April 2019 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology”
Testosterone affects androgen receptors and lipidstorage in cells, while DHEA does not convert to testosterone or affect these receptors in the same way.
Dutasteride can lead to increased cholesterol and liver fat. The user is reconsidering its use due to high cholesterol and lipid levels despite a healthy lifestyle.
Peptides like TB500, KPV, GHK-CU, and BPC-157 are overhyped for hair growth with limited proven effectiveness in humans. Combining peptides with delivery methods like iontophoresis and sonophoresis shows promise, but many claims remain unproven.
Scalp biopsies are crucial for diagnosing hair loss conditions like Diffuse Unpatterned Alopecia (DUPA) and retrograde hair loss, as treatments like finasteride and dutasteride may not be effective if other conditions are present. Combining PPAR-GAMMA agonists with retinoids could improve treatments for conditions like Lichen Planopilaris.
The user tried Minoxidil without success, and Finasteride worked but caused sexual side effects even at a very low dose. They are seeking alternative treatments for hair loss as they cannot tolerate anti-androgens and are also in therapy for mental health.
A 22-year-old male is not seeing hair regrowth after using minoxidil and finasteride for a year and additional treatments for three months. Suggestions include improving scalp absorption with sea salt and trying a lipid-based solution, microneedling, and possibly switching to dutasteride if no improvement after 1-2 years.