an empirical truth, he calls it a theory, and points to citations that seem to give the theory legs.

Chill out rog.

Anyway, Doc, I was merely curious in how you could empirically test this theory yourself, as I was fairly certain it could be done without astronauts.

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[quote][postedby]Originally Posted by needhairasap[/postedby]
just because he hasn’t put the exact studies for proof together doesn’t mean it doesn’t have merit.
[/quote]

By this logic people today could also formulate a theory that the Earth is flat. The danger is, when a doctor does so, in the eyes of a layman it can automatically gain credibility. Similar to how some doctors suck their patients into believing alternative therapies like homoeopathy are legitimate - just because someone in a white coat prescribed it to them.

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I’ve read in a paper (either as theory or fact can’t remember) at some point in the past that fat tissue reduction in the scalp occurs in relation to hair loss. I’m can’t remember if the paper mentioned fat reduction as a cause or a consequence but it is associated with it apparently - according to the paper.

So this doc might not be wrong about that part of the theory.

I actually conducted an experiment to test this theory. Its known that swimmers who regularly swim in cold waters develop extra fat around their bodies to insulate their vital organs. The body literally adapts to the environment over the course of a few months.

With that in mind, as I finished up my daily showers, I would give my head a blast of very cold water. I don’t know if that would stimulate increased fat deposition on my scalp over months of doing so … but it sure woke me up in the morning :wink: