Episode 2: HAIR HAIR BEAUTIFUL HAIR
Hair Hair Beautiful Hair! Evolutionarily speaking, people with more hair are seen as more attractive and are chosen over people with less hair. In our subconscious, we deem that person a “healthier” and “more attractive” as a result, even in our post reproductive years. We are hardwired to be attracted to people who are seen as healthy – and have visibly good genetic composition - like those with facial symmetry and things like good hair.
WELL, if we are going to be living to 100 and beyond – so for another 30, in my case at least 40 years and for some others, another, 50 years at least, wouldn’t you want to do it with a full head of healthy, looking hair? Of course you would!
It’s important right? Yes, for emotional health, but not necessary for survival.
However, a good head of hair is an indicator of good health. Why? Exactly that. We don’t need hair to survive, so if your body is doing a good job of keeping with all the important daily needs of your organs and other systems, then it can go on to maintaining a good head of hair. And if your body is out of “gas” has trouble keeping up with the maintenance of the important organs etc., then your hair will suffer.
Your hair has a biological clock that is a three part growth plan system that dictates if and when, hair will grow (growth phase), then stop growing (the regression phase) and then “the hang around for a bit before you lose it all into the drain” phase (technically known as the resting phase that lasts 3-6 months). This is done continuously with a percentage of new hair started every so often. During times of physical or emotional stress (so physical stress could be the result of dysregulated hormones, infections and illnesses, extreme weight loss, even severe calorie restriction from fasting) or emotional stress (- we have a whole laundry list of what those could be in our lives but one in particular is affecting some people more than others – these day, for some it could be this pandemic even). The body hits the panic button and stops spending energy on growing new hair, suspends any extra expenditure on the middle phase and just chemicaly classifies the whole head of hair into the resting phase (I call it the palliative care “waiting room” – for rest and respite before it is ejected off your head!!).
Some kind of trauma or stress on the body today will result in hair loss 3 – 6 months down the road.
Gray hair is also an indication that some form of stress or dysregulation has occurred. Insufficient – (not enough) – levels of an antioxidant called CATALASE (and antioxidants are substances that remove damaging oxidating agents – byproducts of the body as it processes food, and reacts to the environment - in living organisms.
So not enough antioxidants, then a chemical called HYDROGEN PEROXIDE builds up and then damages cells that produce MELANIN – the pigment that gives your hair and skin, their colour. So we also lose hair, AND our hair goes GRAY!
Fifty percent of women (50%) have a condition called ALOPECIA. This is where clumps of hair are not growing on the head any longer. This can be caused by different situations: hormones gone awry, medications, toxins in the body, nutritional deficiencies, illnesses (diabetes, autoimmune conditions such as lupus), severe stress or other conditions.
Hormones play a very important part in hair growth, loss and health. Underactive thyroid is a problem, Low progesterone is a problem, testosterone metabolite causes hair follicles to shrink resulting in hair loss. Balancing out hormones may have to be your first step.
It’s not all bad news! According to Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS,in her book on Radical Longevity, She is prolific author and longevity expert….. HAIR replaces itself every 4 – 6 years, entirely. So that means for most us, the average will be 5 years. If you and I start now, we can have a head of luscious, thick, dark hair, like we did in our 30’s! But you’ve got to do a few things differently! The first is to believe in the rejuv! That it is wholey possible, if you start now!
Instead of overwhelming everyone with absolutely everything that is suggested for good hair growth, I am going to suggest taking it in three stages – that you can choose to follow as slowly or quickly as you can handle. Don’t feel overwhelmed! Feel inspired to make one small change at a time.
The first step or level process starts with aiding in the growth of hair where you want it to grow. The second level is supporting the new growth and the third level, is removing all those things that are hurting or preventing our hair growth AND adding other measures into our daily habits to ensure the good cycle repeats itself. So that you don’t have to keep doing - so I call these steps – Levels - Level 1 FIX IT NOW MAGIC, Level 2 SUPPORT THE MAGIC FIX and Level 3 CREATE THE FUTURE MAGIC
So close your eyes and visualize those Farah Fawcett luscious thick locks – how great would you feel if you had your usual head of hair back? Or better still, one that was even better than the one you had before? A scientist named Ian Mitchell, who is researching all things about longevity (so those that get right to the core of every cell) connects with a doctor, Dr. Tami Meruglia who treats mostly women who have lost their hair due to hormones and other problems, focus on regrowing hair as an important element of self care and self love. Women look in the mirror and although they feel good inside from treatment, the don’t feel good about themselves when they see the most glaring indicator of ill health – poor hair quality. So they set out to fix that ASAP. Their latest hair growth serum works in much less time than most and has seen amazing results in even older men who have not had hair in those spots on their head for years! Amazing results indeed! They are not the only ones who are producing products that help grow hair, but theirs seems to be the best, fastest acting at the moment of this writing. Their procedure uses a microneedling “stamp” that pokes microscopic holes in the skin. Then a serum is applied to the skin surface to stimulate hair growth to those areas. The stamping promotes blood going to the area.
Another treatment that is widely available at Medical Cosmetic Spas is called Platelet Rich Plasma treatment. The person’s own blood is treated and then injected into the scalp.
First, 11-22 milliters of blood is drawn from the patient. Platelet rich plasma is extracted from that blood by putting the blood in a centrifuge-like mechanism that can separate the substance from your blood and increases the concentration of specific proteins that promote healing (platelet rich plasma). Lastly, the platelet rich plasma is injected into the scalp via needles. (This is also called the Vampire Treatment as it involves BLOOD!) The plasma promotes healing of all injured body tissues including follicles. This treatment is also good for tendon injuries and osteoarthritis. This treatment can be done every 6-10 months (the frequency has been reduced since they have figured out how to enrich the “juice” even more! May only require one or two treatments. The number of hairs increases, the thickness increases and the strength of hair roots increases. Once a year touch ups are recommended as well by Dr. Alan Bauman’s clinic (Baca Raton, Florida). (You may not be a candidate for this if your body is under stress because of cancer, acute infections or metabolic disorder, or thyroid disease). The cost of this treatment is about $1,500 - $3,500 (US fall 2021 pricing), depending on the number of times you end up going.
(** OPTIONAL - THE SCIENCE:
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), a new biotechnology, is the product of a heightened interest in cell-based therapy and tissue engineering. This therapy is defined as an autologous preparation of plasma with concentrated platelets. PRP contains various growth factors and cytokines that enhance the body's inherent capacity to repair and regenerate [16,17]. PRP has been traditionally employed in periodontal therapy, maxillofacial surgery, orthopedics, and sports medicine. More recently, it has captured attention in the field of dermatology, particularly for its role in treating acne scars, fat grafting, wound healing, and hair regrowth [18]. Research has demonstrated the beneficial effects of PRP, such as proliferation of adipose precursor cells, wound repair, cellular differentiation, and angiogenesis [16]
Among the cells in a typical blood sample, 93% are red blood cells (RBCs), 6% platelets, and 1% white blood cells. The principle behind PRP treatment is to enrich the platelets through centrifugation, to reverse the RBC-to-platelet ratio to achieve a 94% concentration of platelets and a 5% concentration of RBCs. The high level of growth factors and cytokines in PRP are thought to facilitate tissue rejuvenation and healing. A platelet concentration of approximately 1 million platelets/μl, which is ∼5 times the normal concentration of platelets, has demonstrated tissue reparative efficacy [17].
Platelets are most often thought of for their hemostatic functions. However, they also contain a vast reservoir of over 800 proteins which, when secreted, act upon numerous targets including stem cells, fibroblasts, osteoblasts, endothelial, and epithelial cells [19,20]. Granulation of these factors generally begins within 10 min of platelet activation. Besides platelets and their secreted factors, there are other active components within PRP, importantly fibrinogen and leukocytes. The current thinking is that the therapeutic benefits of PRP come not only from the platelets, but from the combination of constituents and growth factors [19].)
This idea has been furthered by EXOSOME treatment. Exosomes are tiny micro vesicle, 1/1000th of the size of a typical body cell, used for intracellular communication to help cells work together more efficiently, they are stem cell derived, so they bring a variety of growth factors into the body. These factors can help stimulate the regenerative potential of the body – not just for hair thickening, but for a variety of other applications. This too is injected into the scalp to generate thicker, healthier hair (maybe more effective than PRP and stem cell application!). Results in 3-6 months – and you need only one treatment. Current pricing seems to be in the $5-$10,000 US dollar range (but these treatments go down quickly as they become more available).
So LEVEL 1 – FIX IT NOW MAGIC
Try hair serums that are designed to grow hair wherever you put them, even eye brows! Great for those who have suffered with low thyroid and have lost the hairs and the length in their brows, and especially the colour. This serum will regrow and recolour your hair and your eyebrows. It is by HAIR SCIENCES SYSTEM. It was created by Dr. Tami Meruglia and Dr. Ian Mitchell, a scientist and developer of the Neural RX and Hair Science System. Hair will start to regrow in 30 days! Hair will grow thicker and faster than usual.
The Bauman Medical Clinic also has a few topical treatment options. One is said to be producing hair in a matter of weeks called the AnteAge-MD Home Hair Systems which is comprised of 2 Solutions and a micro dermal stamp. It also has people growing hair in bald spots and weak follicles are producing longer, thicker and more pigmented hair visibly in 10 weeks time. (not for women of child bearing age according to their website).
PRP – Platelet rich plasma treatment. Stem cells and PRP applied to scalp after microneedling scalp (PRP level 1.5 million platelets per microlitre).
PRP is thought to be able to regrow collagen, enrich fibrin, and aid in the formation of new blood vessels. This treatment also reduces wrinkles and fixes skin tone. This treatment also supports transplanted follicles.“Upgraded” injection therapy treatments using stem cells and EXOSOMES – now available at all the top medical beauty clinics.
Surgery: Clinics have come a long way from the plus and strips of hair transplanted from one side of the head to another. Bauman Medical Clinic and others at the cutting edge of this field, transplant individual follicles, one follicle at a time! There is no scalpel or stiches involved! FOLLICULAR HAIR EXTRACTION.
LEVEL 2 – SUPPORT THE FIX MAGIC
The MAGIC FIX is only the first step. Let’s learn about hair in general. Hair is 99% protein. If you aren’t getting enough protein or are eating bad protein, you aren’t feed your hair right or if your body is not utilizing the protein you consume properly, you aren’t feeding your hair right. And that’s not all your body needs. Unfortunately, one size does not fit all here. The body needs supplements that will support the new hair growth and hair health. WE need the hormones to be balanced and the mitochondria (Mitochondria are often referred to as the powerhouses of the cell. They help turn the energy we take from food into energy that the cell can use) – kind of like fertilizing a garden of newly sprouted flowers….
to be healthy. Great start would be to have your hormones assessed – what is your base line?
Supplements that are shown to promote hair growth are
Biotin and other B vitamins
B12 is diminished with stress and emotional trauma – it actually changes the hair follicle biochemistry
Zinc
Protein – good quality
Omega 3 oil
Collagen
Vitamin D
Go to the website WisWomansWay.com - to see the amounts recommended by different practitioners.
Dr. Bauman Clinic recommended multi supplement product NUTRAFOL for women’s hair growth and thickness increases with 3 months use: nutrafol.com/women-balance/
Take enzymes to ensure that your stomach is processing the supplements that need to make their way to your cells.
Add Red Light Therapy. Red light upregulates energizing production inside the cells. Cells become healthier and stronger. After a time, each cell starts to optimize itself. Can purchase a red light therapy “cap” or other similar products. Wear it 20 - 30 minutes every other day and see huge results in 3 months! I have purchased an iRestore Laser Helmet and will report on my results!
Remove the trouble makers – potentially toxic foods that cause autoimmune issues. These are often gluten and dairy.
Avoid chemical laden hair care products (shampoos conditioners etc.)
LEVEL 3 – CREATE THE FUTURE FOREVER MAGIC FIX
Make sure that your gut is healed. What you put into it should make its way into your blood stream and not dumped down in the toilet!
Start doing those things that reduce stress in the first place. Stress WILL make you lose your luscious locks (unless you are an anomaly).
Remove the stress with supplements to support your thyroid and your adrenals. Take supplements to reduce stress like rhodiola or ashwangandha (supports the adrenal gland)
Start supplementing for extra energy and happiness with Amino acids to start (if you can tolerate them – see your functional medical doctor)
Start taking an antioxidant to prevent catalase buildup (the bad stuff) that makes you go gray!): Curcumin, ashwangandha or Vitamin E, Vitamin C
Start meditating
Start exercising.
So my goal is to totally replace all of my faulty working parts in 7 years! (The 7 year cycle) Including my head of hair! I want it to be darker, thicker, and have more of it, including bringing down my hair line in the next few years. I am working on this with three products: trying the skin punctures and protein cell stem lotion, I’m going to purchase the combination vitamin/nutrient supplement called NUTRAFOL and I have used my VISA points and ordered, from Amazon, a RED LASER CAP. I have already added practices such as short daily meditations and small amounts of exercise. I will report back in a few months with pictures and other details!
Check out the specific products and supplements on some websites of preminent specialists in their field - on my website: TheWiseWomansWay.com or AnneRad.com
Show Notes:
Dr. Sophie Kogan
Nutrafol creator
New York, New York
Dr. Kogan was involved with the first study that came out on women in menopause and what they are going through: hair thinning and the effectiveness of a natural supplement (there's virtually nothing on the market for women, even a non natural supplement). Nutrafol is leading the industry in that and the research community as well.
Bauman Medical Centre
Dr. Alan J. Bauman
Boca Raton
Florida, 33432
1-561-394-0024
Website: www.baumanmedical.com
#1 Hair restoration surgeon in the US
Ante-Age MD Home Hair Systems
PRP
Single Follicle Replacement Surgery Experts
Dr. Tami
Dr. Tami Integrative Wellness Inc.
309 West Republican St.
Seattle, WA 98119
1-206-403-1223
Hair Science System
PRP Therapy
Exosome Therapy
ALMI Therapy
Hormone/Supplement support
Dr. Tami Meruglia – Bio-Renati Stem Cell and Regenerative Centre in Puerto Vallarta and Stem Cell Centre in Seattle Washington (Hormone Medical Clinic)
Laser Hair Cap – “iRestore Professional Laswer Hair Growth System” sold by Freedom Laser Therapy and available through, where else, Amazon! They also have other types for sale that may suit you better! But the important thing is that there are options!
Resource: Supplements Chart