The Sebaceous Glands Theory

Hi every body,

we had good discussion in the other thread and I have been trying to link info together and I have started to believe that hair loss (mpb and others) is all about the Sebaceous Glands.

1- If you want to have healthy hair, the glands must work in their normal way

2- We start loosing hair at 14 or 15 (increase of testosterone) beacuse our bodies start to produce the X-Factor that affect/infect how glands work or their size or the sebum they produce or …

3- The genetic part of mpb is about producing more of the X-Factor not about different structure of any body part including the glands themselves

4- The glands located at the top of the head are different (not necessary in structure but maybe there is a reason that they receive the X-Factor, maybe the location) than the back of the head.

5- People suffering mpb have similar glands (top or back) similar to healthy people who have full hair.

6- The proof of point 5, There are many examples of permanent and temporary hair loss for men not suffering mpb like taking Accunate (shrinks the glands),bodybuilding, etc… Hair loss occur at the top of the head with mpb or any other reason.

7- The x-Factor could be indeed prostaglandin since body-builders consume more of it.

8- To treat hair loss we need to start from the hair and the head not from the balls. Fin looks like reducing the X-Factor but in the wrong way. The X-factor could be good for your body and we just need to reduce it around the glands

9- Fin alone does not regrow hair and that’s why we use minox. Yes we don’t know how minox works but there are studies about the Tretinoin and how they work. It is believed that Tretinoin penetrate through the glands and regulate them and that’s could be why people can regrow some hair from using retinol and similar Tretinoin.

10- In some cases, if glands are infected they can’t regulate themselves. That’s normal in many sebaceous glands diseases. That’s why fin may not regrow hair alone (reducing the x-factor)

11- Regulating the glands does not mean stopping them from producing sebum. Sebum is good for your hair at normal level

12- More production of sebum may contains (or leads to ) bacteria that accelerate hair loss (Niz shampoo helps). On the other side, shrinking the glands to stop producing sebum result in hair loss as well (Accunate)

13- Men loose hair more when they get older (lower testosterone ). I read one study that the glands get bigger when we get older (abnormal state again)

14- There could be more than one X-Factor. The first one result in over-production of the glands and the other one result in shrinking the glands (both still abnormal) and that’s why we read (if true, I don’t know) that there are men with dry scalp suffer mpb.

15- Still most of men with mpb have oily scalp and dandruff. I don’t think we were born with dandruff in our head or oily scalp before the age of 14.

16- Food or natural habits have no serious effect on mpb IMO. We can see brothers at the same home eating the same food and having the same habits and one suffering mpb and the other don’t (my case)

17- Some HT doctors makes sure that the (healthy) glands are attached to the follicle when they perform HT operations!!

I believe that we can maintain/regrow some hair back by regulating how the glands works and cleaning the X-Factor around them without risking and should not be impossible or difficult to treat mpb. Stop talking about genetic or any abstract answer. I know and we all know it is genetic but what the heck, there is a science behind genetic issues

PGD2 is not a new discovery, if it is behind hair loss why it has been ignored?!!

I don’t claim at any point I am right, just my 2 cents about hair loss (I don’t have medicine degree and my English is good only when reading IT books)

» Hi every body,
»
» we had good discussion in the other thread and I have been trying to link
» info together and I have started to believe that hair loss (mpb and others)
» is all about the Sebaceous Glands.

I still prepare a post with all essential findings so far concerning sebaceous glands.

So far,
the real research towards (human) HF sebaceous glands, started once in Japan…

… but start with “basics” first. :yes:

some past discussion on this site -

http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/board_entry-id-44253-page-0-order-time-category-0.html

Publication: Cosmetics and Toiletries

Publication Date: 01-JUL-90

Author: Inaba, Masumi ; Inaba, Yoshikata

(Old hypothesis- But does it hold good now?)

Clinical observation of patients treated with subeutaneous tissue shaving as a radical treatment for bromidrosis has led the authors to question what is commonly believed about the hair cycle.(1) Until quite recently, the hair cycle was believed to be divided into three stages, anagen, catagen and telogen. Hair regeneration was considered to start from remnant dermal papilla cells or secondary hair germ located at the lowest portion of telogen follicles (Hair Bulb Theory.(2)

The authors have found indications that the essential hair center is located at the upper isthmal portion of the hair follicle close to the secretory duct opening of the sebaceous gland (Sebaceous Gland Hypothesis).

The hair follicle and sebaceous gland form a unit called the pilosebaceous unit. The sebaceous gland has been believed to function only as an exocrine gland which secretes sebum, a surface lipid that moistens the skin and the hair shaft. The relationship between the hair follicle and the sebaceous gland has been studied extensively. However, most studies focused on the morphological difference between them. Few dealt with the relationship between the two, and much remains unclear.

The authors have suggested that the sebaceous gland functions not only as an exocrine gland, but also as an endocrine gland which constantly acts on and controls the hair bulb through the hormones and enzymes it excretes. Basic aspects of essential hair regeneration such as how the hair follicle is regenerated from the upper isthmal portion, how the new hair is formed, and whether or not the conventional hair cycle theory is sufficient have been questioned. Understanding these aspects is essential if the causative mechanism is to be discovered and an effective treatment developed for male pattern baldness.

According to the sebaceous gland hypothesis, MPB occurs because sebaceous glands enlarge. The enlarged sebaceous gland increases sebum production leading to clogging of pores and malnutrition of hair root and also produce excessive amounts of DHT which exert a suppressive action on the hair root.

On the basis of sebaceous gland hypothesis MPB is caused not only by hereditary factors but also by nutritional factors. The direction for new preventive measures and treatments may lie in reducing sebaceous gland size.

Some info here -

http://dslaboratories.com/spectralDNC-L/AD135FollicleSebaceous973B.PDF

» Some info here -
»
» http://dslaboratories.com/spectralDNC-L/AD135FollicleSebaceous973B.PDF

Conclusion of the paper (K. Stenn et al,1999):
“If inadequate sebaceous gland function could lead to hair follicle destruction, perhaps we should reassess our treatment protocols and give more attention to the superficial-lying sebaceous gland than to the deeper-lying anagen follicle.”

Ok, but what happend since that time (1999)?

» » Some info here -
» »
» » http://dslaboratories.com/spectralDNC-L/AD135FollicleSebaceous973B.PDF
»
» Conclusion of the paper (K. Stenn et al,1999):
» “If inadequate sebaceous gland function could lead to
» hair follicle destruction, perhaps we should reassess our treatment
» protocols and give more attention to the superficial-lying sebaceous gland
» than to the deeper-lying anagen follicle.”
»
» Ok, but what happend since that time (1999)?

science has repeatedly failed us…by looking at the hair follicle only and not paying any attention to its counterparts.

» 16- Food or natural habits have no serious effect on mpb IMO. We can see
» brothers at the same home eating the same food and having the same habits
» and one suffering mpb and the other don’t
(my case)
»

plays a significant role, there are studes which associate poor diet with acne, but nothing conclusive.

some men have a better metabolism, they can digest/use the foods that cause hyperactivity of the glands (before it gets to the glands in the first place)…that may be the gentical part…metabolism!

@Iron_Man

I will be waiting for your post. Sounds like you are preparing good post

@gutted2
Thanks for the post, good info

» Ok, but what happend since that time (1999)?

1986 a study and clinical trail about topical Tretinoin proved to regrow hair, what happened then?
http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=3771854

1988 Topical spironolactone inhibits dht, what happened next?

1988, Azelaic acid as a dht inhibitor , what then?
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2133.1988.tb03474.x/abstract

1997 , there are study about pgd2

what is common between all the stuff above?
They seem to have some effect/regulate how the glands work.


At another forum, some (insane) guys are taking spiro 200mg daily and have achieved good hair growth (and softer skin, like women).

What does spiro do the glands? the wiki article Iron_Man posted mention spiro reduces sebum secretion rates with Isotretinoin and SMT D002.


@gutted2
» plays a significant role, there are studes which associate poor diet with » acne, but nothing conclusive.

» some men have a better metabolism, they can digest/use the foods that cause » hyperactivity of the glands (before it gets to the glands in the first » place)…that may be the gentical part…metabolism!

Thanks for the correction, metabolism could be the genetic part I guess.


Here is a short list of acne treatments that have effect good? on the glands that can help mpb if taken at “right” dosage I believe

Azelaic Acid, Tretinoin , Benzoyl Peroxide Base , Isotretinoin , Clindamycin Base, Erythromycin , and Metronidazole

fungal treatments could be doing something to the glands as well like Ketoconazole.

» » Ok, but what happend since that time (1999)?
»
» science has repeatedly failed us…by looking at the hair follicle only and
» not paying any attention to its counterparts.

No. Most BASICS are there and available in the medical literature since a long time. Recently, I tried to describe (a few of) the main research problems …

http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-100207-page-0-category-0-order-last_answer.html

btw - sometimes the most exciting reseach papers/findings - such papers have mostly absolutely nothing to do with “hair research” or “finding a hair loss cure” - but absolutely useful for that.

» » » Ok, but what happend since that time (1999)?
» »
» » science has repeatedly failed us…by looking at the hair follicle only
» and
» » not paying any attention to its counterparts.
»
» No. Most BASICS are there and available in the medical literature since a
» long time. Recently, I tried to describe (a few of) the main research
» problems …
»
» http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-100207-page-0-category-0-order-last_answer.html

»
» btw - sometimes the most exciting reseach papers/findings - such papers
» have mostly absolutely nothing to do with “hair research” or “finding a
» hair loss cure” - but absolutely useful for that.

i get your point, it was what i was trying to say, scientists may have been overlooking certain aspects which are unrealated to baldness but may be siginificant…and as you described in the post you linked, its hard to see how one individual can make the correlations.