Sadist
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DEFYING NORWOOD:
UNCOVERING ONE OF THE LAST PILLARS OF HAIR REGROWTH
By Sadist
DISCLAIMER: This thread may singlehandedly crash Turkey’s economy; @menas, sorry for your inevitable poverty in advance bud.
REAL DISCLAIMER: By no means is this medical advice. Even though the risks are low, everyone is different and some people may respond to this differently to others. Consult a medical professional before taking any of the following steps.
Sick of the dreaded Norwood Reaper, which has done seemingly irreversible damage to your precious hairline? Tried everything to get your luscious hair back, but still saw minimal hair regrowth? Well worry not - for daddy Sadist has you covered on this topic.
Before we start - this thread assumes that if you’re interested in yielding regrowth benefits from the info provided due to experiencing hair loss - you have a brain and are already taking optimal preventative measures to stop further hair loss.
Chapter I: Introduction
Many different pathways are responsible for hair growth, or alternatively - its stagnation. Obviously, disrupting the right OR assisting the wrong pathways will jeopardize the entire hair growth process, and start the balding process. This is exactly what happens during androgenetic alopecia.
As we all know, Testosterone is converted into Dihydrotestosterone through 5alpha-reductase. DHT then binds to hair follicles, disrupting said essential hair growth pathways & causing said hair loss. 5AR inhibitors, such as Finasteride or Dutasteride stop this process by blocking 5AR activity, which therefore prevents Testosterone converting into DHT.
Whilst this stops further hair loss, old hairs usually never come back, especially at further stages of Norwood. Some people try to compensate by using products like Minoxidil, but it only does so much at hairline regrowth - so most give up, and end up getting a hair transplant.
Chapter II: One of the Most Important Hair Growth Pathways
A very important hair growth pathway, which is almost completely inhibited during Norwood is the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. It is responsible for transforming the hair follicle cycle from the telogen (resting) phase into anagen (growth) phase, which is absolutely crucial for proper hair development, as it promotes hair stem cell activation.
Whilst Minoxidil promotes hair regrowth in the alopecia-affected areas through stimulation of microcirculation around hair follicles, causing arteriolar vasodilation, it usually creates relatively mild improvements. This is entirely due to the fact that it does not target any hair growth pathways DIRECTLY, unlike…
Chapter III, Pt. 1: An Introduction to Valproic Acid
Valproic Acid (which I will be referring to as VPA from now on) is an anticonvulsant, used to treat epilepsy, manic phases of bipolar disorder & other similar conditions. If ingested orally, it has NEGATIVE effects on hair regrowth.
So how does a seemingly random epilepsy medicine, which CONTRIBUTES to hair loss, come anywhere near being one of the best hair loss treatments?
Well, see - although it bares negative effects in its oral form - if converted into a topical solution, it becomes absolutely great for hair regrowth.
Topical VPA application inhibits the GSK3β protein, thereby allowing the aforementioned Wnt/β-catenin signaling to take place (as GSK3β inhibits Wnt/β-catenin). This, obviously, allows hair follicles to enter the previously-discussed anagen phase. Additionally, it activates Erk & Akt pathways, which also contribute to hair growth.
And since it is applied topically, its systemic effects are negligible compared to its oral form, which, as discussed earlier, can actually induce alopecia itself by depleting your body of trace minerals & biotin, overshadowing its positive effects on hair regrowth.
And just to put its strength into perspective - one study showed, that after a 24-week cycle, VPA significantly regrew hair in areas affected by Norwood III & even Norwood IV. In another study (this one done on foids but fuck it) it was shown, that after 6 months, hair count doubled (from about 49/cm^2 to about 99/cm^2). There’s more studies on it that show great results, but I would rather let you lot see just how well it works for yourself:
Fig. 1:
a, b, c, d - 3 months VPA; e, f, g, h - 3 months Placebo
(bottom pictures showing extreme close-ups).
Fig. 2:
Results that @Mr_wax talked about in his thread (even though he was struggling to make a 100% effective topical VPA due to incomplete solution, he still did manage to apply it, and this is the effect that he got).
Chapter III, Pt. 2: Preparation of Topical VPA
VPA is mainly only sold in oral forms. I have seen very few topical hair regrowth versions, and they are almost always criminally underdosed. A lot of sources sell oral VPA (in Minecraft), and since most of you lot already have your hands on such sources - I see absolutely no issue in acquiring said oral VPA (in Minecraft) & preparing your own topical solution.
When discussed earlier by some users on the forum (primarily on the aforementioned thread, as VPA has been generally slept on within the context of hair regrowth), most of them came across the same issue - its solubility. They were unable to dissolve the tablets properly, with the aim of leaving only VPA in the mix.
I’m going to teach you how to prepare exactly 100ml of the solution, as it is easy to calculate ingredient volumes for & because it’s way easier to prepare.
Yes, they do sell some VPA compounds in liquid form, but that doesn’t mean that they’re already good to go for topical application, as they’re meant to be injected. In this prep guide, I have added every essential ingredient and weighed the most optimal amounts to both ensure it has a long enough shelf life, AND optimal pharmacokinetics, so as little solution goes to waste, as possible. I’m going to keep the preparation process very concise & simple to make it more accessible to the average user. So here we go:
Ingredients (total needed for 100ml of our potion):
8.5g Non-Prolonged Release Convulex (or any other non-prolonged valproic acid tablets; Whatever you use, make sure the amount of raw VPA you’re extracting ends up at 8.3-8.5g or just slightly above, as the optimal VPA concentration was found to be around 8.3%, and we do not want to underdose. Always double-check the purity of your VPA product of choice. If you have a source for pure VPA with no binders - definitely get that, as things like said Convulex would still have excipients left after dissolving, and although they don’t matter too much - it would still be nice to have purity as high as it can be, of course);
Around 100ml PBS (I recommend just buying 300-500ml tbh. I know PBS is kinda hard to source, but I managed to successfully order it within like 5min, so you probably can too) - this will be our solvent;
0.75ml Preservative Eco (you can use other preservatives, but this is just the easiest to source/use) - this will adjust the solution’s shelf life from UNDER 24h to OVER 30 days.
Equipment:
- 0.45um Filter paper;
- 100ml Spray bottle OR Dropper bottle;
- 1cc Syringe;
- Funnel;
- Two 100ml+ Beakers (optional, but handy for measuring volume).
Preparation:
1.) Thoroughly crush up (or extract from capsules) 8.5g worth of Convulex;
2.) Add it to our first beaker containing 70ml of PBS;
3.) Stir well for 15-30min (yes this takes ages, but we NEED it to dissolve properly. Just browse Offtopic while doing that or some shit
);4.) Fold the filter paper as shown on the diagram:
& fit it into the funnel, then insert this filter contraption you just made into the other, clean beaker;
5.) Pour the solution you made through the filter (do it gradually, so that it doesn’t overfill/splash) until all of it has passed through said filter & into the beaker. Then remove the filter;
6.) Draw & add 0.75ml of Preservative Eco using the syringe;
7.) Add more PBS until the total solution volume reaches 100ml;
8.) Stir for a few minutes to ensure everything is mixed;
9.) Carefully transfer what you just made into the dropper/spray bottle.
Storage & Usage Protocol:
Store refrigerated at around 4ºC.
Apply all over alopecia-affected areas twice daily. For optimal results, consistently use for no less than 24 months.
Side effects profile:
Irritation/Redness - <5% incidence;
Itching/dryness - very rare;
Allergic Dermatitis - <1% incidence;
(Recommended to) discontinue/reduce usage if any of these occur.
No tolerance/relapse upon discontinuation observed in any study.
Chapter IV: Our good old friend, GHK-Cu
Being the absolute beast of a compound that GHK-Cu is, not only does it provide a MASSIVE range of other various benefits, which you can read about in this great thread, but it also activates the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, as well as boosting collagen IV & elastin synthesis in the perifollicular extracellular matrix, which further strengthens the hair & improves its anchorage.
Other good news: since you stocked up on the PBS to craft the topical VPA - you now have a solution, which is superior to BAC water at reconstitution of GHK-Cu.
Optimal GHK-Cu protocols are usually 2-5mg/day. I personally use 2mg, as that is more than enough to reap all of its benefits, whilst saving you a lot of the compound.
All of the above is also explained in the aforementioned thread.
Chapter V: Other Similar Compounds
There are a few other compounds similar to VPA that I have looked into for quite a bit, and was going to figure out & add their topical preparation methods to this thread - however, they are mostly unattainable in the right quantities/forms as of now. Things like PTD-DMB, a synthetic peptide that inhibits the CXXC5 protein, which is another known Wnt/β-catenin inhibitor; or Methyl Vanillate, which upregulates WNT10B expression in the scalp, thereby further upregulating Wnt/β-catenin activity - are only a few of these compounds. They have even been mixed & matched in clinical trials before, obviously showing synergistic effects, but unfortunately, as mentioned above, are currently not viable to DIY due to different limitations. Then, there’s PP405, but I won’t even start about that, as you cannot get your hands on it in ANY quantity as of now. If there were any other effective Wnt/β-catenin activators, I would have definitely added them to the cocktail.
There are some obscure topical products on the market claiming to have, for example PTD-DMB, but I simply do not trust them. If you want to, you can try mixing one of those with the VPA solution, but do so at your own & your money’s risk.
Chapter VI: “Ancillaries”
I would greatly recommend combining the GHK-Cu/Topical VPA treatment with the following for the best synergistic effects:
- Good old topical minoxidil, applied twice daily (or alternatively, an optimal oral protocol). Benefits mentioned further up in the thread. Side effects include heart palpitations risk (uncommon) & tolerance buildup;
- Tretinoin on the affected areas (assuming you aren’t on it already - start with 0.025% EON & taper up after a few months of use) upregulates sulfotransferase enzyme & promotes follicular proliferation and differention (mainly due to it also promoting collagen & elastin syntehsis). Side effects include burning/itching/redness/chapping/slight hyperpigmentation of the skin, but they only usually persist at the beginning whilst the skin cell turnover is taking place;
- Microneedling the area twice weekly to improve absorption & further stimulate bloodflow and collagen synthesis - more info on microneedling here;
- Nightly application of RU58841 - does not only enforce hair loss prevention through AR binding, but also stimulates a lot of follicles into reentering the anagen phase - more info on RU58841 here.
Chapter VII: Prevention is Infinitely Better than Treatment
“You are as old as your hairline & collagen”
“You are as old as your hairline & collagen”
I have seen a lot of people constantly frantically search for effective & sustainable hair regrowth methods - but to no avail, ending up on a trip to Turkey. This guide is an effort to aid these people at, once again, returning their youthfulness with an effective technique. Sadly, basically nothing in this world, including this method, has a 100% success rate, even if something, again including this method, works really well.
My point is: Please do not let the Norwood Reaper get to you in the first place - and take proper precautions. There are plenty of guides on said percautions & how to take them properly.
Hope this helps bhais <3
@menas (again jfl) @Zagro @chadbeingmade @Jonasㅤㅤ @AverageTevvezFan @curryascenderr @coispet @loyolaxavvierretard @truthhurts @BonesmashFinalBoss @AverageCurryEnjoyer
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