Let’s talk about the most common cause of hair loss. The most common cause of hair loss is androgenic alopecia.
Androgenic alopecia is pattern hair loss. In men, this could be a receding hairline as well as hair loss on the top of the head. In women, this could be more of a thinning of the hair all over the head. Androgenic alopecia affects 50-80% of males and 25-50% of females.
Hair loss medications work in a few different ways. One popular medication works by increasing oxygen, nutrients, and nitric oxide to the scalp.
Most hair loss medications work by inhibiting a certain enzyme called 5-alpha reductase, which converts testosterone into a much more powerful form of testosterone called DHT. DHT is a type of androgen.
Too much DHT can cause:
• A thickening of the dermis around the hair follicle (which suffocates the hair follicle)
• An increase in fibrosis (scarring that wraps around the hair)
• Calcification around the hair follicles
The enzyme 5-alpha reductase seems to be a key factor in whether or not you could develop hair loss. Insulin increases 5-alpha reductase. Conditions that involve high insulin are associated with androgenic alopecia. Low progesterone can also increase 5-alpha reductase. Lowering insulin by getting on a low-carb diet and doing intermittent fasting may help with androgenic alopecia.