Beginner's Guide to Hair Loss

What is a hair follicle?

A hair follicle is actually a tiny mini organ living in the skin. Think of each follicle like a tiny factory that produces hair.

Inside that factory:

• Dermal Papilla: the control room of the factory. It sends signals that tell the hair when to grow.
• Blood vessels: the delivery tracks bringing trains of oxygen and nutrients.
• Matrix cells: the workers that rapidly divide and build the hair fibre.
• Hormones: signals that can speed up or slow down production.

Your scalp normally contains about 100,000 to 150,000 follicles.

Hair Growth Stages

Hair does not grow continuously. Each follicle runs through a repeating growth cycle made up of four stages. Because each follicle is on its own cycle, you normally lose 50–150 hairs per day. That is completely normal.

What Causes Hair Loss?

The most common form of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia. The key driver is a hormone called DHT (dihydrotestosterone).

What happens:

1. Testosterone is converted into DHT by an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.
2. DHT binds to androgen receptors in hair follicles that are genetically sensitive.
3. This signal causes the follicle to gradually shrink (miniaturise).
4. As the follicle shrinks, it receives less blood flow, oxygen and nutrients — the "hair factory" becomes weaker.
5. The hairs it produces become thinner and shorter each cycle.
6. The growth phase shortens, so hairs fall out faster and grow back weaker.
7. Over time the follicle becomes so small that it produces tiny, almost invisible hairs.

Hormone Sensitivity

Another thing many people misunderstand: hair loss is not only about hormone levels. It's about how sensitive your follicles are to those hormones.

Example: Larry Wheels

He's a professional powerlifter and bodybuilder who has openly talked about using huge amounts of anabolic steroids, including very high doses of testosterone and extremely strong androgens like trenbolone.

Trenbolone is many times more androgenic than testosterone, meaning it activates androgen receptors very strongly.

Despite that, he has said many times he has never needed to start hair loss treatment and still has a full head of hair.

Why? Because his hair follicles are genetically resistant to androgen-related hair loss.

Example of early genetic sensitivity:

Some people start losing their hair very early, even in their teens. It doesn't mean they have high testosterone or unhealthy hormone levels. In many cases their hormone levels are completely normal.

The difference is that their hair follicles are extremely sensitive to DHT. Because of that sensitivity, the follicles start shrinking much earlier in life. Hair loss can start in the late teens or early twenties.

How To Combat Hair Loss

1. Reduce Circulating DHT

For most people finasteride alone is enough to significantly slow or stop hair loss. Dutasteride is stronger and can reduce DHT by around 90%, but it may increase the risk of side effects for some people.

2. Block Hormones at the Follicle

Topical anti-androgens like RU58841, Pyrilutamide, and Clascoterone work differently. Instead of reducing hormone levels, they block the androgen receptor at the follicle.

Think of it like putting a fence up so hormones cannot get access to the follicle to cause damage.

3. Stimulate the Follicle

Treatments like Minoxidil, GHK-CU, Adenosine, Caffeine, Microneedling, and scalp massages stimulate follicles and push them back into the growth phase. This can increase hair thickness and growth.

The Biggest Hair Loss Mistake

Many people try to treat hair loss using growth stimulants only.

Example: Using minoxidil without blocking hormones.

Think of it like filling a bucket with a hole in the bottom. You keep pouring water into the bucket… but water keeps leaking out. So the bucket never really fills up.

Minoxidil can push the follicle to grow hair, but if DHT is still damaging the follicle, the improvement is limited.

A better strategy:

Protect the follicle FIRST — then stimulate growth.

Strongest Protection

The strongest approach uses three strategies together:

1. Reduce DHT — Drugs like Finasteride or Dutasteride lower the amount of DHT your body produces.
2. Block DHT at the follicle — Topical anti-androgens like RU58841 stop DHT & Testosterone from attaching to the follicle's androgen receptors.
3. Stimulate the follicle — Treatments like Minoxidil, GHK-CU, and Adenosine stimulate the follicle and help push hairs into the growth phase.

This means the follicle is protected and supported: less DHT is circulating, remaining DHT cannot reach the follicle, and the follicle is pushed to grow stronger hair.

Treatment Levels

For many people finasteride alone is enough, but stronger protection may be needed if someone is very sensitive to DHT or running anabolic steroids / very high testosterone, where androgen levels are much higher.

How to Spot Early Thinning

• Wider hair part – If the line of scalp where you part your hair looks wider than before, thinning may be starting.
• More scalp under bright light – If you can see more scalp than before under strong lighting, hair density may be decreasing.
• Tiny "peach fuzz" hairs at the hairline – Small, colourless hairs along the hairline are often miniaturised hairs.
• Use a fixed reference point – When comparing photos, use something that doesn't move on your head (mole, scar, wrinkle) to see if the hairline has moved.
• Track with photos – Take a high-resolution photo every 3 months in the exact same lighting. Harsh overhead lighting works best.
• The wet test – Hair always looks thinner when wet. Compare wet-to-wet or dry-to-dry, not one against the other.
• Keep styling consistent – Different haircuts can make hair look thicker or thinner. Always compare similar styles and lighting.

When Should You Start Treatment?

The earlier hair loss is treated, the better the results tend to be. Once a follicle has been miniaturising for many years it can become extremely small and difficult to recover.

What Results To Expect

Finasteride / Dutasteride (Hormone Reduction)

These drugs work by reducing the production of DHT. The process takes time: the drug builds up in the body, the 5-alpha reductase enzyme is inhibited, DHT levels gradually decrease, and the follicle slowly begins recovering.

Topical Anti-Androgens (RU58841)

RU58841 works differently. Instead of lowering hormones, it blocks DHT directly at the follicle. Think of it like putting a fence around the follicle. DHT may still be present, but it cannot reach the follicle to cause damage.

Because of this, RU can begin protecting the follicle as soon as it is applied. Many people notice a rapid reduction in shedding once the follicle is protected.

Truth About Hair Loss Treatment

Hair loss treatments do not cure hair loss. They work by protecting the follicle while you continue using them.

If treatment stops, the follicle starts being put under pressure by DHT again, and the miniaturisation process continues. This means treatment needs to be long-term or lifelong to maintain results.

That doesn't mean treatments don't work — it just means consistency is key. If you want to keep your teeth you have to brush them everyday. Same with hair loss treatments.