Help Me Understand Potassium Channel

[BaldingHelpMe]

I read that the mechanism of how minoxidil works has something to do with opening potassium channel in the hair follicles. But how is potassium channel blocked in the first place? If getting rid of DHT with dutasteride or finasteride, will that also open up the potassium channel if blocked?

For a normal person whose does not have genetic hair loss, their potassium channel is not blocked, correct? With drugs like dutasteride or finasteride which inhibits DHT, there should not have anything that blocked the potassium channel, right? I admit, I'm totally clueless about potassium channel, please help me understand it.

I'm already taking dutasteride, is my potassium channel still being blocked? If so, besides topicals like minoxidil, what else I can do to re-open it? Do keto shampoos open it?

Thanks

 

[Ruby]

I'm interested in this too. Especially since spironolactone is a potassium-sparing diuretic in addition to being a T/DHT nuking anti-androgen.

 

[stachu]

This is a f*****g great question.

I am trying to lurk more, but uncle google doesnt helping me.

 

[horunger]

In other words you could be asking "why does minoxidil help hair?", and noone really know, but i know it didn't help at all and thats the answer. minoxidil users with good results never use minoxidil exclusively, just stick to dutasteride and screw the vague and inconsistent results from minoxidil, keeping in mind that dark rings around the eyes can be a permanent side effect of minoxidil that persists after you stop using it, i think it did on me, 20 years since i stopped and still have them.

 

[BaldingHelpMe]

In other words you could be asking "why does minoxidil help hair?", and noone really know, but i know it didn't help at all and thats the answer. minoxidil users with good results never use minoxidil exclusively, just stick to dutasteride and screw the vague and inconsistent results from minoxidil,

I'm not interested in minoxidil, and won't be using it for the exact reason you mentioned. I'm just interested in knowing how potassium channel works and wonders if inhibiting DHT would open up potassium channel that's blocked. And honestly I dont really understand what potassium channel is...

 

[horunger]

Ok so its a general medical question... Maybe look up some stuff on high blood pressure medicines, some of the non-betablocker types work on potassium stuff. All i know is that potassium has a vasodilating effect but if the potassium cannot reach the blood vessels it cannot dilate them and thats where the potassium channel enters the picture.

Other medicines than potassium can dilate blood vessels but im very unsure if for example a beta blocker will have any effect if the potassium channels are blocked.

 

[SmoothSailing]

In the field of cell biology, potassium channels are the most widely distributed type of ion channel and are found in virtually all living organisms.[1] They form potassium-selective pores that span cell membranes. Furthermore potassium channels are found in most cell types and control a wide variety of cell functions.[2][3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potassium_channel

Essentially they seem to be some sort of tool that cells use to do a variety of functions.

"establishing a resting membrane potential, shaping action potentials and other electrical signals by gating the flow of ions across the cell membrane, controlling the flow of ions across secretory and epithelial cells, and regulating cell volume. "

I don't think they are related to DHT, and if they are I'm certain that we haven't found it out yet (as we don't know how minoxidil works yet).


Mostly I always thought that it essentially means that cells are more capable of delivering nutrients to your hair. But that's just my guess from reading stuff I don't understand.

 

[BaldingHelpMe]

So what else I can do to open up potassium channel besides applying minoxidil? I want more nutrients delivering to the hair follicles.

 

[horunger]

So what else I can do to open up potassium channel besides applying minoxidil? I want more nutrients delivering to the hair follicles.

Relax and wait for the Dutt to do its job? Im still early in Dutt but liking it so far, sex stuff is up (as it was on Finn as well but initial effects only) and testicle pain on dutt is less than finn, or at least more sporadic and vague.