A lot of hair loss treatments focus on two things:
1. Keeping the hair in the anagen (growth phase) for longer by increasing growth factors involved in maintaining the anagen phase
2. Preventing the hair from shedding by blocking transforming growth factors, which transition hair follicles from anagen to catagen (resting)
I previously mentioned quite a bit about the growth factors that help maintain the anagen phase: VEGF, FGF7, EGF (and there are others).
Hair loss treatments that belong to the second category attempt to inhibit transforming growth factors such as TGFbeta2.
It’s hypothesised by some researchers that the androgen hormone DHT increases TGFbeta2 in the hair follicles:
At the initiation, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) stimulates synthesis of transforming growth factor-beta2 (TGF-beta2) in dermal papilla cells. TGF-beta2 suppresses proliferation of epithelial cells and stimulates synthesis of certain caspases. Then TGF-beta2 triggers the intrinsic caspase network and subsequently epithelial cells are eliminated through apoptotic cell death.
Via PubMed
In my next update I’ll be explaining why DHT increases TGF, how you can reduce scalp TGF and if you really want to reduce scalp TGF.
How to reduce scalp TGF
Topical Oleanolic acid
-->Topical curcumin
Curcumin is a plant extract, taken from turmeric. It has shown several potential applications in the treatment of disease — particularly in the reduction of inflammation. One study found curcumin inhibited TGF-beta1 in human epidermal keratinocytes (HaCaT). See below:
treatment of HaCaT with the TGF-beta1 inhibitor, curcumin, resulted in a concentration-dependant decrease in TGF-beta1 expression
Via PubMed
In my research I’ve also read that apigenin and taurine suppress TGF. I’ll be writing up my findings on these treatments soon. Check back in a few days.
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