Discussion Board

My husband has a thinning spot at the crown of his head and it bothers him ... but I don't really care if he loses all his hair. He'll be just as handsome with no hair as he was when he had a full head of hair, and I tell him so all the time.

Gary Null claims that tea tree oil shampoo will help, but hubby has been using it for years and no effect.

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I am VERY thankful that I discovered the connection between diet and male pattern baldness about 5 years ago. I am pretty sure my receding hairline was stopped (or at least slowed down dramatically).

Thanks Jack19. I never new about any connection between hair loss and nutrition. After I read your post I googled it, and low and behold another great reason to eat the Mcdougall way (I really love my hair:)

I often wonder if the genetic tendencies from my Mother's family for white hair at an early age is a missing nutrient or failure to absorb those nutrients in some families. I tend to think so.

Thank you so much for taking the time to thank me. I try to recommend this website to as many people as possible, especially when an individual has mentioned he/she suffers from type 2 diabetes or heart disease, but I almost never have anyone getting anyone coming back to me, so it really means somthing when I get positive feedback - even if it is someone already a user of this website! Its such a shame the idea that you have to turn to pills/medication when diagnozed with something is so deeply ingrained.

A lot of this really does seem to be genetic. My grandmother had a lot of her original dark hair well into her 70s and even when she died in her 90s, her hair was not completely gray. My hair is not dark -- I am a redhead -- and at age 55 I still have very little gray hair; the red is not as vibrant as it once was, but it is very definitely still red. I don't do anything that I am aware of to affect the retention of the pigment in my hair; it just is.

Also, I'm very fair and I've had a lot of sunburns in my life and was worried that I would develop skin cancer. I went to a dermatologist about five years ago and had a full-body check. He said I had no signs of anything developing and that I've inherited very healthy skin. The same grandmother with the dark hair also had very dark skin and she baked herself in the sun all the time. She had very few wrinkles well into her old age and never any skin cancer. Also she smoked filterless cigarettes like a chimney. Some people are just blessed with good health and there doesn't seem to be a lot they can do to ruin it. I can't think of any other reason than fortunate genes.

Well, I would disagree with that - I personally believe that it isnt good genes one inherits from one's parents - its good/bad eating and exercise habits.

But then Jack, how can you explain a woman who smoked a pack of unfiltered cigarettes a day, baked herself mercilessly in the sun, and ate whatever she wanted to and living a relatively healthy life until well into her old age? I'm not saying that's possible for everyone; only that some people seem to thrive no matter what they do to their bodies, and the only explanation for that is that they have exceptionally healthy genes. On the other hand, there are those who die an early and miserable death because of terrible lifestyle habits. I'm not taking any chances, I do not smoke or eat the SAD, but I do think there are exceptional people wh get away with it.

Have you heard the expression, "Genes load the gun, diet pulls the trigger"?

Much of life is too complicated to be attributed to a single cause.

Oh, I do think genetics plays a part, but diet obviously has an impact. My husband calls himself a cockroach. Why? Because it seems that no matter how horridly he eats, how out-of-shape he is, how very very overweight he is (300+ pounds), he does pretty well healthwise and can survive. Now, I admit things are starting to catch up with him.... a little bit. He still has BP that is ok (130/84 - not perfect, but not horrid) and his cholesterol is 170. His mom is very overweight, and takes a cholesterol pill. That's it. BP is fine. Blood sugar is fine.

Me? My BMI is fine although I know I have a little extra fat to lose, and my BP gives me all sorts of problems. I need to be SKINNY to keep my BP down to good numbers. My mom is the same, overweight and therefore on tons of medications with all of the SAD ailments. If I don't adhere strictly to a healthy diet, my numbers go haywire and I get splitting migraines. I've had gallstones, acne, joint aches, all related to the SAD in the past years even though overall I have eaten at a healthier level than my husband. We both agree about this.

Go figure.

high protein, high fat diet causes excess hormones in our scalp. More fat on the body more hormones oxidize killing the hair follicles. I tend to think because the body is mostly water hormones float to the top. Receding hairline if you sleep on your back your forehead is at the top of the oxidization peak. Rogaine is an antioxidant and that's why it works.

stop using shampoo. Or at least, every other shower, rinse with water only, and when you do shampoo, use a non-petroleum-based brand such as J.A.S.O.N or Kiss My Face or Burt's Bees.

Shortly after i started McDougalling, we had a thread in the lounge about using water only (no soap) on our skin, nor any shampoo in our hair. I went about half a year without once shampooing my hair. Rinsed it every other day, and occasionally used a diluted vinegar solution. Well, since then I've started using a diluted natural shampoo, twice a week and I never have a single hair in my hands after scrubbing. It used to be I'd have at least a few strands of hair in my fingers when showering. Not anymore.

I'm a woman, though, and my hair is naturally thick so...but I used to have a few threads of hair fall out with every shower, and I don't anymore, so...