| Author | Message | ||
     Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 1 Registered: 03-2009 |
Hi everyone, First of all I would like to say that this is a great site and the only worthwhile hair loss site I have come across. I have been receding at the hair line for a few years now. I don't think the follicles are dead, I can still see vellus hair. I discovered a photo from 2003 yesterday and the hair line was normal. So I have hope that I may be able to regrow some of what I have lost. I am only 20 by the way. I haven't shed noticeably, I don't lose excess hairs. I am quite happy to say that it is a very slow process and stable judging by the fact that I don't drop hairs in the sink or the shower. As a matter of fact I saw a photo of my hairline from about 3 years ago and it looks about the same today. I first started doing the exercises about a week ago, and after much frustration I finally thought I had figured out how to move the occipitalis muscles. I have felt the burn several times doing what i'm doing now. I am terrified that I am not tensing the correct muscles however as the two muscles that I feel bulge seem too low down on the skull to be the occipitalis muscles. I have tried to tense the area where I think the occies should be, above the ear, but cannot for the life of me make these spots twitch. I thought I had it, but am not so sure now. This is very discouraging  I'm starting to feel like i'll never get it. When I do the exercise I; (1) Raise my eyebrows - the whole scalp moves forward. (2) I don't really lower my eyebrows completely - instead I just tense what I think to be the occipitalis muscles. To try and detect movement backwards I did a simple little test. I got a cotton bud and stuck it into the top of my ear.(Not in the canal) I left the cotton bud poking straight out.I then proceeded to do the exercises and this is what I observed. (1) When I contract the frontalis muscle the q-tip moves backward. (2) When I tense the other muscles, it jerks backward even further. Does this sound right? I never could wiggle my ears. The only ear related stunt I could ever do is stuff both of my ears into my head and leave them there. I'm pretty sure this is useless though o_o If anyone can help me, I will be forever grateful. I really want to learn this. I attached a picture of whereabouts I feel the muscle tensions.  | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 2 Registered: 03-2009 |
Sorry, I just realised this is in the wrong place. Should be under "Scalp Exercises". | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3822 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: You are serious. You obviously spent time studying the anatomy of the scalp muscles and trying to do the scalp exercise correctly. From your description, I don't think you're doing it correctly yet - but I have full confidence that eventually you will get it. If you are getting a contraction below that horizontal white line on the drawing you attached, you will not be getting any backward scalp movement. These are the trapezius muscles and the muscles beneath these (the splenius) that turn the head. When I first attempted to gain control of the occipitalis muscles, these are the muscles I contracted - and consequently got a major pain in the neck. In about two weeks, though, I was able to isolate the occips and get the backward movement of the scalp. When I got control of the occips I was then able to relax all the other muscles in the neck so that there was no more pain. The scalp exercise then became easy to do and even relaxing. But more important - I got back the hair I had lost. "I have tried to tense the area where I think the occies should be, above the ear, but cannot for the life of me make these spots twitch." The real test is to place the fingers of both hands firmly over the occips. You do this by placing the tips of all four fingers over the tops of the ears. The very tips of the fingers, especially the middle finger, will be resting on the occipitalis muscle at its insertion point near the top of the external ear. Now if you are successfully contracting the occips, you will feel a distinct bunching up of this muscle under your finger tips. Also after you have gained control of this muscle, you will notice in the months to come that it will grow larger and stronger, enabling you to get more movement in your scalp. "The only ear related stunt I could ever do is stuff both of my ears into my head and leave them there." This sounds appropriate for April Fools Day. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 3 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks again Tom, I won't give up. I'm gonna keep at this. I was afraid they were the neck muscles I was tensing. I actually sprained those a few years ago and couldn't move my head for a week. I had a strange dream last night in which both my ears fell off - I don't doubt this was related to current traumas. When I place my fingers over my ears and clench my teeth, I think I can actually feel these muscles bunch. I'll dedicate at least an hour a day to mastering these over Easter. If only the damned exams weren't coming up, i'd lock myself away for a week till I got it. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3823 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: "When I place my fingers over my ears and clench my teeth, I think I can actually feel these muscles bunch." No, those are not the occipitalis muscles you are feeling when you clench your jaws. These are the temporalis muscles that are contracting. These large muscles are under the three auricularis muscles surrounding each ear. The insertion for these temporalis muscles also extends to the ear. The insertion for the occips is right in front of the temporalis. Sorry for all the complexity. Do you know about the pillow and glasses strategies? I don't want to repeat this if you've already read about it. Click on the Search utility and type in "pillow strategy." | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 4 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks Tom, I'll post back when I make progress. When I look closely at the area my hair line has receded, mostly near the temple, I can see very tiny pale hairs in the general area of where it has receded. Its hard to see them though in the dim light I have here. I have many little hairs on my hairline which I take to be miniaturised hairs, and I also have a few tiny hairs straggling on their own a little bit ahead of the hair line. Do you think this is a fair indication that the follicles aren't dead yet? Even if I regrew a little bit i'd be happy. It couldn't have been happening for very long, and the process is pretty slow. My hair is just fine at the crown. The ol' scalp inflammation and oiliness hasn't been an issue for a long time. It was bad a few years ago, very bad. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3825 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: "I have many little hairs on my hairline which I take to be miniaturised hairs, and I also have a few tiny hairs straggling on their own a little bit ahead of the hair line." This indicates that your hair follicles are not dead. If they were really dead you could never resurrect them. But Easter Sunday is approaching so maybe I'm wrong about resurrection. "The ol' scalp inflammation and oiliness hasn't been an issue for a long time." This means your scalp and perhaps the hair follicles embedded in your scalp are becoming healthy again. You must be doing something right. | ||
| Redd New member Username: Bredd Post Number: 43 Registered: 07-2008 |
Hey everyone. I have, for a long time, had trouble with feeling a burn in my occipitalis muscles. I haven't felt the burn at all. But recently I came up with a way to make them burn like hell. And also to make my frontalis muscles burn too. What I do is contract my occipitalis muscles, and, while keeping them contracted, contract my frontalis muscles as much as possible. This, at first was really hard to do for more than 10 or 15 reps, but now I can do it for about 5 minutes. Tell me what you think, Tom and others.... | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3827 Registered: 01-2003 |
Redd: I think the "burn" is overrated. The burn is caused by the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles. When first gaining control of the occipitalis muscles at the back of the head, most people experience the burn because these muscles have never been used before. But after they are toned up through months of doing the scalp exercise, the burn diminishes. This is because the blood flow to the cranial muscles is now more efficient. "What I do is contract my occipitalis muscles, and, while keeping them contracted, contract my frontalis muscles as much as possible." It certainly is possible to get the burn this way. But I think contracting both frontalis and occipitalis muscles at the same time is counterproductive. I think the SE works best when the whole scalp moves to the max. Since the occipitalis and frontalis muscles are antagonistic muscles, when you contract one, the other relaxes automatically, giving you maximum movement of the scalp. If you contract both muscles simultaneously, there is stasis - lack of movement, lack of benefit. I could be wrong about this though. I learn a lot from people who don't take my pronouncements as gospel. Experimentation is king. New ideas are always welcome. | ||
| Redd New member Username: Bredd Post Number: 44 Registered: 07-2008 |
Well Tom I'll probably continue to do both and I'll tell you if I have any success. Although, frankly, I'll never know if that success is due to the original exercises or the addition of these. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 5 Registered: 03-2009 |
Hi Tom, I am spending time each day trying to tone up the occipitalis muscles. Sometimes I can feel them contract, sometimes I can't Is it a good sign if you can feel them beating, does this mean that you are exerting them to some degree? I feel them pulsing now and again. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3829 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: "I feel them pulsing now and again." I have never felt a pulsing of the occipitalis muscles. I can't answer your question because I have no personal experience with this. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2009 |
Tom, When I try to contract the occipitalis muscles, after a while I can feel what seems like a heart beat in each (while I have my fingers placed over them). I thought maybe this was blood flow or something being increased to the muscles but I don't really know. I know precious little about how muscles work. I was taking it to be a good sign. When I lie down with my fingers or hand on the muscles I usually and eventually feel this after trying to contract the muscles. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3830 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: Now I see what you mean. What you're feeling is definitely the pulse rate. When muscles are pumped up, even small muscles like the occipitalis, they have a more pronounced pulse rate. I think this is a good indication because it means you are working these scalp muscles to the max. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 7 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks Tom, I'm still finding it difficult to detect any consistent, obvious contractions - but I always seem to get the increased pulse rate when I try. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 8 Registered: 03-2009 |
At the moment I feel like I have grasped how to contract these occipitalis muscles. The problem is that although I feel like I am giving the occies a workout, the contractions aren't great. They're not strong enough to feel against a pillow. I have put my fingers over the other muscles and they do not contract so I don't think I am contracting a different muscle. When I do what i'm doing now, it feels right, and although my scalp and ears don't move I can feel a sudden stiffness in the ears, followed by a weird clicking noise. I think I will continue to this and hope that the muscles get stronger and give me better results soon. I really can't imagine any other way of contracting these muscles - I am trying to pull the ears back. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3831 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: The clicking in the ears is a good sign, perhaps a sign of progress. When I first gained control of my occipitalis muscles, I heard a clicking sound too. In about a month my inner ears started to hurt a lot after doing the scalp exercise. I went to an ear specialist and he took a bullet-shapped gob of hardened wax out of each ear. Other people who do the SE told me of the same problem. After the wax was removed from my ears - no more clicking sound. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 9 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks Tom, This is great, I am going to look into getting excess ear wax removed. I seem to get the clicking noise in one ear so maybe I have more of a build up in that one. Have you had it removed more than once? I think i'll look into some safe measures to prevent it in the future, other than cotton buds. If what i'm doing now is the correct way to go about contracting these muscles then it is easier than I could have expected. I was always worried that it would be difficult and that I would forget how to do it over time. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3834 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: A buildup of wax in the ear is natural. If it remains soft it causes no problem, but if it becomes hard and impacted, it will cause some pain and clicking when you do the scalp exercise. I've had wax removed three times in my life already. "I was always worried that it would be difficult and that I would forget how to do it over time." Once you learn to do the scalp exercise correctly, you will never forget how to do it. It's like riding a bicycle or swimming. | ||
| Scott F New member Username: Scott Post Number: 25 Registered: 01-2007 |
I can feel a pulse rate in my occipitials also....stick with the exercise i definitely think it does have a positive effect on halting hair-loss. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 10 Registered: 03-2009 |
Hi Tom, I have been working away trying to learn how to control the muscles. So far I haven't felt any distinguishable bunching up of muscles. I am going through a tough period now with exams and a satan possessed computer, that won't stop crashing untill I die. I'm going to keep trying, I have felt a tingling over my left ear when I try a certain method but this is useless without a contraction. How much would it be to rent an EMG and what kind of shop would rent them out? As a last resort | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3840 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: The tingling over the left ear doesn't mean much. When you get even a slight movement of the scalp, then you can feel optimistic - progress will be rapid after this. Check this website out - Myotrac. I got an email from a man a while back who told me he gained complete control of the occipitalis muscles fast with this little machine. I wish I kept the email so that you could correspond with him. I still think you will be able to learn the SE without the machine. It takes patience and willpower (energetic determination) though. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 11 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks for the link Tom, didn't even get a bloody chance to try and learn the exercises today. This will be a last resort for the future, a plan B. Thanks again. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 12 Registered: 03-2009 |
Just thought i'd post. I have learned how to control one of the muscles and am currently doing a set of 1000 repetitions 2 or 3 times a day. I'm hoping the other one will join in soon, but i'm not so sure. I had got it into my head that when one of these muscles contracts the other is supposed to aswell. Thats life I guess. | ||
| Aleixo New member Username: Aleixo Post Number: 11 Registered: 09-2008 |
don't worry, the same happened to me when I was first starting to learn how to do the SE, I could only contract one occipital muscle. I kept training, and, after some time, the other one joined in, but its contraction power was weaker. it was about time until they ended evening up, and I could contract both at the same intensity. so don't lose hope and keep trying. in the end, it will, most likely, be worth it. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 13 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks for the post Alexio, I really mean it when I say that helped. I will keep at it and hopefully will have some success. I was actually able to it weeks ago but I didn't think I was doing it right and so drifted from my schedule. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3862 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: You wrote, "I have learned how to control one of the muscles..." Did you mean by this that you contract only the frontalis muscle at the front of your head and not the occipitalis muscle? Or did you mean that you can contract only one side of the occipitalis muscle at the back of your head? If you are just contracting the frontalis muscles, you are not doing the scalp exercise correctly and will develop horizontal lines in your forehead. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 14 Registered: 03-2009 |
Tom, I meant I can contract one side of the occipitlais muscle. I haven't been alternating them because the occipitalis aren't strong enough yet. Thanks, Ned | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3866 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: You have to get both slips of the occipitalis muscle contracting. A symmetrical contraction is important. I wish I could tell you how to do this but I don't know of an effective strategy. Other people (very few of them) who had the same problem as yours say that after months of work with the scalp exercise, the occipitalis muscles became balanced. I hope you have success in this. If you do, tell me about it. By the way, does it take over a minute for you to post a message here? I think I may have to get a new discussion forum program. The program I now have is too slow. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 16 Registered: 03-2009 |
It seems to be a little bit slow when posting messages but its no big deal. You frightened me there for a second, I thought you meant that very few people manage to correct the problem, but then realised you meant that very few people had the problem. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 17 Registered: 03-2009 |
Aleixo, did it take you several months to achieve success? Did you have to rediscover how to do the contractions or did you simply keep working with the one you could contract and eventually you were able to use both? | ||
| Aleixo New member Username: Aleixo Post Number: 12 Registered: 09-2008 |
it took me like 1 month or 2 to achieve the perfect balance between the two. it was so frustrating to feel one of the sides contracting and the other one not moving, even a bit. I just kept working on it, contracting frontalis and then the only side of the occipitalis i could contract, but focusing on the other side too, the 'inactive' one, and keeping in mind that it had to start moving, it didn't matter how hard it was, so I spent some long time training, like 1.5 hour a day, I'm not saying you need that long in order to achieve balanced contraction, but I was really determinated at that time. at first, the contraction of the previously 'inactive' muscle was just like weak heart beats while the other one was already getting pretty strong and I could get moderately hard contractions from it. like I said, it took me like 1 or 2 months to even them up, and it was not one of the easiest things I have ever done, it requires a lot of patience. sometimes I thought that I would never be able to do it correctly, you may think the same, but well, if I could get it, chances are you will get it too. oh, and one more thing, don't do it couting reps, that will just distract you from the exercise, set a period of time like 5 or 10 minutes for each session and when you feel comfortable, up that period. I find listening to music like house or trance while doing it, helps, because you're able to coordinate better the contractions with the beat, but well, that's just a thought :] good luck man, and sorry if anything I said was unclear, cause I'm portuguese :D | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 18 Registered: 03-2009 |
Aleixo, Thanks for the reply, and yes it was very clear. I will work hard at it. You are probably right about the counting repetitions but I find it actually helps me to focus. I get very distracted easily and at least when i'm doing a set number of repetitions its a case of "I won't look at the clock until i'm finished this 1000". I don't normally check the time after the 1st 1000 though  I just do a set of 10 contractions 5 times and repeat this again to reach a hundred. I do this ten times to get up to 1000. After each set of 100 I do a lot of really quick contractions which I don't count, before moving on to the next 100. Its more than a 1000 and doing this take close to about 20 minutes. I know it sounds odd but i'm kind of strange like that, when i'm not counting I tend to want to look at my clock too often. Thanks for all the help. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 3871 Registered: 01-2003 |
Ned L: I think Aleixo's advice about not counting reps is good for several reasons. 1. Counting reps is boring. If you're bored while doing the scalp exercise, you might just quit after a period of time before the benefits kick in. 2. You might be the obsessive type (and we all have some minor obsessions). But I don't think it's a good idea to let obsessions get the upper hand. Counting to 1000 while doing the SE is tying up your mental processes in a trivial pursuit. If you need numbers, set a kitchen timer to five, ten, or even twenty minutes - then listen to some great music while doing the SE. 3. Counting by the numbers might keep you from focusing on what's important - good form while doing the scalp exercise, that is, getting complete alternate contractions from the frontalis and occipitalis muscles. I read Aleixo's message several times. It's an inspiration. I'm sure his words helped you. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 19 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks Tom, Aleixo's message was very insightful. I'm not actually doing the full scalp exercise at the moment however, i'm just contracting the occipitalis repeatedly. I mightn't bother with counting the repetitions anymore and I think I will start practicing the alternating contractions. My latest pair of earphones has gone deaf on one side, just like all the others. This was a good pair too, and I had it less than 2 months. I have no idea why this keeps happening, they're not poor quality It was handy listening to an audio book while doing the contractions. I think that now and again I can feel the area over the inactive occipitalis stirring,if only slightly, which is a great sign. I'm not going to get too optimistic until I master it though. Thanks. | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 20 Registered: 03-2009 |
Hello again, i'm still working away contracting the muscle each day for an hour or so a day (not counting repetitions, it was a bad way of doing it) I do get a little lopsided scalp movement, but no major progress with the other muscle as of yet i'm afraid. It should eventually become symmetrical shouldn't it? If the occipitalis muscles are really just one group split apart, should the contractions, i don't know, just spread across to the inactive one as you work with it? Just curious, do you guys hear a sort of, erm, sinewy noise when you contract your occipitalis? Its pretty useful when practicing the scalp exercise, if the muscles are small and don't give a very distinct bunch up. (although i can feel it bunching when i have my fingers placed over it) | ||
| Aleixo New member Username: Aleixo Post Number: 14 Registered: 09-2008 |
Ned, I found out one thing that maybe help you getting the maximum movement of the scalp and thus, evening out your occipitalis, but it is only suitable if you do the SE at home, and it works the best if you have longish hair, or if, at least, it is not shaved. you just need to be sitting and front of a wall and have a candle light behind you, pointing in your direction. you will see the shadow of your head in the wall, and, as you do the SE, you will be able to see your hair moving (that's why it works the best if your hair is not shaved. if it is short, spike it with water or something), and be able to notice what's the best way to contract the occipitalis in order to get the maximum movement of the hair on the shadow. hope this helps you. | ||
| Aleixo New member Username: Aleixo Post Number: 15 Registered: 09-2008 |
oops, I meant the light from a lamp, not a candle. sry, sometimes my english speaking has some kind of failures | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 21 Registered: 03-2009 |
Thanks for the helpful advice Aleixo, sorry I didn't thank you sooner but its been a horrible fortnight. I had a stomach bug last week and for the last few days I have had some viral infection or something. Last night was the most uncomfortable night of my life lol, well at least its not swine flu, i think. My head has never hurt so much. | ||
| Aleixo New member Username: Aleixo Post Number: 16 Registered: 09-2008 |
you're welcome, Ned. hope you get better soon. remember, what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger :D | ||
| Ned L New member Username: Poltergeist Post Number: 22 Registered: 03-2009 |
Still trying to get that other muscle. Damn its a pain in the ass. Knowing my luck the 1st one will probably stop working once i master the second As for the swine flu remark, funnily enough I think I had it. I had a lousy flu for five days with many of the symptoms. I have heard of a few people in the paper who had it and got over it. One guy who had a column said he just slept it off with plenty of fluids, just what I did. | ||
| Mikhail New member Username: Mphatesmpb Post Number: 13 Registered: 07-2010 |
"It certainly is possible to get the burn this way. But I think contracting both frontalis and occipitalis muscles at the same time is counterproductive. I think the SE works best when the whole scalp moves to the max. Since the occipitalis and frontalis muscles are antagonistic muscles, when you contract one, the other relaxes automatically, giving you maximum movement of the scalp. If you contract both muscles simultaneously, there is stasis - lack of movement, lack of benefit. I could be wrong about this though. I learn a lot from people who don't take my pronouncements as gospel. Experimentation is king. New ideas are always welcome." I also contract both muscles simultaneously because I feel like it gives my scalp a more vigorous work out. I am quite good at contracting the frontalis while holding the occipitals in the contracted state, but not the other way around. Tom, if the reason the scalp exercise works is in fact due to its increasing the elasticity of the galea and/or the subcutaneous layer, then simultaneous contraction of the muscles would better achieve this effect. My reasoning is that the frontalis muscles appear to pull the scalp forward toward my face, whereas the occipitals pull it in the opposite direction. I also find that holding the contraction for long periods of time gives the muscles an intense work out: i hold each one for up to 1 minute some times. Could this cause problems? | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 4056 Registered: 01-2003 |
Mikhail: I don't think the scalp exercise is effective because it increases the elasticity of the galea or the subcutaneous layer. I think it's effective because: 1. It quickens lymphatic drainage, thus getting rid of metabolic waste products in scalp tissue. These waste products may trigger inflammation in and around the hair follicles. 2. It causes angiogenesis - the creation of new capillaries in the scalp. Capillaries are the delivery system that brings nutrients to the rapidly dividing cells of the hair follicles. 3. It is responsible for a temporary increase in blood flow to the scalp. Contracting muscles have ten times the blood flow of muscles in the relaxed state. I don't think holding a contraction for long periods of time could cause any problem. I just think it's a wasted motion, or rather a wasted lack of motion. | ||
| Mikhail New member Username: Mphatesmpb Post Number: 14 Registered: 07-2010 |
Tom, I have been reading several articles about the function of cranial muscles, and I have reasons to believe that the efficacy of the scalp exercise might in fact be due to increased elasticity of the galea or subcutaneous layer. This notion occurred to me while I was reading the content on http://www.malepatternbaldness.net/. The guy who wrote it proposes that male pattern baldness is due to the "constant down force generated by the muscles attached to the galea." He suggests that this downward force exerted collectively by the frontalis, occipitalis, and temporal muscles has an adverse effect on the capillary bed of the scalp. He suggests that injecting botox into these muscles (excepting the temporalis) would result in a reduction of the downward force and thus allow blood flow to the scalp. I find his theory implausible. However he did make an interesting observation. He notes that "there [is] a strip of hair that seems to separate the bald spot in the back and the one on the crown like the band on headphones." I believe that the band of hair dividing the frontal and vertex regions might be due to the opposing forces exerted by the temporalis muscles. If you look at the configuration of the temporalis muscles with respect to the galea and imagine them contracting, it seems like the downward force exerted by the temporalis muscles would result in stretching of the galea right about the strip-like region where hair often remains in pattern hairloss sufferers. I'm suggesting that the increased elasticity of the galea/subcutaneous layer in this strip region might be the reason hair here is often unaffected by MPB. it seems reasonable to say that the temporalis muscles are used much more frequently than either the frontal or occipital muscles. This is due to the fact that the temporalis muscles are used for chewing. So my (somewhat far-fetched) theory is that perhaps the alternate contraction of the frontalis and occipitalis muscles increases elasticity of the galea in the direction orthogonal to the strip-like region that was mentioned before. I am trying to piece together an explanation as to why MPB occurs in a pattern. It seems reasonable to say that the follicles all across the scalp are the same at the cellular level (maybe this is a faulty assumption), so why does MPB occur in those easily recognizable patterns such as vertex thinning and frontal recession? I've read research articles indicating that follicles in balding regions have more DHT-binding capacity. But perhaps the increased elasticity and looseness of the scalp resulting from SE allow for the abatement of hormonal effects. Your thoughts? | ||
| Mikhail New member Username: Mphatesmpb Post Number: 15 Registered: 07-2010 |
Also, the three things that you listed could also result from contraction of the temporalis muscles during chewing. However there is no correlation between baldness and lack of chewing. | ||
| Tom Hagerty Moderator Username: Admin Post Number: 4057 Registered: 01-2003 |
Mikhail: Here's another factor to consider in your mechanical (as opposed to biological) theory of hair loss. The skin of the scalp in certain areas is thinner than in others. For example, the skin of the crown area in thinner than the skin on the sides or back of the head. Anagen hair follicles in the sides and back of the head are between 3 and 5 mm in length. Hair follicles in the crown area are shorter. The anagen follicle grows down into the subcutaneous layer of the skin. Thicker skin with good capillary density in the dermis and subcutaneous layer gives better support to healthy hair follicles. |
