This is Dr. Robert Frankel. I’m an emergency medicine and anti-aging physician, and welcome to the Modern Man Podcast. In this podcast, we talk about important topics for men, which include male aesthetics, health and wellness. But most importantly, we try to remove the stigma of male aesthetics because I think that it’s important to understand what men can do for aesthetics and how important it is … for their social and psychological well-being, and ultimately just to feel and look good. So take the journey with me. It’s going to be okay. It’s going to be fun. So enjoy it. I think the next episode will be really interesting and informative, so take a listen, hope you enjoy it. Again, this is Dr. Rob Frankel, and enjoy the episode. Thank you.

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So this is part two of the Modern Man Podcast of Save the Mullet, where we’re going to look at the interesting, exciting treatments for hair restoration. So I think this is gonna be the more interesting, exciting part of the podcast. What do you think, Zoe?

I think so too. This is gonna be amazing because last episode, you got to hear how a hair loss happens, but this episode you get to hear how to fix hair loss.

Yes. And I think that this is going to be a really informative episode. I am looking forward to getting into the information and the research and all kind of what really we found works and what are the downsides to some of the treatments, because I think that is really kind of the most important thing that people want to know.

Yeah, what treatments work, which ones don’t? And that’s always a big debate online and in doctor’s office. So let’s get into it.

Absolutely. Let’s do it. So, the first thing we’re gonna need to do is we’re going to have to go into something that might be heading into the little bit … into the weeds, but … we’re going to try to do it as quickly and, painlessly as possible. We’re gonna need to go into the hair cycle.

Alright

Because of the fact that the only way we’re really going to understand how these treatments work and how the whole idea behind the treatments is to understand a little bit about the hair cycle. Now, we’re not gonna go into, you know, the specific, you know, mechanisms, the biological mechanisms behind it, but we’re going get a … just a brief overview of the hair cycle so that way we can kind of get an idea of like … what’s the really point of this and how does it really work?

Man, after this episode, I’m gonna be able, able to add a science degree to my writing degree.

I think so. I think so. So the first thing is that, so the first phase … I guess the most important phase that we like to talk about is the anagen phase. And so this is rapid hair growth. This is the phase that we all want to be in. This is the phase that we’re trying to achieve because this is the phase where hair is growing. And so … this is the phase that we are looking to achieve. Okay. So in this phase … there is a couple things around the hair follicles that we need to understand. There is something called the Dermal Papilla, say that a few times, fast.

Dermal Papilla.

Yes.

Okay, I’ll do it once.

Okay. And then there’s also a bunch of germ and stem cells around the hair follicles … well that sit around it, that are also there to kind of protect the follicle and also be there to be present and be there to nourish the follicle. And there’s also a receptor that’s there as well that I’m going to mention, it’s called 5-alpha reductase. And just … I want you to be aware of that this exists because of the fact that we’re going to mention it at some other, some other point when we get to it. So we have some of the background material when we talk about hair follicles.

The other phase that we’re gonna talk about is the telogenic phase. … Before I get to the telogenic phase, I’m gonna go back to the catagenic phase. So the catagenic phase is actually when there is loss of hair or the hair follicles are actually are losing, or we’re losing hair, the follicles are leaving the shaft. And so when this happens, the dermal papilla is actually being lost from the follicle. So there is a … … there’s an actual decoupling of the follicle and the dermal papilla.

So that would be something like trauma, or damage that we talked about last episode.

That would be one reason that would … it would happen for sure.

Okay.

Yes, absolutely.

And that’s in the …catagen.

It’s the catagen phase. Correct.

Okay.

Yes. So the cat phase is when we’re moving from the phase where we have rapid hair growth to a phase where we’re losing hair. Now we want the anagen phase to be the phase that … we’re in most of the time. But, you know, there’s times where the catagen phases are going to be a longer phase where we’re actually losing hair. And so we think about the fact that you know, the dermal papilla is lost, you know, at that point where … the two are not close to each other.

Now, the next phase that I’m gonna talk about is the telogenic phase. The telogenic phase is the phase where we’re in rest, meaning like, nothing’s really happening. And … this is a pretty long phase, where the hair follicle … we often talk about is dormant, right? We often talk about that nothing’s really happening, the hair’s not growing, the hair is not losing, it’s not real … Nothing’s really happening. And often, you know, in this phase, you know, there’s nothing really kind of growing, but there’s nothing really being lost as well.

And how much time is between, or how long is each phase?