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Read time: 10 minutes

Prostaglandin D2 Hits Headlines As A Baldness Breakthrough

In 2012, the dermatology departments of University of Pennsylvania and Johns Hopkins University generated a lot of buzz around a potential “miracle cure” for baldness.

The big discovery? A relationship between prostaglandin D2 (a fatty acid derivative) and male pattern baldness.

The researchers demonstrated, for the first time in humans, that a lipid derivative called prostaglandin D2 was elevated in balding areas – but not in hair-bearing areas – of men with hair loss. More importantly, they also discovered that prostaglandin D2 inhibits hair lengthening. The more prostaglandin D2 present, the shorter a hair grows.

The team suggested that by maybe inhibiting prostaglandin D2 in the scalp, hair loss might be stopped. And that got a lot of hair loss sufferers (and pharmaceutical companies) excited.

Prostaglandin-D2 inhibitors were already in trials as a treatment for asthma. It wouldn’t be hard to develop a topical for men’s scalp using the same technology.

The media went wild, claiming the “cure” for baldness was just around the corner. These researchers began talks with pharmaceutical companies to begin human trials. One article claimed the “cure” for baldness might reach shelves in 2 years. Then came another scientific overview, and even more excitement around the possibility that by inhibiting prostaglandin D2, we might grow back our hair.

Years Later… Is Prostaglandin D2 Still A Hair Loss Miracle?

Today, the buzz around prostaglandin D2 has faded. We haven’t heard much from the human prostaglandin D2 trials. And some of prostaglandin D2’s original hair loss research pioneers have even shifted focus.

So what happened? Does prostaglandin D2 really hold the cure for baldness?

Maybe… Maybe not.

This article uncovers what prostaglandins are, why scientists thought prostaglandin D2 held so much promise for hair recovery, and why prostaglandin D2 might not be the miracle hair loss cure after all.

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Important Note: this article was last updated in 2017. Since then, new research has come out clarifying (and contradicting) the role of prostaglandins in androgenic alopecia. As such, this article no longer reflects my exact viewpoints on the subject. We recently published a manuscript about inflammation, prostaglandins and fibrosis – you can read that here.

What Are Prostaglandins?

Prostaglandins are a group of lipids that our bodies generate at sites of injury, like damaged or infected tissues. They are a part of the body’s inflammatory response – meaning that prostaglandins over-express at sites of inflammation.

Prostaglandins have a variety of roles in the “promotion and resolution of inflammation” – like blood flow regulation, blood clot formation, cytokine expression, and even hormone regulation. Their presence changes the way that cells behave – sort of similar to a hormone.

The Bad News About Prostaglandins

In normal amounts, prostaglandins are fine (and even essential). But chronically elevated prostaglandin levels are a bad thing. Prolonged prostaglandin over-expression is associated with more allergies, autoimmune disease, arteriosclerosis, and now even hair loss.

There are many prostaglandin groups – all labeled by their molecular form – but the one that made hair loss headlines was prostaglandin D2 (PGD2).

What Is Prostaglandin D2?

PGD2 is a type of prostaglandin made in our central nervous system and in our skin tissue. On top of hair loss, PGD2 is also the same prostaglandin implicated in asthma. So if you’re also suffering from asthma, you might find the following information relevant.

How Do Our Bodies Make Prostaglandin D2?

Prostaglandin D2 is actually made from another prostaglandin called prostaglandin H2 (I know, the names aren’t that original).

When prostaglandin H2 (PGH2) comes into contact with an enzyme called prostaglandin D2 synthase, it gets converted into prostaglandin D2 (PGD2).

Not All Prostaglandin D2 Hurts Our Hair… Only The Kind That Binds To GPR44

In order for PGD2 to influence cell behavior, it has to bind to a cell’s receptor. There are a few different receptors to which PGD2 can bind, but the PGD2 receptor that’s implicated in hair loss is called GPR44.

When PGD2 binds to the receptor GPR44, hair loss soon follows. This is the one-two combination that hair loss sufferers (and preventers) want to avoid.

Summary So Far: How Prostaglandin D2 Triggers Hair Loss

Prostaglandin D2 is elevated in the bald areas of men with androgenic alopecia. This discovery reinforces previous research showing that in mice, PGD2 increases just before the regression phase of the hair cycle (in other words, prostaglandin D2 increases before hair loss occurs).

Interestingly, researchers also showed that by increasing PGD2 in mice, they can induce hair follicle miniaturization, sebaceous gland hyperplasia, and eventually alopecia. They can use PGD2 to “turn on” pattern hair loss.

So to summarize the the prostaglandin D2-hair loss connection:

PGH2 gets converted into PGD2 by the enzyme prostaglandin D2 synthase
Then that PGD2 binds to the receptor GPR44
For unknown reasons, this triggers hair loss (or more specifically, hair length shortening).

So how can we go about inhibiting PGD2 to protect us against pattern hair loss?

How To Decrease PGD2 (With Drugs)

Two Ways To Stop PGD2: Enzyme Inhibitors & Receptor Antagonists

In order to stop PGD2 from influencing a cell’s function, we need to either…

stop PGD2 from ever forming, or…
stop PGD2 from binding to a cell

Scientists are developing drugs to do this by…

blocking the enzyme that converts PGH2 into PGD2 – prostaglandin D2 synthase. Or…
blocking PGD2’s “anti-hair” receptor – GPR44.

Wait… Blocking Enzymes And Receptors Sounds Kind Of Similar To Other Hair Loss Drugs

And it should!

Blocking a substance’s enzyme and receptor is also how hair loss scientists approached reducing another hair loss “culprit”… DHT.

Before PGD2 came along, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) was considered the “cause” of hair loss. The argument was as follows:

In our scalps, testosterone gets converted into DHT by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. DHT then binds to a cell’s androgen receptor, and for unknown reasons, the hair becomes sensitive to DHT and the follicles eventually shrink, leading to hair loss.

The solution for DHT? Block the 5-alpha reductase enzyme or the androgen receptor to decrease the amount of DHT in our scalps and maybe regrow some hair.

So came the creation of Propecia – a 5-alpha reductase enzyme inhibitor – and Spironolactone – an androgen receptor antagonist (blocker).

Here’s a side-by-side of how PGD2 and DHT form.

Back To PGD2: The Good News For Pharmaceutical Companies

Like DHT inhibitors, a few known prostaglandin D2 inhibitors already exist. Here are a few:

Setipiprant (a GPR44 receptor antagonist)
Ramatroban (a GPR44 receptor antagonist)
Ricinoleic Acid (a prostaglandin D2 synthase enzyme inhibitor). The name sounds scary, but it’s actually just a fatty acid found in castor oil.

So are these PGD2 inhibitors helping us regrow any hair?

Are Prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) Inhibitors Regrowing Any Hair?

PGD2 Clinical Trials… No News Yet

Unfortunately, we haven’t heard word about clinical trial results, nor about the original PGD2 trials from a few years back. This makes me assume that the trials aren’t producing significant signs of hair regrowth.

But there are also non-trial participants – hair loss researchers and forum members who compounded their own PGD2 inhibitors. These experimenters have already begun testing PGD2-inhibiting substances and logging their progress on private hair loss forums. The most common PGD2 inhibitor of choice: Setipripant.

So what are their results?

PGD2 Hair Loss Forum Testers… Not Much (If Any) Regrowth

Some testers are reporting an arrest in hair loss. But unfortunately, none are showing significant signs of regrowth… even after a full year of testing.

But it’s not all bad news.

The Silver Lining: PGD2 Inhibitors + PGE2 Promoters Might Regrow Hair

Some researchers have combined PGD2 receptor blockers with PGE2 promoting substances, and with much better success.

Just check out the regrowth results from Swiss Temples. His “prostaglandin protocol” seems like a bit over-the-top – especially with the safety concerns of some of the substances. But it’s reaping results.

These anecdotes suggest that a PGD2 inhibitor + PGE2 promoter is probably better for hair regrowth, especially versus a PGD2 blocker alone. But based on radio silence from the PGD2 trials and the lacking results from others’ anecdotes – it seems like a PGD2 blocker alone isn’t going to regrow much hair.

Why Aren’t PGD2 Inhibitors Regrowing Much Hair?

While research is still ongoing, it might have to do with that question researchers never answered…

How exactly does prostaglandin D2 cause hair loss?

Maybe the answer is that prostaglandin D2 induces something else… calcification.

Prostaglandin D2 Doesn’t Just Trigger Hair Loss… It Also Triggers Calcification

Calcification is the build-up of calcium deposits in tissues where it doesn’t belong (for example, our soft tissues or our arteries). And studies show that PGD2 is a calcification inducer – meaning that PGD2 triggers calcification.

The bottom line: wherever PGD2 over-expresses, calcification may soon follow.

Calcification Is A Chronic Progressive Condition

The causes of calcification are complex, multifaceted, and not fully understood. But the important takeaway is this:

Calcification is chronic and progressive. If you take away whatever triggers calcification (for example, PGD2), you might stop more calcification from accumulating, but you likely won’t remove the calcification already present.

Scalp Calcification Precedes Hair Loss

The connection between calcification and hair loss was made over 70 years ago when researchers observed in those who were bald, the blood vessels supporting those dormant follicles had become completely calcified.

In fact, calcification precedes hair loss. Calcium buildup in our blood vessels restrict blood flow to our hair follicles, which reduces oxygen and nutrient flow to the follicles. This causes the hair to slowly shrink, until it disappears entirely.

Due To Calcification, PGD2 Inhibitors May Only Stop Hair Loss, But Not Regrow Much Hair

Remember: researchers haven’t yet uncovered exactly how PGD2 causes hair loss. Based on the evidence, my guess is this:

PGD2 induces calcification. That calcification then restricts blood flow to our follicles, until the follicle shrinks and the hair disappears.

If this is true, then it makes perfect sense why a PGD2 inhibitor may only stop future hair loss. If we block PGD2, we prevent future calcification… But we never get rid of the calcification that’s already there.

Why We Should Still Try To Reduce PGD2

It’s still in our best interest to decrease PGD2 expression. Doing so may protect us from hair loss and reduce the symptoms of allergies (and even asthma).

So, is there any way we can go about doing this naturally? Without drugs that haven’t completed the rigor of human trials?

Yes.

How To Reduce PGD2 (Naturally)

Change Your Diet

PGD2 is derived from arachidonic acid, which is an omega 6 fatty acid.

Omega 6 fatty acids are found predominantly in cooking oils (think: canola, olive, safflower, sunflower, and corn), but are also prevalent in many processed foods. They’re considered to activate many pro-inflammatory pathways in the human body.

Going Back To Asthma: Linking Together PGD2, Arachidonic Acid, and Diet

As you ingest higher levels of arachidonic acid, you might also increase the expression of pro-inflammatory messengers in the body – like PGD2. This can lead to a variety of chronic ailments, one of which is asthma.

Conversely, omega 3 fatty acids seem to bolster an anti-inflammatory effect. These fatty acids are found in quality seafood – like wild salmon, scallops, and oysters.

A balance of omega 6 and omega 3 fatty acids help to optimize proper inflammatory responses. Unfortunately, in the case of most first-world diets, people over-consume omega 6 fatty acids and under-consume omega 3 fatty acids.

This was recently evidenced in a large-scale study on children’s diets from 2010. Researchers found that children who ate 3+ burgers a week were at a higher risk for asthma, whereas children who ate more fish and fruits were at a much lower risk.

What’s important to note isn’t that these children were eating burgers… It’s that these children were eating a higher ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids (~15:1), and thereby more likely to over-express PGD2 and other inflammatory biomarkers (the indicator being their asthma symptoms). The end-result of prolonged PGD2 expression: breathing problems. The children eating a more balanced ratio omega 6:3 ratio (~4:1) likely expressed less PGD2, and were thereby protected from asthma.

Eat Less Omega 6, Eat More Omega 3

So, if you’re worried you might be over-expressing PGD2, you may want to consume more polyunsaturated omega 3 fatty acids, and consume fewer polyunsaturated omega 6 fatty acids. Doing so might benefit other inflammatory conditions in your body, and even your hair health.

And if you wanted to take this a step further, you can even make efforts increase PGE2.

The One-Two Punch: Decrease PGD2, Increase PGE2 – All Naturally

Remember that the best prostaglandin-related regrowth results so far have been achieved by decreasing PGD2 and increasing PGE2.

We already know that a diet that restricts omega 6 fatty acids may decrease PGD2 expression. But did you also know we can increase PGE2 expression naturally too?

Here to increase PGE2 expression:

Get into the sun as often as possible.

UVB radiation has been shown to upregulate PGE2 expression. All you need to do is start getting into the sun during peak hours of UVB exposure. In doing so, you’ll increase vitamin D and PGE2 expression – which may help tremendously in preventing hair loss (and even regrowing some hair).

Summary Of The Prostaglandin D2-Hair Loss Connection

In 2012, researchers discovered that increases prostaglandin D2 (PGD2) expression reduces hair lengthening. The researchers hypothesized that a PGD2 inhibitor might halt hair loss and even regrow hair.

Unfortunately, we haven’t heard much from the PGD2-inhibitor human trials. On top of that, hair loss forum trials with PGD2 blockers did little more than halt hair loss.

However, some hair loss experimenters are documenting regrowth by both blocking PGD2 and increasing PGE2 expression. The net – if we’re going to try a prostaglandin protocol and we want to maximize our chances for hair regrowth, we need to both decrease PGD2 and increase PGE2.

Fortunately, we can decrease PGD2 and increase PGE2 naturally. Restricting omega 6 fatty acid consumption may decrease PGD2 expression throughout our bodies, and getting UVB radiation (from the sun) can increase PGE2.

And there you have it. I’ll update this article as more news comes out. In the meantime, drop a question in the comments section!

Read time: 10 minutes

The Shampoo-Hair Loss Connection

When I was diagnosed with male pattern hair loss, I immediately went running to Rogaine® and bought a nice shampoo. It’s a natural tendency for people to try and find easy fixes to their problems, and I was no exception.

I kept up this hair loss regimen for years – applying Rogaine twice daily and using a range of shampoos from copper peptides to volumizing thickeners. My hair loss never slowed down. But short of a hair transplant (and subscribing myself to a lifetime of Propecia®), I figured I was doing everything I could to stop my hair from thinning.

I was wrong.

A few years later, I began to rethink my stance on shampooing – particularly after reading ways that shampoos may contribute to hair loss and hair shedding. Yes, much of this research is misrepresented (and overstated) by health websites. At the same time, some of it has merit. And if you’re trying to improve hair health from all angles, you’ll want to at least understand ways in which some hair-washing habits might be contributing to your hair shedding.

A quick personal note: several years ago, I decided to take a break from shampoos and conditioners. I kept this up for four years. During that time, my hair felt and looked a lot healthier. We don’t really need shampoos and conditioners – at least the way we’re “conditioned” to believe. This article explains why.

This article explains the science behind shampooing and its potential connection to hair loss. We’ll uncover the importance of sebum, the dangers of even the most “organic” shampoos, and how to transition away from shampoos without having to worry about dandruff and hair oiliness.

Shampoo Aisle: Paralysis By Analysis

Have you ever walked through a grocery aisle and thought, “Most of these things I don’t even need”?

As consumer packaged goods continue to grow, so do our product choices. This isn’t a good thing. Having more choices doesn’t always make you more informed, better off, healthier, or even happier. In fact, overwhelming someone with too many choices can lead to no choice at all. They even have a name for it… Paralysis by analysis.

There are few better examples of this than the hair care aisle.

What Does The Hair Care Aisle Look Like?

In hair care, it’s common to see product claims attached to every bottle of shampoo or conditioner. Here are a few examples:

“…extend volume for all-day fullness.” – Garnier
“…fights fadeouts with zero-weight.” – Pantene
“…reconstructs at the cellular level.” – Dove
“…24 hours of defined curls.” – Pantene
“…lock out frizz for a full 3 days.” – Garnier
“…fight dandruff.” – Head & Shoulders

Overwhelmed yet? You might need frizz control, or a volume boost, or stronger hair, or all three. What do you buy?

The reality: you don’t really need any of these products. To understand why, you need to understand how hair care products actually work.

How Do Shampoos & Conditioners Work?

Shampoos

Shampoos clean your hair in a couple of ways. First, they strip your hair of any dirt or soil by using a blend of ingredients called surfactants. Surfactants bind with things like dirt, soil, dead skin, and sebum – and when the shampoo is washed away, it takes these things with it.

Shampoos also contain purpose-based ingredients like thickeners, emulsifiers, foaming boosters, scents, and color additives. You can often guess the ingredients in a shampoo by reading the advertising claims on the bottle.

Conditioners

Conditioners are designed to make your hair easier to manage and minimize static. They’ve got ingredients like fatty alcohols and silicones, which help lubricate hair follicles after shampooing cleans them. Conditioners are often used to detangle the hair, make it softer, and make it shinier.

What’s The Problem?

There are three big problems with shampoos and conditioners:

Their product claims are often exaggerated and unrealistic. Shampoos and conditioners coat your hair with synthetic compounds that boast the appearance of the claims on their bottles. After a few washes, the effects are gone. That’s why you’ll never see a claim for PERMANENT volume lifts, frizz reduction, dandruff control, or shininess.
Their ingredients are carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting. Depending on your frequency of exposure, this can have a compounded negative effect on your health.
Shampoos may accelerate the pathway to thinning hair. Shampoo strips your hair of the oils your body naturally produces to protect it. This can worsen the health of your scalp and potentially create the problem of excess sebum production – which, under certain circumstances, may increase inflammation and hair shedding.

But they don’t tell you that on the label.

Shampoos & Conditioners Are Full of Endocrine Disruptors & Carcinogens

The ingredients in most hair care products aren’t always safe. With every wash, you might be exposing yourself to compounds and chemicals known to be carcinogenic and hormone-disrupting. Here are just a few of the common offenders:

1. Parabens

Parabens are manmade preservatives used in cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, personal care products, and (some) processed foods.

Controversy over the safety of parabens began in 2004 when researchers found that parabens were present in 90% of human breast tumors. Not surprisingly, the same parabens in those tumors are also common ingredients in anti-perspiring underarm deodorants used by women. If you haven’t already guessed, parabens penetrate the skin and enter the body when applied topically.

Parabens Disrupt Your Endocrine System

The Environmental Protection Agency’s research suggests consistent long-term paraben exposure can disrupt your endocrine system. Your endocrine system (which is composed of your thyroid, pancreas, andrenals, testes, and ovaries) is absolutely critical to your health. Without a properly functioning endocrine system, hormonal balance is literally impossible.

Endocrine disruptors, like parabens, get stored in your body’s fat tissue and accumulate over time. In the correct concentrations, parabens can bind to estrogen receptors and alter your body’s hormonal secretions, thereby changing the way your body produces and treats hormones.

What does this mean for you? It means that with consistent paraben exposure, you may also have a higher disposition to hormonal imbalances.

Interested in a list of dysfunctions or diseases associated with hormonal imbalances? Here are some highlights:

Cancer
Hair Loss
Cognitive Impairment
Reduced Immune Functionality
Anxiety
Depression
Osteoporosis

The list could extend a few more pages, but I hope you get the picture. Nobody wants any of those.

Because parabens can negatively sway your body’s testosterone:estrogen ratios, they can also reduce your fertility, depending on the exposure and tissue concentration.

Too Many Parabens Make Men Infertile

The rise in infertility in developed countries has puzzled many scientists, but recent research suggests that increasing levels of male infertility could be the result of higher paraben exposure.

I started minimizing my paraben intake the second I learned that that human sperm was no longer viable after being exposed to 1 mg/mL of parabens. If you’re wondering what our average daily exposure to parabens is, it’s estimated to be 76 mg. Granted this isn’t directly comparable to 1 mg/mL, but I think the context helps show just how little 1 mg/mL really is.

If you’re struggling to conceive, maybe you should consider minimizing your paraben exposure for a few months.

Personal Care Products Account For Most Of Human Paraben Exposure

Since shampoos and conditioners are just one of many sources for paraben contact, you might be wondering why I am cherry picking. Let me be clear: I’m not.

Shampoos and conditioners, alongside other personal care products, account for nearly 70% of our daily paraben intake. Cutting these out will drastically reduce your long-term accumulation of the preservatives, so please consider it.

2. Phthalates

Phthalates are compounds found in plastic water bottles, shampoos, perfumes, shower curtains, body lotions, wood finishers, and hairsprays (to name a few). They’re used to make plastics more flexible and harder to break. Unfortunately, they also harbor unintended and detrimental consequences to our health and hair.

Phthalates are often disguised on labels as “fragrance”, among other terms. Sometimes, phthalates aren’t even listed as an ingredient because they’re only considered a part of a product’s package.

Phthalates Are Ingested Accidentally

Phthalates are often ingested through leaching. Phthalates can leach into foods or liquids heated in plastic containers. You might not think this is a huge deal if you don’t heat things in plastic, but you’d be surprised at how easy it is to ingest high levels of phthalates by accident. For instance, bottled water is full of leached phthalates. Even though the bottles themselves aren’t purposefully heated, they reach temperatures high enough during transportation and distribution to promote leaching into the water. So, even though you never heated that plastic bottle, you’re still likely ingesting phthalates well beyond a recommended limit.

The same is true for shampoos, only this time, you’re rubbing the phthalates directly into your head.

Phthalates Are Also Endocrine-Disrupting

Unsurprisingly, phthalates can also negatively impact your endocrine system by reducing free testosterone levels in the body. Not only that, but phthalates have also been shown to have an estrogenic effect on the body. The mechanisms behind how phthalates reduce testosterone and promote estrogen in the body aren’t fully understood. But the bottom line is, they throw our testosterone:estrogen ratio way out of whack, which means that they can create hormonal imbalances. Once again, hormonal imbalances are linked to a variety of dysfunctions and diseases, two of which are cancer and hair loss. Once again, I’m trying to avoid both of those.

The FDA Knows Phthalates Are Dangerous, But Regulation Is Limited

It’s interesting to note that certain phthalates are banned in children’s’ toys, but not in shampoos. Children also use shampoo, so obviously the FDA didn’t think this legislation through completely. If the FDA were willing to impose regulations on compounds that are dangerous to children, why would those compounds not also be dangerous to adults in higher concentrations?

The truth is, phthalates are dangerous regardless of your age. So avoid them by removing shampoos & conditioners from your hair care regimen.

3. Sulfates

Ever heard of Sodium Laurel/Laureth Sulfate? It’s usually the first ingredient listed in any shampoo or conditioner. It’s a compound derived from coconuts, but the way that it’s processed and extracted creates a multitude of carcinogenic byproducts. Those also end up in the shampoo, though they often aren’t listed. You still rub them into your scalp, and they still accumulate in your body.

Over 16,000 studies have been conducted on sulfates and their byproducts. Research aggregated by the Environmental Working Group suggests the compounds are associated with:

Developmental/reproductive toxicity
Organ toxicity
Endocrine disruption
Cancers and mutations

Obviously, the relationship between sulfates and these disorders is dose-dependent. Even still, it’s likely in our interests to keep exposures to a healthy minimum – or at least reduce any unnecessary sulfate exposure (through certain shampoos and cosmetic products).

4. Formaldehydes

Do you remember the Johnson & Johnson, “No more tears” campaign for baby shampoos? They reformulated their baby shampoos to be less irritating to babies’ eyes, who have a harder time keeping them closed when getting shampooed. What did they do?

They removed the formaldehyde from their formula.

It’s encouraging to see a large CPG company like J&J take steps toward bettering their products, but it’s disappointing that formaldehydes were used for so long in baby shampoos. Even worse, formaldehydes are carcinogenic. It says so right on the US Department of Labor’s website, and again in a warning they issued to hair salons when reevaluating formaldehydes’ safety in hair care products.

Aside from parabens, phthalates, and formaldehydes, you’ve still got a laundry list of other chemicals you’ll want to avoid (ammonium chloride and methylchloroisothiazolinone, for example).

It’s Likely That Your All-Natural/Organic Shampoo Also Isn’t Very Good For You

You might be thinking, “My shampoo doesn’t have any of these. I am an informed consumer, and I read ingredients lists.” You could be right, but harmful ingredients are just a partial problem with shampoos. Any type of shampoo or conditioner can contribute AND acts as a precursor to pattern hair loss.

While your hair might feel cleaner after washing, shampoos and conditioners actually create an environment in the scalp, which, over a period of time, can significantly contribute to hair loss in both men and women.

Chronic Shampooing May Promote Excess Sebum Production

The scalp produces sebum (natural oil) to keep the hair healthy, shiny, and smooth. At a certain point, the scalp and hair reach homeostasis – enough oil is produced to keep the hair intact, not too dry, and healthy.

Enter shampoos and conditioners. Remember how they clean the scalp? Shampoos strip the hair of dirt, but they also strip the hair of sebum – the natural oils you’re your sebaceous glands excrete to protect the hair. Then, conditioners replace them with synthetic compounds or “natural” oil derivatives.

The scalp, aware of the fact that it has been stripped of sebum, works on overdrive to produce more sebum to keep the hair healthy.

Think about it. Every time you use a shampoo, you wash away the sebum that your body produces to naturally lubricate the hair follicles. It’s an unintended consequence of washing dirt out of your hair, which water can do just fine without stripping the sebum from the hair shafts.

This cycle reinforces itself when we use shampoos over and over again. In turn, our scalps are always churning out more sebum than normal to keep up with the amount lost from shampoos.

The Bad News: Trapped/Excess Sebum Production Might Be Linked To Hair Loss

Research suggests that the build-up of sebum, over time, might indirectly contribute to hair loss. Here’s how.

Sebum is a food source for bacteria that live on our scalps and inside our sebaceous glands. Some of these bacteria are harmless; some are helpful; some are hurtful.

Men with pattern hair loss have higher levels of a harmful bacteria – known as P. Acnes – living on their scalps. Specifically, this bacteria lives inside the sebaceous glands. It eats sebum, and as a byproduct of its digestion, it produces something known as porphyrins. These are toxic substances that react with UV light, which create irritation to trigger an “inflammatory” response from our bodies.

The way our bodies respond? Ironically, by producing more sebum. Unfortunately, this just feeds more P. Acnes, which creates more porphyrins, which creates more inflammation, and the cycle continues.

This cycle is one way that acne can develop. But on the scalp specifically, this cycle may contribute to the inflammation associated with hair shedding. In fact, the presence of pathogenic microorganisms is believed to be one reason why men with hair loss tend to have oilier, shinier scalps.

Unfortunately, when we chronically shampoo (once daily or more), we’re washing away this sebum, which signals to our bodies to produce more of it. This behavior often just exacerbates the problem, as our bodies attempt to send sebum production into overdrive.

This is partly why some people can’t go more than a few days without shampooing. Through chronic shampooing, they’ve conditioned their scalps to overproduce sebum, so after a few days without shampooing, their hair looks wildly oily.

In order to break the cycle, you have to significantly reduce (or abandon) shampoos and conditioners.

Transitioning Away From Shampoos & Conditioners Is Worth It

I did this years ago, and I kept it up for four years. I highly recommend it.

The process takes some adjusting, but I encourage you to stop using all shampoos and conditioners. The transition will take anywhere from 2-6 weeks, but eventually, your sebum production should return to normal and your hair should look much healthier.

For four years, all I did was water-rinse my hair daily. It felt great, and I saved hundreds of dollars on hair products that I really didn’t need.

Note: my experiment ended after I headed a soccer ball that had recently rolled into dog poop. After that, I felt it was time to shampoo. Nowadays, I dilute my shampoo with water and keep my frequency to just a few times week. This works well for me and my hair, and I’d recommend you try the same.

About all else, try to break the habit of chronic shampooing: using shampoo / conditioner products once- or twice-daily. You’re likely doing your hair a disservice… and maybe your health, too.

The Bottom Line: You Probably Don’t Need These Products

Every other species seems to do just fine without shampoos or conditioners. Why are we special? These products are mostly unnecessary. We spend hundreds of dollars on them every year, and yet we shouldn’t. Our bodies evolved with built-in capabilities to maintain a healthy scalp and hair. Why mess with millions of years of trial, error, and evolution?

My hair looked great during my years of no-shampoo. Once your scalp adjusts, I don’t think you’ll regret the switch.