08/10/2026
Two follicles on the same scalp. One thriving, one thinning. π¬
In 2018, dermatologist Ralph TrΓΌeb published a review in Skin Appendage Disorders on what separates them at the cellular level.
At the base of every hair follicle sits a cluster of cells called the dermal papilla β the follicle's control room. It decides how long a hair grows before it rests and sheds.
The finding: dermal papilla cells taken from balding scalp follicles secreted significantly less IGF-1 than cells from non-balding follicles on the same head.
The supporting evidence is just as telling. People with Laron syndrome β where the body can't respond to growth hormone and IGF-1 stays low β show distinct changes in hair growth. And patients who'd had the pituitary gland surgically removed didn't respond to standard hair-loss treatments.
The through-line: IGF-1 is one of the signals that keeps a follicle in its growing phase.
π TrΓΌeb RM, 2018 | Skin Appendage Disorders 4(2):90β95
IGF-1 naturally declines with age. Deer antler velvet is one of the few natural sources of it. π¦
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