Read time: 20 minutes – (This is part 3 of a 3 part series on exercise and hair loss)
Exercise Is Integral To Healthy Living
Regular exercise is critical to maintaining good health and wellbeing. In the last two articles, I’ve only presented research showing exercise’s negative impacts on heart health and hormonal balance – a very one-sided argument. In the context of chronic anaerobic exercise and anything similar, that information is appropriate. But now, it’s time to talk about the other side of the coin.
First, here’s a summary of the two previous articles in this series. You can check out the supporting research here and here. Or, you can just download my free exercise-hair loss guide.
Want my full guide on exercise?
Enter your email. I'll send you my 25-page guide on exercise and hair loss.
You'll also get my recommendations on which exercises hurt our hormones, which don't, and which you should focus on to keep your health (and hair).
Important Note: this article was last updated in 2014. Since then, my ideas have evolved, and new research has come out exploring exercise and its potential involvement with hair loss disorders. These updates have not yet been incorporated into this article series, and so anything expressed here should be considered (somewhat) dated.
Summarizing Parts 1 & 2
The Body’s Energy Systems
The body utilizes two main energy systems during exercise – the aerobic and anaerobic systems. At lower heart rates, the body mainly relies on the aerobic system and burns fat for fuel. At higher heart rates, the body taps into the anaerobic system and burns any available glycogen for energy. The transition from aerobic to anaerobic occurs when exerting significant effort (think: intense endurance races, sprints, and heavy weight lifting).
The Negative Health Effects Of Excessive Anaerobic Exercise
Many trainers and health enthusiasts advocate for high-intensity efforts at every workout session. These workouts might include long challenging runs, cardio weight circuits, heavy weight lifting, sprint intervals, or anything similar. This training approach regularly activates your anaerobic system for prolonged periods (30+ minutes). In the endurance world, this has been labeled as “chronic cardio”.
Research suggests that chronically activating your anaerobic system has a cumulative negative impact on overall health. This type of routine – excessive anaerobic exercise without adequate rest – harbors the following health consequences:
1) Systemic inflammation
2) Arterial calcification
3) Hormonal imbalances
More specifically, it’s been shown that chronic cardio, or frequently and recurrently taxing your anaerobic system through intense endurance exercise…
…increases your chances of arterial calcification and heart attack
…increases your chances of developing heart palpitations
…suppresses baseline testosterone levels
…increases cortisol production, the antagonist of testosterone
…suppresses baseline hGH levels
…precipitates the conditions necessary for hair loss
Chronic and excessive weight lifting has also been shown to have a similar impact on the body, suppressing baseline levels of testosterone and hGH. Not surprisingly, too much sprinting can also create similar hormonal imbalances by promoting excessive cortisol production and suppressing hGH secretion.
But Not All Exercise Is Bad
Exercise in the context of chronic cardio or anything similar is detrimental to your health. But while it’s easy to demonize exercise in the face of such research, it’s not fair to label all outputs of exercise as equal, or to lump an activity as dynamic as exercise into a single category.
This final installment of The Exercise And Hair Loss Connection highlights how to take advantage of your aerobic and anaerobic systems, and how exercising correctly can help reduce systemic inflammation, prevent arterial calcification, restore hormonal balance, and thereby aid in the fight against hair loss.
Specifically, this article focuses on how I approach fitness and health. If your goals are to reduce systemic inflammation and arterial calcification, correct hormonal imbalances, and create the conditions necessary for hair growth, this article will be helpful to you.
Using Exercise To Your Advantage
My fitness routine isn’t complicated. I don’t own a gym membership, and you won’t find me following any consistent workout regimen. Aside from walking, I exercise just two to three times a week and am still able to maintain the same physique I had as a collegiate athlete.
Because exercise is integrated into my lifestyle, it’s not something I constantly think about or feel compelled to do. If you change your perspective on what exercise constitutes and how it can help you, you’re more likely to make it a permanent part of your life and enjoy it.
At the base of my exercise regimen is one of the most basic forms of movement – walking.
The Benefits Of Walking
Low-level aerobic activity is critical for promoting proper fat metabolism, maintaining the functionality, density, and formation of capillary networks, and developing a good base level of cardio fitness. But walking is often overlooked as an unnecessary and time-consuming task among the fitness world. Why walk when you can jog, lift weights, or sprint and burn the same amount of calories in a quarter of the time?
Walking Activates & Strengthens Your Aerobic System
There’s obviously more to the story. Walking is an activity that only slightly elevates your heart rate. You don’t become as short of breath or perspire nearly as much as you would when exercising more vigorously, and as a result, you stay almost exclusively within your aerobic threshold. Frequent low-level activation of the aerobic system reaps two major bodily benefits:
1) It reduces the risk of metabolic syndrome
2) It decreases systemic inflammation
Minimizing chronic systemic inflammation is crucial to arresting future hair loss and promoting the bodily conditions required for hair growth. Improving fat metabolism, reducing the risk of metabolic syndrome, and maintaining capillary capacity are also central to mitigating arterial calcification, which is also closely related to hair loss. Needless to say, walking is critical for good hair health, but also good health in general.
How Much Walking Is Enough?
The US Surgeon General suggests that 30-45 minutes of walking a day is enough to significantly reduce your risk of “coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes”, but I think that’s on the conservative side. There’s evidence to suggest that 10,000 steps, or 5 miles everyday, will better aid in reductions in blood pressure, body mass index, and the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Unsurprisingly, in the US (where heart disease and type 2 diabetes are rampant), 25% of people are currently nearly fully sedentary. Walking has become a thing of the past.
How To Build Walking Into Your Routine
My suggestion is to walk as often as possible, and everywhere if possible. I live in San Francisco, and with the topography of the city, walking comes with the territory. In fact, I average between 4-5 miles over the city’s hills just to get through my daily routine. Here are a few tips:
- If you live in a city, always walk to the grocery store and to work. I have friends that walk as far as 4 miles in one direction to get to work everyday.
- Enjoy lunch breaks by walking to locations you would normally consider out-of-range.
- Plan weekend hiking trips with your friends and family.
- Take your dog for a walk as frequently as possible, if you have one.
It’s tremendously easy to build walking into your schedule, and once you do, it’s no longer an exercise, but rather a mode of transportation. It’s a chance to converse with a friend, reflect personally on your life, or make a phone call to a friend.
Walk everyday, everywhere, as often as possible. And when you’re ready for something slightly more intense, do something like yoga.
The Benefits Of Yoga
In the evenings when I have an opportunity for slightly more vigorous exercise, I often choose to do yoga. In San Francisco, there are a few power yoga studios with surprisingly intense classes.
I often find myself using the classes as an opportunity to practice deep breathing and meditative control. But beyond yoga’s physical and spiritual benefits, yoga has also been found to help with hormonal balance, and in more ways than one.
Yoga Helps Reduce Cortisol Secretion
Hair loss is associated with imbalanced testosterone:estrogen (t:e) levels in both men and women. For men, the imbalance is usually caused from a decline in testosterone production, which is the result of a variety of factors – diet and lifestyle being the main two.
Cortisol acts as an antagonist to testosterone, meaning excessive cortisol production can suppress testosterone levels and create (or worsen) the t:e ratio.
Regular yoga practice has been found to reduce cortisol levels, which indirectly benefits t:e levels for men by helping to mitigate testosterone suppression. Limiting excessive cortisol production helps promote proper thyroid function by restoring hormonal balance in men and creating the conditions necessary for hair regrowth.
Yoga Helps Restore Estrogen Levels In Peri-Menopausal Women
For women, an imbalance in testosterone:estrogen levels often comes during and after menopause. This happens due to a variety of factors – one of which being the loss of the ability to naturally deplete blood iron levels via the menstrual cycle. During and after menopause, women’s estrogen levels can decrease by as much as 90%.
Fortunately, regular yoga practice has shown to naturally increase estrogen levels in peri-menopausal women. Similarly to men, this also helps shift t:e ratios in the right direction for women.
Anecdotally, I always feel great after a yoga session. I’m actually heading to a yoga class right after I finish this article.
Before You Dismiss Yoga, Please Try It
If you think yoga is a bit of a joke, I’d encourage you to go to a class and to make sure that class is power yoga/vinyasa flow. Yoga is an intense full-body workout that challenges your pace of breathing, concentration, balance, and dynamic flexibility. I definitely activate my anaerobic system for a significant portion of each class.
How Often Should You Practice?
I practice power yoga/vinyasa flow 1-3 times per week, depending on how active I’ve been. I try not to do yoga more than twice a week if I’ve also run sprints.
Speaking of sprints, they’re extremely beneficial when executed correctly.
The Benefits Of Sprinting
Once every week or two, I’ll find a nice hill in the city to run sprint repeats. The previous article discussed how sprinting can negatively impact testosterone, cortisol, and hGH production. However, at a lower frequency, sprinting can actually help balance these same hormones.
Sprinting Helps Temporarily Increase Testosterone & hGH Levels
Studies suggest that sprinting, when performed regularly and with adequate rest periods, temporarily increases testosterone and hGH levels, with no measurable effect on baseline levels. Your body benefits from the temporary boost. Regular sprinters also experience upticks in fast-twitch muscle fiber development, as well as improvements in the capillary networks that support them.
How Often Should You Sprint?
They key is to not sprint more than once a week. You reap the biggest benefits with proper recovery and spacing in between workouts, and this is especially true with sprinting, unless you want to generate excessive cortisol production, systemic inflammation, and a plethora of other issues associated with chronic anaerobic activity and overtraining. The previous article covers this in detail.
Sprinting & Walking Combined Produce Greatest Result For Capillary Building
Walking and sprinting both utilize different energy systems, but also help develop different muscle fibers (slow-twitch versus fast-twitch). As a result, each of these exercises impacts the blood flow capacity of different types of capillary networks.
If you want to improve cardiovascular health, be sure to include both walking and sprinting into your regular exercise regimen.
As always, with any of these exercises (but especially walking and sprinting), it’s important to do them in the right setting: outside and in the sunlight.
The Benefits Of Exercising In The Sun
The importance of sun exposure is often downplayed, and without good reason. Sunlight exposure naturally increases the body’s vitamin D levels, which is vital to maintaining endocrine health, a functioning immune system, hormonal balance, and even hair health.
One of the easiest ways to raise vitamin D levels is to exercise outdoors as often as possible.
Because of the established connection between skin cancer and sunburns, people often stay out of the sun more than they actually should. While individual tolerance varies from person-to-person, sun exposure is central to your thyroid function, hair health, and longevity.
What Happens When You Are Vitamin D Deficient?
In premenopausal women, insufficient sun exposure (and thereby low vitamin D levels) is associated with an increased risk of autoimmune thyroid disorder.
Moreover, low levels of vitamin D have also been associated with decreased immunity, osteoporosis, heart disease, certain cancers, and even hair loss. The important takeaway is that vitamin D is central to hormone synthesis and immune functionality.
Being deficient in vitamin D, for lack of a better term, can be considered an endocrine disruptor – which means an imbalanced testosterone:estrogen ratio in both sexes, with can result in hair loss for both sexes.
How much Vitamin D Is Enough?
It’s hard to say. Considering most of us work indoors during daylight hours, and considering we evolved (more or less) in the sun and naked, it’s postulated that most of the population in today’s first world countries aren’t even close to optimal levels.
What does all this mean? Expose yourself to the sun as often as possible (without burning). Exercising outdoors is also an opportunity to achieving higher vitamin D levels.
Avoid Sunscreens When Possible
Lastly, I suggest you avoid using sunscreens. They’re full of the same ingredients we’re trying to avoid in shampoos, meaning they are endocrine-disrupting for both sexes, and therefore disastrous to your hair.
If you feel like you’re burning, cover up or sit in the shade for a while. Until then, enjoy the sun and its countless benefits to your body. You should obviously choose sunscreen over burning, but if you’re not expecting to be in the sun for too long, just enjoy the weather. Please be cognizant about your sun exposure. Know your limits.
Last but not least, when working exercise and sun exposure into your lifestyle, always be sure to get a good night’s sleep.
Sleep Is The Ultimate Hormone Regulator
Similar to sunlight exposure, sleep is often overlooked as less important than exercise, but it’s actually the most important. Sleeping is one of the biggest influencers of hormonal secretion, and just missing one night of sleep can wreak havoc on your endocrine system, immunity, and hormones. Conversely, consistent sleep aligned with your circadian rhythm can regulate endocrine functionality, hormone levels, and your immune system. Without sleep, nothing else matters.
The Longer You Stay Awake, The Lower Your Testosterone
Studies suggest that men’s testosterone levels increase throughout sleep duration and decrease during time awake. This relationship can have a compounded effect, especially during sleep deprivation.
Consider the impact of sleeping one hour fewer than normal each night. For a few days, you may not notice any effect on acuity, libido, or cognitive function. But over a series of weeks or months, these lost hours compound, and eventually lower baseline testosterone levels, simultaneously reducing your sex drive and ability to concentrate.
In The Long Run, Fewer Sleeping Hours Increases Your Risk Of Heart Disease
Studies have demonstrated that short-term sleep deprivation decreases glucose tolerance and increases blood pressure. But for women, a 2003 study suggests long-term sleep deprivation also increases the risk of coronary heart disease. Women sleeping 5, 6, or 7 hours a night were found to have a significantly higher risk of a coronary event than those who slept 8 hours consistently.
Surprisingly, that same study also showed an elevated risk for women who slept 9 or more hours a night. This suggests that under AND over-sleeping can yield the same detrimental consequences. Needless to say, it’s important to stay consistently within your circadian rhythm.
Final Recommendations
If your objectives are to reduce arterial calcification, reestablish hormonal balance, reduce systemic inflammation, and promote the conditions necessary for hair growth, then exercise by doing the following:
- Above all, get a good night’s sleep consistently (7-8 hours)
- Exercise outdoors and in the sunlight
- Build walking or hiking into your daily routine
- Practice activities like yoga to utilize your own body for strength-training
- Build sprints into your exercise regimen once a week
And that’s it. Move as often as possible, don’t overdo anaerobic exercise, enjoy the fresh air and sunlight outdoors, and sleep consistently. You don’t need to overcomplicate things; you just need to stay active. Your body will take care of the rest.
Rob English is a researcher, medical editor, and the founder of perfecthairhealth.com. He acts as a peer reviewer for scholarly journals and has published five peer-reviewed papers on androgenic alopecia. He writes regularly about the science behind hair loss (and hair growth). Feel free to browse his long-form articles and publications throughout this site.
Best of the series! Great article, Rob!
Hey Rob,
I was wondering if there is a way to purchase your book/video without using a credit card. I would like a better idea on how you specifically used DT
Hey Jon,
I’ll reach out to you via email. There are other options (PayPal, namely) if you’d like to avoid entering credit card data.
Best,
Rob
Hi, you didn’t mention heavy weight lifting sessions here.
There is a lot of debate around natural bodybuilding/powerlifting/just general guys lifting heavy weights for health, athletic or sports reasons or for a better physique.
Does it affect the hair in anyway? Postive or negative. Would you say stick to bodyweight exercises over the weights…?
Hey Fit,
Thanks for the comment. The second article mentions weight lifting and should help with your questions:
http://perfecthairhealth.com/part-2-of-3-the-exercise-and-hair-loss-connection/
The gist is that powerlifting/weight lifting is good for hair because of the temporary upticks in testosterone AND the potential baseline effects to hGH. But, there’s a fine line between reaping major benefits and overdoing it. To answer your question, bodyweight exercises or weight lifting can be great when executed correctly.
I saw that you picked up a copy of the book. Feel free to email me your workout plan and we can review it, talk about any concerns, changes, etc. – in regard to hair health and hormones.
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob,
I read your article on exercise and hairloss. Very informative, thank you very much!
I am a 44 yo male following the “Fierce 5” weight lifting program: 2 upper body and 2 lower body workouts per week. Each workout day is followed by a rest day. Every workout takes me 75 min to complete.
Am I overdoing it? Is this chronic unaerobic exercise? Your answer is much appreciated!
Many thanks,
Jan
Hey Jan,
Thanks for reaching out. It’s hard to say if you’re overdoing it. In most cases, so long as you’re allowing for ample recovery time and avoiding excessive anaerobic exercising, you’re likely in the safe zone. But these limits vary for everyone.
I have an interview with Dr. Doug McGuff later this week, and I’ll be sure to pose the question to him (his research is referenced a few times throughout the article series!).
Best,
Rob
Hey thanks, I did just find some interesting research on that topic. I’ll post a link here for if people want to read.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20533100
I am most likely interpreting it wrong, I’m no scientist. But it looks to me like the weight lifting programme raised SHGB without having any significant effects on total testosterone or cortisol.
That sounds like it would be a good thing for hair?
Hey Fit,
It’s a tough question to answer. Increased SHGB often means a reduction in “free” testosterone. This could mean that less “free” testosterone converts to DHT, which many people think is good because high DHT in the scalp is present for people with hair loss. So if your goal is to reduce DHT, then this is good.
However, evidence suggests that high DHT is just one of the many symptoms of hair loss, and not necessarily the cause. Systemic, chronic, and localized inflammation of the scalp (the result of prolonged environmental, dietary, and lifestyle choices) seems to be the root issue.
I wouldn’t overthink it. If your workout routine isn’t excessive – if it makes you feel good, if you’re avoiding chronic aerobic and anaerobic exercise – then you’re probably not doing any harm to your hair.
Best,
Rob
Hello Rob, I’ve never used Gumroad before, so I’d like to know if there’s an alternative way to pay? Many thanks!
Hi, I would like to buy the product using PayPal. Can you please assist on this matter. Thank you.
Hey Jo – I’ll follow up with you in an email. -Rob
I feel The Strength Training Causes the elevation of TESTESTERONE… If My Body might Have Estrogen Higher than This Might might be balancing …Shall I can Do PUshups Pullups And Squats…. will it Help??
Hey Nishant — I’d recommend following the recommendations in the article. Pushups, pull-ups, squats, and other body-weight exercises will help, but it all depends on the context and intensity of your workout regimen.
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob,
I am very curious about your method and saw Boyer’s results. Pretty amazing.
I was wondering if it’s the case that lack of blood flow is one of the main causes of hair loss why do transplanted hairs grow just fine on a scalp that has not had the massage done on it?
Would really appreciate your feedback!
Thanks a bunch!
Hey Jeff,
I followed up with you in email as well, but to answer your question–
There was a study that transplanted hairs from the backs of people’s heads in regions unaffected by MPB and put them in regions affected by MPB, and the hairs continued to grow. However, from an anecdotal perspective, the study is almost unbelievable. People with hair transplants reach out to me all the time because their transplanted hairs have miniaturized so greatly that they’ve nearly fallen out. In fact, everyone I know with a transplant has claimed that after some time, their transplanted hairs began to fall out as well. So, while the specific study you mention is published in academic journals and deemed valid by science, I don’t agree with the conclusions it draws. I think that while these hairs might continue to grow, they do in fact miniaturize over a series of life cycles, and eventually succumb to the same fate as their counterparts.
Best,
Rob
Hey Rob!
Just curious whether theres an ETA on when you might start selling the ebooks and videos again? I heard about this site from J.D Moyer’s blog, and I’m really interested in the massage technique.
Thanks!
JC
Hey rob just seen jdmoyers blog and results I’m very interested in the E-book and video just wondering when you’ll be releasing more Ebooks.
Hi Rob,
Please provide your email id i would like to view/buy your massage treatment for hair loss and i have few questions kindly let me know how to proceed.
Hey, just wondering what’s going on with the ebook. I’m interested in DT and grabbing the book. Any news Rob?
Hey,
I am suffering from the same problem as you are since 2 to 3 years, came across your blog today. I would really like to go through your eBook and try the massage that you suggest for hair regrowth. However, you have stopped eBook downloads for the time being. Could you please help me out here?
Thanks,
Ayush
Hi, Rob.
I find your research and thinking quite interesting. I’d like to access your ebook, but noticed that you no longer allow download. Is it still possible for me to purchase it?
Thanks.
Alex
Dear Rob, Thanks for sharing your insights. I have been experiencing unexplained FPHL (and thinning of the hair strands themselves) for around three to four years, but much worse in the last two years. At aged 28 it is increasingly worrying to me, as I have lost more than 65% coverage and have gone from having hugely thick hair to the other extreme, a shiny and sensitive scalp showing through, and dull, weak wispy hair. My sister is almost 40 and has extremely thick and strong hair (like I used to) and my 68 year old mother has an amazingly healthy and covering barnet in comparison to me. Unfair right!
Although my thyroid has been tested as borderline low and my blood pressure and core body temperature is also on the low side (my circulation is bad in hands and feet, causing pins and needles/numbness easily and Raynaud’s syndrome in cold temperatures) I have always practiced yoga and exercised daily (30mins running or cycling each day, and swimming once per week) from my early teens to boost my circulation and mood naturally. In the last four years I have supplemented with kelp, coconut oil and cod liver oil to manage my thyroid naturally. I am conscious of my diet and eat a lot of nuts, oats, dairy, lentils and protein-rich food with vitamin C to ensure I am getting enough protein and iron.
Unlike many, I have never washed my hair more than once a week, and use SLS and paraben-free shampoo and cool water when washing. I have never been into hair product use, blow-drying or hair straightening…
Can you comment about any links between contraceptives and hair loss?
I haven’t had my hormones (or cortisol) levels tested but I do know I’m very sensitive to hormone changes, as experienced in my early 20s on the contraceptive pill which caused physical side effects and anxiety.
My hair loss began around the time after I had a Mirena IUD (contraceptive coil) fitted, which I then got removed 1.5 years later in case it was a contributing factor, even though doctors said the hormone level released is very small and localized. My hair improved somewhat so I put it down to the progestin. A year later, I had the non-hormonal copper IUD fitted thinking I would be ‘safe’ from hormonal meddling, which I have had for 3.5 years now. It’s the only big change I can think of that coincides with the FPHL. However, every time I ask doctors about its side effects they assure me there is NO WAY it could be causing hair loss. Yet I can’t help but wonder if the coil is disrupting my natural hormonal levels in some way? Could my copper coil be causing this dramatic shedding?
I am increasingly at a loss with what to do from here, so any advice would be much appreciated. I am skeptical that lack of circulation to the scalp is the issue for me, given that I exercise a lot, and have practiced yoga inversions every day for the last 20 years! I have wondered if washing my hair more often would help, as perhaps sweat is blocking the hair follicles and starving the hair? Limiting my daily exercise definitely doesn’t appeal to me as it’s one of the few way I can manage stress levels and general feelings of well-being, and my body is very accustomed to an active lifestyle…
Many thanks in advance for any tips,
L.
PS. I would be keen to access your book if you’re willing to re-open purchases exceptionally, please do send me an email.
Hey Leah,
Thanks for reaching out and for sharing your information. You’re right in your assumption. For a while now, oral contraceptive use has been associated with hair loss…
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/hair-loss/hair-loss-oral-contraceptives
…And anecdotes of women claiming copper IUD’s are causing their hair loss are all over the internet. That doesn’t make it true, but it does raise alarms, even for ParaGard which doesn’t use hormones at all.
But as far as the copper from the IUD somehow interfering with hormone levels, the evidence is mixed:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3870206/
Serum (blood) levels of copper may not play a role in hair loss. But we don’t yet know how tissue levels of copper impact hair loss. And until that’s uncovered, we can’t determine if the copper in the IUD is a possible contributor.
With that said, my guess is that IUD’s change hormone levels even if they don’t release hormones directly into your body. The makers of ParaGard aren’t even sure what causes heavier periods in the first six months of use:
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1110569010000634
If that can’t be explained, then we also must put into context how little research has been done about copper IUD’s and the potential for hormonal changes. For your doctor to laugh off this potential, just goes to show how uninformed he or she is.
There’s not enough research to draw conclusions, and I can’t tell you legally what to do / not do. But if you feel your IUD is contributing to hair loss, and you’ve had noticeable hair loss with previous contraceptives and that hair loss decreased once getting off those contraceptives, why not test what happens without the copper IUD?
Lastly, I think it might help to revisit your thyroid health. It sounds like you’re taking dietary and lifestyle steps in the right direction, but the cold hands/feet and low body temperature all point to signs of hypothyroidism. It could be as simple as eating more, or some slight dietary tweaks. I think experimenting with these two variables (IUD and diet) will help, and inform what to do next.
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob,
I’m not sure if you’ll read this but do you know when your pdf is back up for download? I’ve been checking occasionally for months I think I missed it just last September. I’ve been doing what I think is the correct technique since I found out from the jdmoyer blog but would still like to purchase for more detail.
Thanks!
Hi Rob
I am desperate to buy your book …Please could you tell how and where to purchase…Many thanks
Predrag
Hi Rob, I know you’ve temporarily postponed book downloads, and I can completely understand why (this is a sensitive topic, people are very opinionated, and proper support is key). Having said that, I’ve been hanging around your website for a while now, lurking to see if downloading is possible again, but thus far without any luck.
Meanwhile, I went ahead anyway; stopped minoxidil, keto shampoo, and commenced with daily massaging. I must say that thus far, I’ve achieved more than all my previous efforts combined. Been doing this for about two weeks now and the scalp itching is reduced by almost 80% I’d say.
Now, to get to my point, I’m sure it’s not your intention to keep this info from people who are very much open to your ideas about hair health and regrowth. And since I like to know a lot more about your approach, I sincerely hope you’ll open up this pool of knowledge in the near future (maybe upon request only).
Let me know.
All the best to you,
Frederik
Hey Frederik,
Thanks for your comments. I’ll follow up via email as well, but I should have an updated book ready in the next two months. The rationale behind the update is to include interviews with the best responders, plus make an updated demo video, a new follow-along video, highlight the latest research and answer frequently asked questions. You’re right that I shouldn’t withhold information from those willing to try these techniques, and that’s definitely not my intention. My hope is that by now, through JD Moyer’s blog posts and other information available, much of this information is already out there.
All the best,
Rob
Hey Rob,
I am a very big fan of your work I think its amazing what you have advocated. May I ask when your book is available to buy again?
I have been experiencing rapidly hair loss.
Many Thanks,
Duku
Hey Duku – thanks for reaching out. The book should be back up in the next two months and will focus on what the best responders did to see hair regrowth. Until then, please check out JD Moyer’s blog posts about his hair. He goes into detail about a lot of the book and the massage techniques. Best, Rob
Hey Rob,
I have been researching this stuff like crazy and everything you are saying makes so much sense. At first I thought it might be hard water related since I recently moved somewhere with really hard water, but it makes complete sense with what you are saying about the calcification. Do you know when you are going to release the ebook to be downloaded again? or in the meantime have any information I could read up on?
Thank you,
Michael
Hey Michael – thanks for your message. I’m updating the book and it should be available in two months time, so when that happens I’ll reach out. If you want to get a head start or uncover some of the contents of the book pre-update, check out JD Moyer’s blog posts about his hair and this regimen.
All the best,
Rob
Hi Rob, I am suffering hair thinning and hair loss on the front and my crown, can you please assist me on how to do the actual massage and if i could buy your e book and video please? How much is it?
I need your ebook and video.. Please provide me the link to get it
Hey Rob!
Would love to contact you to talk about this. I have found your article crazy interesting!
Please let me know how can I reach you.
Ric.
Do you have a cheaper version of your book for people who don’t need to contact you and ask for help? You can call it the NON-SUPPORT version of the book.
I’ve also seen something called the Morrocco massager. Would that work using your method?
Hey Sly – before I postponed downloads, the book was a pay-what-you-want model. Now I’m updating the book with the latest research, FAQ’s, plus new videos to help answer the most-asked questions.
As far as the Morrocco Massager, my feeling is it depends on how you use it. If you’re scraping it hard against your scalp and inducing micro-abrasions on the top layers of the skin and thereby micro-scarring, that could interfere with future hair growth. If you’re using it to press and generate inflammation more deeply in the skin, but aren’t dragging it hard across your scalp and avoiding top layer micro-scarring, then it’ll probably help.
Hi, its been almost a year are you going to sell the book again? Sorry for asking it here but couldn’t find another way of reaching you, thanks.
Hey Lone – I’m updating the book and it should be available in the next two months! No worries on asking, and thanks for reaching out.
Hey Rob,
I’m almost 20 years old student, and have thinning hair on top for 1 year. I waste really most of my time on internet searching for solutions to stop it. I cannot concentrate on anything else, it really harms me. I want to start your detumescense therapy and adjust lifestyle changes. I’m waiting for months you to put the e-book on sale again. I really need this ebook , please help about it.
Thank you,
Mert
Hey Mert – I’m updating the book and it should be available within the next two months! Thanks for your message and your patience, and I’m sorry for keeping you waiting. In the meantime, you can check out JD Moyer’s blog posts about his hair and this regimen. That should help get you started.
Hi rob,i doing scalp massage about 2 months,but my hair fall alot. Is it normal?
Hey Gary,
Slight shedding is expected, at least in the first couple months. But if it’s resulting in anything cosmetic, that’s an indication you might be going too hard. Try this as a rule of thumb: by the beginning of your second massage session of the day, your scalp should feel 95-100% fully recovered from the first session. Any more and you might be creating too much inflammation. If you’re still noticing hair fall with that in mind, decrease the intensity even more until you find a pressure that’s most manageable for you. Everyone is different and it takes time to figure out the right intensity.
Best,
Rob
Please help me rob.How do I purchase e book?
Hey Pavan – I’m updating the book now with the latest research plus readers’ stories. I’m shooting to finish everything in two months time. If you sign up to receive more information, I’ll let you know when it’s ready!
I am interested in your e book. When are you going to make it available for download again?
Hey Del,
I’m in the process of updating the book with readers’ before/after photos, a new demo video, a follow-along video, video interviews with the best responders, transcripts, and an FAQ. I’m shooting to finish everything in two months time. If you’re signed up to receive more information, I’ll be sure to send you an email.
Rob,
Regarding Vitamin D deficiency, will taking Vitamin D3 supplements have the same effect as being exposed to sun? Especially for those who live in areas where sunlight is not as readily available or are just sensitive to sun.
Hey Alex,
The short answer is it’s complicated.
Vitamin D3 supplementation has been shown to raise serum levels of 25(OH)D – which is the blood marker used to evaluate vitamin D status. Consistent uptake of D3 is supposed to promote calcium uptake and stronger bones, so we should assume that supplementing D3 will help with bone strength. But in recent studies, long-term vitamin D3 supplement takers suffer more bone fractures:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20460620
http://media.jamanetwork.com/news-item/neither-vitamin-d-nor-exercise-affected-fall-rates-among-older-women-in-finland/
So what’s the takeaway? Supplementing D3 in its isolated form might not be as beneficial as exposure to real sunlight, and for reasons not yet fully clear. There’s also the debate over supplementing with D3 vs D3 sulfate, which makes things even more complicated.
Bottom line: if you can’t get adequate sun exposure, opt for eating oily fish (cod, salmon, etc.). If you can’t get oily fish, opt for a fish-based D3 supplement, but not as a long-term solution.
Best,
Rob
How can I contact you?
Hey John,
If you sign up for more information (to the right of the article), my email’s inside the PDF you receive.
Best,
Rob
Hey Rob,
So thrilled to hear you are nearly ready to launch the update. Good luck!!! Can’t wait.
Hi Rob I purchased your first book and I was wondering if I will be sent the updated copy or is it a re-purchase system?
Hey Jesse – I replied via email to your question. Let me know if anything else comes up.
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob .hope you are well.
I’m currently trying a scalp massage for 25 mins each day. I am waiting for your book too.
I’ve been doing a lot of research into this.
One funny question , that comes up and still unanswered is does masterbation and sex cause dht to pushed into the body adding to hair loss for men.
Thanks
Hey Paz – thanks for reaching out. I just wrote about this in another post. Check out the comments section here and let me know if you have any questions:
http://perfecthairhealth.com/men-stop-thinking-your-hair-loss-is-due-to-high-testosterone/
Best,
Rob
Hey Rob,
I think you are looking to shoot the ebook in early september, am I right? And also are you planning to do a pay-what-you-want model again? As I’ve been waiting for your ebook for a long time it’s important for me to know if I can afford it or not.
Thank you,
Mert
Hey Mert – You’re right about the release — early to mid September. As far as pricing, I’m not sure what I’m going to do. Right now I’m leaning more toward a fixed price, but I don’t know. If you’re concerned about affordability, please email me!
Good article. Waiting for your ebook on DT. Can you tell mehow can i get this book.
Hello Rob i heard about your ebook and i will put my last hopes in this. Have to tell that i went in 1.4 year from good situation to very very bad my hairs in this time thinned very fast and agressive. I would like to ask you can i repair that damage made on my thinned hairs? And with this which i have left can i thick them . i really dont know what to think anymore because of all stories on internet. I would like to know how much is the price. And do i have chances with this progressive thinning ? Thank you for your time .
Hey Allen — hair follicles can miniaturize and become inactive, but they don’t disappear.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160302204627.htm
And from a scientific perspective, hair is recoverable. The underlying reasons for which someone is thinning / losing hair is often different (environmental factors, dietary, etc.) – but the conditions of a balding scalp are almost always the same: calcification of scalp sutures and vessels supporting the follicles, fibrosis, collagen remodeling, etc. If you address and reverse these conditions, you increase your chances of successful regrowth by a wide margin. But it takes time, effort, and a willingness for self experimentation. The diet, lifestyle, and massaging techniques I outline in the book are what worked for me and many others. But everyone is different. Theoretically, regrowth for those suffering from pattern hair loss is 100% possible. It’s just a matter of trying the techniques that work for many, and experimenting with ones that might work for you.
Well thank you Rob!! I hope i can success too i really hope . thanks and cant wait for ebook that i can start because it stressed me a lot.
Hi rob , iam very new to this site and really feel excited. Confident over here to get back my hair.
Why do so many hair falls while massage with oil and not during shampoo ?
I losing my hair each day amd its abnirmal i hate to see all the hairs during clean my room. Help me bro
It seems e-book is available. How can i get this ? What procedure do i follow to get one ? Waiting for your reply eagerly.
Thanks
Hi Rob
I recently signed up with my email to be informed when the ebook will be available as I really don’t want to miss the opportunity to purchase it this time. I’ve never had any emails from your website so far, I was wondering whether you have already released the book and for some reason my email isn’t included when you inform people that it’s ready, or is the book not released yet?
Thanks
Hey David – thanks for reaching out. Don’t worry, you haven’t missed anything! I haven’t sent out any emails and the book isn’t yet ready. It will be in the next couple weeks. As long as you’re signed up, you’ll find out exactly when.
All my best,
Rob
Hey man, any progress update on the new rendition of the book?
I must play devils advocate here for a second and criticize one aspect of the page so far though. The pictures sent in by readers aren’t great. the problem is the fact that every photo, before and after, has been taken at different angles, and/or lighting. Any serious progress photos should be taken at the exact same angle and lighting, preferably with the same hair length as well. I know this isn’t really your fault as you’re not the one taking the photos. Hopefully there will be some better photos eventually :)) Hope you had a good weekend.
Hey Aaron – the book launch date will be announced through email, so as long as you’re signed up, you’ll be the first to know the date. As far as the photos – you’re right that I don’t have any control over the photos people send me. The reality is that most people don’t ever set out to take “before” photos, and so when they start seeing results, they find themselves backpedaling for photos on Facebook or elsewhere to show what their hair used to look like. This makes the perfect “after” shot even more difficult. I’m guilty of this, too, which is why I have a few pages in the new book dedicated to showing people what the back of my head looked like in the years leading up to my results. Maybe you’ll be the one to take the perfect photos!
Hi rob, please tell me when the book will be ready. Thank you in advance. Joe
Hey Joe – there will be an announcement through email. So as long as you’re signed up, you’ll be the first to find out.
Hi Rob I just wanted to know if you’ve ever heard of Tom Hagerty’s scalp exercise to fight male pattern baldness.
http://www.hairloss-reversible.com/my-approach-2/
What do you think?
Hey Nicholas – yes! I’ve experimented with Tom Hagerty’s exercises over the past few years, and a few readers found them to be synergistic with the massages.
Any idea of when the book will be out dude sorry I think everyone really can’t wait for it
Hey John – I’m really close – I think less than two weeks. I’ll announce the date over email in the next two days.
We never got this email?
It’s coming within the next day! 🙂
Hello i would like to ask you some questions. I had good hairs thick and everything maybe i had hairloss and thinning but it was slow and not visible. Less than 2 years ago it started rapidly and from then on my hairs are thinning very fast all over my head. Now they started thin from temples to frontal area. I know this is classic pattern but i dont know why my father is not bald his hairs are not thinning and he is 50 my granpa wasnt bald my uncles arent bald . and my hairloss is going hard and fast. I have some problems with allergies like asthma when i was young and half year ago my doctor said i have atopic dermatitis. My diet was bad i know i eat only once or twice a day, i had stressful life and i am working at nights. This is my life style. And in my hairline on temples and in front i can see a lot of hairs they are about half size than my thick hairs but they are invisible. Can i save those hairs ? Can they grow back ? And my hairs are thinning everywhere at the back in the sides and so on . please reply i hope i can grow bact that hairs because it is not long time ago when started that badly. Please replay thnks
Hey Mark – it’s much easier to bring thinning hairs back to thick than it is to bring dormant follicles back to thick. So it sounds like you’re in a better starting position than most. It’s impossible for me to gauge your potential for success, so the best resource I can offer is the regimen that brought me success + the learnings from the first book’s best responders. That’s all being built into a book update now and I’m hoping to have it finished within the next week.
Rob, so what if I only have to cope with thinning and I don’t have to bring dormant follicles back? Can I do a softer version of the massages?
You can certainly try a softer version. I never experimented with very soft massaging so I can’t say.
Just want to know if the techniques which you have suggested are useful for female pattern hairloss as well?
Hey Neha – the packages are catered to both men and women, but I’ve worked predominantly with men.
Hi Rob, it’s not quite clear from the articles if running is ok or not. Is 20-30 min of running daily excessive? Or should I switch to walking?
Hey Nick – it’s tough to say. How intense are your runs? Have you done heart rate tracking? Do you know your maximum heart rate? I only ask because if you’re running 20-30 minutes daily and inside your anaerobic threshold, then there’s a chance you’re probably going too hard. With that said, if your average heart rate is within your lower aerobic threshold, then it’s probably not an issue.
Those are actually good questions. I probably should start monitoring my heart rate. But since most of my runs involve uphill running, I’d say I do go too hard
Hi Rob,
I am a 29 y.o. french guy, and I bought your book and the video a few weeks ago.
(Excuse me, my english is not perfect, I’m a good english reader but I am not practicing it enough to speak it fluently.)
I am one and half month in, my scalp is definitly looser, I have a lot of dandruffs, I’m shedding a bit too, but I feel and see a few regrowth, particularly on my hairline (I am a norwood II/III).
I have to say that I am still using propecia (since 2009 ! I am a good responder) but I plan to stop it as soon as possible, thanks to your regimen.
Here is my question : saturday morning, when I woke up, i began to massage my scalp as usual, but it felt different this time.
It was like its shape changed during the night : it felt much “fuller” on the top sides, rounder.
I even paniqued and rush to my mirror because I was afraid that my head inflatened in the night.
But of course, everything was OK.
Did anyone report something like what I am describing ? A brutal change in the scalp / skull shape ? Or am I imagining things ?
Anyway, thanks a lot for your work, your regimen is my new hope, a drop of water in the so far desert landscape of MPD cure 🙂
Hi Raoul – thank you for your message, and for your support.
RE: Propecia–
My normal stance on Propecia is, “Don’t start taking it.” With that said, there’s a few caveats. If you’re responding well to Propecia and you’re experiencing no side effects, then I feel there’s less concern in continuing to use it – especially in conjunction with the book’s regimen. I’ve worked with many readers who are recovering from post-finasteride syndrome (PFS). This is something that all of us want to avoid. But for men who have taken Propecia for years (and without issue), these men’s bodies seem better equipped to handle the 5-AR inhibition. As a result, I worry less about Propecia’s side effects for this group.
RE: scalp structure–
Some readers have commented on this before, but I think it could be due to a few things:
1) Sometimes the massages result in a slight shift in the scalp sutures. These tend to rebound quickly – within a few minutes.
2) The massages result in a better understanding of the landscape of your scalp. You become more aware of your scalp shape, and resultantly, may begin to notice ridges / bumps that you previously didn’t know existed. I know this was the case for me.
Let me know how else I can help.
Best,
Rob
I have a question about yoga. I get that vinyasa or power yoga are the more physical types of yoga. But would it be bad to practice a softer/less physical type of yoga more than 3 times a week?
Thanks for reading Edwin. To answer your question – I don’t think there’s any concern for practicing a less intense form of yoga more often than 3x per week. Oftentimes, I group very light yoga into the same category as hiking (in terms of intensity), but with a different set of benefits.
Hey Rob
I had pretty much neglected muscle exercise for years, to the point that I got pain around shoulders. My physician is sending me to the gym.
Do you think gym exercises are fine for getting my (upper body) muscles in shape again? Maybe I could continue with push-ups etc at home. (You never mention pushups or other calisthenics, so what’s your view of them?)
I’m also planning on covering the sprints at the gym because it’s a cold winter here… I did some sprinting outside in the summer. And as for walking I’ve multiplied the amount from what I used to do and have certainly noted the benefits (not on hair loss so far, unfortunately, but that’s another story..).
As for yoga, my physician was skeptical… but maybe that was because I may have been suggesting yoga as an alternative to the gym. (By the way, not sure if you consider yoga as aerobic exercise, or what?)
Hey Pete!
It’s tough to say without more information about your history, but I would just listen to your body as often as possible. I’m a fan of bodyweight workouts — including pushups. And some yoga classes that I go to are incredibly anaerobic (my heart rate stays at 170+ for significant portions of the class), while others are pretty gentle. It all depends on the instructor and type of yoga.
Best,
Rob
Hey Rob, I read the book and was curious:
Do you recommend the water rinsing every day? I understand that we want to get rid of excess sebum buildup, but, as our scalps adjust, does the need to water-rinse decrease?
When water rinsing, I figured it is beneficial to use warm-ish water to break up the oils, then finish the shower by doing a cold rinse over the head. What is your approach to this?
Would love your thoughts on this. You put out great information that gives me hope. Although I am not balding yet, I am hoping to stave off my genetic predisposition towards baldness (similar genetic profile to yours).
Hey Nate — I still water-rinse my hair daily, and often with warm water (at least for part of the shower). Your approach sounds fine! In general, shampooing vs. water rinsing won’t make the difference between regrowth / no regrowth, but transitioning away from shampoos often helps to improve the health of your scalp.
Best,
Rob
Hi Rob
Do you have any thoughts on rebounding on a mini trampoline? I’ve been doing 20 minute HIIT (total 3 minutes high intensity) workouts 3 times per week and 20 mins of pilates 3 times per week.
Cheers
Charlotte
Hi Rob,
Great article. Could you please describe what your once a week sprint regime is like? Also, when walking to you have recommendations around the optimal heart rate/amount of miles per week?
Thanks,
Mark