mathematical shedding theory

[jimmystanley]

k, lets think about it... say u lose 250 hairs a day....now it takes about 4 months or so for it to grow back...now lets say ur new treatments (finasteride /revivogen) has either slowed or stopped the miniturization process and slowed down ur shedding to 100 hairs per day....sooo... now for 4 or so months ur should be gaining about 150 hairs per day. now think 150 hairs per day times 4 months...equals a lot of hair...does this make sense to you...??

 

[Deaner]

Well, let's say each hair takes an average of 3-5 months to grow back, average being 4 months. Now, say the average person has 100,000 hairs on their head to begin. Let's say, in this theoretical test scenario, they start out with 100% anagen hairs, all are growing. Now, say they start shedding the higher end of the average # of hairs per day, 100. By 4 months (roughly 120 days), they will have lost 12,000 hairs before the first 100 hairs start to grow back. That means that at any given time, it can be assumed that this person has roughly 12,000 dormant hairs, which makes up 12% of their overall hair density. This is very close to the projected figure of 10% of all hair being dormant at once.

If you're losing 250 hairs a day on a regular basis, assuming they ALSO grow back after 4 months, you will be missing 30% of your overall hair density at one time, which is alot to be missing. This problem is compounded by male pattern baldness where the hair takes longer than 3-5 months to grow back, or may never grow back at all.

Edit: It's worth noting that in some cases, people may regularly lose 250 hairs a day. However, their hair is probably not dormant for quite as long as 3-5 months, maybe 2-3, and they probably started out with a hair density nearing 150,000 hairs, in which case 250 a day would not equal a net dormancy of 30%, but closer to 10%

 

[Guest]

look at it from this point of view.

Each human has 100,000 hairs. Divide that by 12 and then by 4. Take the last value and multply that by the second value. Add to this the number of lost hairs in a day and mutiply that by the second and third value from the first answer. Take this answer and take away the second answer in the first question.

and there you have it. What do you guys think?

 

[Deaner]

I think you're missing variables, and could skip one of two divisions by just dividing by 48 in the first place

 

[Slartibartfast]

Any chance that the answer is 9 x 6?

 

[jimmystanley]

anyway...cough...(losers!)..ahem.. my point was, that in four months or so after a shed i should be seeing a tremendous amount of hair growing back (150*4mnths)

 

[Deaner]

Then why make a post if you already knew what responses you wanted? Here, lemme end this then:

WOW, HOLY CRAP, MATH TELLS ME YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A GREAT HEAD OF HAIR IN 4 MONTHS (150*4 months!!!)

 

[Slartibartfast]

k, lets think about it... say u lose 250 hairs a day....now it takes about 4 months or so for it to grow back...now lets say ur new treatments (finasteride /revivogen) has either slowed or stopped the miniturization process and slowed down ur shedding to 100 hairs per day....sooo... now for 4 or so months ur should be gaining about 150 hairs per day. now think 150 hairs per day times 4 months...equals a lot of hair...does this make sense to you...??

Where does this figure of 250 hairs a day come from?

The average daily loss for a healthy person is between 50 and 100 hairs. Now my understanding of male pattern baldness is that it affects you not through a massively increased rate of loss (of say 250/day) but by follicular miniaturization, so that when hairs are shed, as a matter of course, they regrow thinner with each cycle.

So, if your treatments are working, you should still be losing the same no. of hairs but, importantly, they will grow back at their full size, as will previously miniaturized hairs - once the follicles have had time to recover from the damage wrought by DHT.

The higher rate sheds that some people get from finasteride seem to be short lived and should be welcomed as they affect those hairs already being damaged by DHT. I've not read of people losing 150 extra hairs per day, for four months, because of finasteride - I'm not aware of even dutasteride users (like me) having this level of sustained loss - so gaining 150 hairs a day for this duration seems unlikely.

Slarti

 

[jimmystanley]

point one...deaner, is that i'm not gaining that many hairs and i don't think anyone is. i think the shedding theory is bogus. point two, it all sounds good that 'it is normal to shed 150 to 200 hairs a day' but no one would disagree that they are loosing way more with male pattern baldness.

 

[Deaner]

Point one: When you have male pattern baldness, this is the problem, you usually gain back less hairs than you originally lost when the time comes for them to grow back.
Point two: I'll contest the fact that you lose more hair when you have male pattern baldness, I don't think I'm losing any insane amounts of hair on a daily basis with male pattern baldness, but I sure as hell notice my sheds more, and play with my hair on a more regular basis (loosening even more hair).