Issue #90: Hair Loss 101
Good morning. It's Wednesday, December 21st. In 1898, Pierre and Marie Curie discovered radium - which would be used to treat cancer; the first crossword puzzle appeared in the New York World in 1913; and what seems like ancient history, it was just 10 years ago that Gangnam Style by PSY became the first video on YouTube to have 1B views (now up to 4.6B views).
“There is one thing about baldness: it’s neat.”
From the Lab: Who Goes Bald and Why
Take Action: Embrace What You've Got
Speed Read: The Hydration Patch
Wednesday Weights: Legs & Shoulders
What We're Reading: Time Management for Mortals
The percent of men that will experience some hair loss before the age of 50. But 40% of all of those with hair loss are women. (Study)
From the Lab
For some of us our forehead seems to get a little bigger. For others there’s a growing hole in the back.
Fortunately, it’s not necessarily a sign of aging.
The hair lottery is mostly genetic - but it’s not quite as simple as “my mom’s dad was bald, so…” (study)
Androgenic alopecia (AA) is the scientific name for the genetic predisposition for pattern baldness - which causes 95% of all bald men and women with thinning hair.
DHT (full name dihydrotestosterone) is an essential steroid hormone that forms and grows male sexual organs during puberty.
But after all that's done - it really doesn't do much for us, except enlarge our prostate and cause hair loss.
Too much conversion of testosterone to DHT (regulated by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase) leads to miniaturization of the hair follicle, a shortened growth phase of the hair cycle, and eventual hair loss.
So blocking testosterone from converting into DHT seems like a good idea to prevent hair loss, right? Well that’s exactly what Finasteride (Propecia, Hims, Keeps) does.
But seems like a ton of potential side effects that might be worse than owning that bald head (Mayo Clinic).
There are some natural foods (avocados, almonds, green tea - see full list) or vitamins (B3 - Biotin, L-lysine) that help block DHT, but effectiveness to really prevent hair loss is really unproven. NOTE: here's a study on Saw Palmetto that might be an alternative to consider.
Another treatment - Minoxidil (Rogaine) activates dormant hair follicles and can be effective - but the dose is pretty high and you’ve got to keep doing it (beware, you might end up with hair you don’t want it - like your knuckles).
Some other potential solutions - low-level laser therapy stimulates hair growth by creating more ATP (energy) in the mitochondria on the scalp, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) takes your own blood - spins out the platelets and injects them back into the scalp.
Or you can be like Joe Buck and keep finding the latest hair transplant procedures even after losing your voice from a previous procedure. (full story)
Take Action
Thrive25 Partner Spotlight
Created by the personal chef, Mary Shenouda (@paleochef), for the World Champion Golden State Warriors, Phat Fudge is a performance food to replace energy gels and bars when you're working out.
After years of fueling athlete, actor, and executive clients with this proprietary blend of beneficial fats and performance enhancing ingredients, Mary created Phat Fudge to share her masterpiece with the whole world.
Eat Clean. Play Often. Crush Life. That’s the Phat Fudge motto. Short and sweet, like the ingredient list - you're too busy crushing life to worry about weird, hidden junk in your food. Check it out HERE.
Speed Read
Health & Longevity in the News
We’ve Created a Monster: "Frankenstein" foods impact your metabolic health in multiple ways: reducing insulin sensitivity, promoting oxidative stress and disrupting your microbiome. Just a taste: ultra-processed foods like fast food, cereals and seemingly healthy energy bars make up 60% of the calories Americans consume. (Levels)
Heavy Metal Reveal: Metalheads want to thrash at concerts, not eat metal in their dark chocolate. Consumer Reports tested 28 bars for lead and cadmium - only 5 bars were within safe thresholds for both metals. Check out this report before you buy any stocking stuffers. (CR)
Ready for a Hydration Patch?: Nix launched its Hydration Biosensor to evaluate fluid and electrolyte loss in real time. Why? Methods like thirst, judging urine color, and lengthy lab tests lead to inaccurate estimations of hydration up to 80% of the time. Nix currently connects to iOS devices and Garmin watches - more to come soon. (Fitt Insider)
Wednesday Weights
Connor's back! This one is a great lift heading into the holiday weekend. You'll feel like your legs and shoulders deserve the break!
Click HERE to view the workout on our YouTube channel.
Workout and video courtesy of Connor J. Obrochta. Check out all of Connor's workouts on Playbook!
What We’re Reading
Four Thousand Weeks - Time Management for Mortals
This is the best book we've read when it comes to how to think about time, our opportunity cost, and getting the most out of life every single day. HINT: It's not about doing as much as possible or even traveling the world. A great read as you start to think about your goals for 2023.
A reminder about our End of Year Giveaway to help us spread the word about Thrive25 and to get as many people as possible for 2023. Thank you to the many of you who've already shared Thrive25. 🙏
Winners will get 1 of these 3 absolutely free gifts!
Earn tickets for the Giveaway:
Follow us @Thrive25Labs on Instagram & tag 3+ friends to this post
Earn as many tickets as you can before 12/31
Winners will be announced on Wednesday, January 4th.
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Thanks for joining us today!
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We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25 Labs LLC does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.