| Author | Message | ||
     Peter G |
The blood vessels leading to the hairs, go weaker and die in the progress of AGA, if I am correct. So these vessels cannot bring enuogh nutrients to the hairs anymore. In this case it cannot help if we take the nutrients oral because the vessels cannot bring them. Then what is the benefit of taking them? | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Peter G: As male pattern baldness progresses many hair follicles start to miniaturize and produce fine hair (vellus hair)*. As the hair follicles get smaller - and this usually occurs between the anagen stages of the hair cycle - the capillaries nourishing these follicles get smaller too. A constricted or atrophied (wasted away) capillary cannot carry nutrients (vitamins, minerals, amino acids) to the follicles. The whole idea behind the scalp exercise program is that these exercises stimulate angiogenesis or neo-vascularization to scalp tissue. The hair follicles of course are part of the scalp tissue. They are really just specialized skin cells. New studies on VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) indicate that increased micro-circulation - blood flow in very small capillaries - may stimulate follicle health and therefor promote hair growth. The last question you ask, "Then what is the benefit of taking them [nutrients]?" presupposes that the primary reason for having good nutrients coursing through your veins is hair. I think good nutrition for general health and vitality supersedes hair problems. But since this is a hair site where people with hair problem come, general health is probably way down on the list of priorities. *Vellus hair follicles usually have no capillary network surrounding the dermal papilla. The nutrients that are supplied to vellus follicles are diffused in from capillaries outside of the follicle. The drawing of the hair follicle on my Web site is that of a healthy follicle with a strong network of capillaries feeding directly into it. | ||
| Peter G. |
It is still not clear for me. Your answer is not answer to my question. I refine my question: Is there any proof that the oils and vitamins we take, have a positive effect on the follicles? Is there any proof that the blood vessels can transfer the active ingredients of - for example - a spoonful of Omega3 oil we take? | ||
| Tom Hagerty (Admin) |
Peter G: When the delivery system - the capillaries - to the hair follicles is intact, the nutrient molecules in the blood will reach the follicles. "Is there any proof that the blood vessels can transfer the active ingredients...?" The technology is certainly available now to trace vitamin, mineral, and amino acid molecules to target areas. I can't cite any sources off hand where you would find this information though. You also want proof that specific nutrients will have a beneficial effect on the follicles. I really don't know what you mean by proof. If you mean the kind of proof you find in mathematics, you won't find it. If you mean correlation or probability, there are some studies, but the statistical evidence seems weak. This might not be a scientific attitude because I don't have the "proof" but I think that the same nutrients that make the body healthy will tend to make the hair healty too. It's too bad William Clinton is not making public pronouncements anymore about definitions. "What do you mean by Proof?" | ||
| Anonymous |
Tom, I think Peter G is asking about, when DHT is "damaging" your blood vessels, they go weaker and become smaller...so it's not that we do not take in enough nutrients, is the nutrients we take in cannot reach the follicles efficiently. In this case, taking supplements or changing our diets only have a limited effect on slowing down hair loss, am I right? |
