Good morning. It’s Friday, October 18th.

In today’s email:

• Learn: The Deal With Hair Loss

• Think: Late Night Snacking

• Read: Meditations for Mortals

• In the News: Mindfulness Improves Fitness

• Brain Games: Sports Connections

Stat of the Day

Hair loss and growth products market size in 2023. It’s expected to grow 5.8% per year to reach $5.66B by 2032 (more people going bald and more people not wanting to). (Business Research Insights)

Learn

The Deal With Hair Loss

Does going bald mean you’re aging faster?

Probably not - but it’s not that simple.

Most men (75%) and maybe surprisingly many women (up to 50%) will experience some hair loss in their lifetime.

The primary cause of hair loss is what’s known as androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Huh? Here’s what that means…

• Andro: refers to the androgen receptor in hair follicles (more on this in a minute)

• Genetic: our genes (not just one) tell us if we’re more susceptive to this cause of hair loss

• Alopecia: from Greek word alōpēx, which means fox (foxes lose fur during shedding process)

About 10% of our testosterone (in both men and women - although men have >10x more) - converts to DHT. It’s a potent hormone that is essential for the development of sexual function in men.

Just like with testosterone, DHT binds to androgen receptors (if you recall this is why “free” testosterone is an important measure - because 95%+ of testosterone is bound to a protein and can’t access the cell).

Well, when DHT binds with these receptors in hair follicles, it basically shrinks the hair follicle and shuts down hair growth.

So having more DHT seems to align with higher risk of baldness, but it’s not just the quantity. Our genetics comes into play because there seems to be a variance in how sensitive the hair follicle is to DHT.

That’s why as a guy if your dad had hair loss you are 2x more likely to have the same issue. And this is also true for women - if either parent had hair loss you’re 85% more likely to experience it too.

There are some other factors that can accelerate the hair falling out of our head:*

• Anemia (low iron - see Issue #388)

• Thyroid Dysfunction (see Issue #340)

• Endocrine Disruptors (hormone issues - see Issue #272)

• Stress (too many issues to count!)

To this last point - high stress leads to increased cortisol (see Issue #19). Chronically elevated cortisol levels accelerate hair follicles transitioning from “growth” phase to “rest” phase - which leads to hair loss.

Solutions

So what can you do if you don’t want to lose your hair?

There are a number of solutions you’ve probably heard of:

• Minoxidil (former popular brand name Rogaine) - stimulates hair follicles by increasing blood flow. You can go with a topical solution or oral pill. It does show some success, but you gotta stick with it. Plus, it may increase body hair in less desirable places.

• Finasteride (men-only, former brand name Propecia) - this blocks the conversion of testosterone to DHT. It won’t regrow hair, but help keep what you’ve got. It’s only viable for men. Seems to work, but small risk of impacting sexual function and possibly raising your prostate-specific antigen (PSA) score (risk for prostate cancer).

• Ketoconazole Shampoo - along with minoxidil and biotin, this can increase hair density.

• Low-Level Laser Therapy - this does seem to work (you put a hat with lasers on your head for 15 min 3x per week. It’s super expensive, but seems promising if the future costs come down. 

There’s also a company that’s gotten a ton of traction lately - Nutrafol. 

I know a lot of people - men and women - using this “natural” solution. It’s full of vitamins, supplements (like collagen), herbs (like saw palmetto), and adaptogens (like ashwagandha for stress).

Based on their anecdotal feedback, the results seem promising and it’s probably stuff most of us could use anyway.

Check your personal nutrient levels to find out!!

*Other health issues like autoimmune diseases and certain medications/treatments can also affect hair loss.

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Think

Late Night Snacking

Given the wild and hectic schedule of the hurricanes these past few weeks, I found myself giving in to late night dark chocolate before bed.

(Another point of the hurricane: a week without power - which none of us should ever take for granted - meant a week of cold showers. So in my attempt to remain positive, maybe I was boosting my longevity through some cold therapy).

Back to dark chocolate - I knew the caffeine was affecting my sleep and that it was bad for my digestion, but it was a little release.

Fast forward to Sunday night when I skipped it and haven’t gone back since - wow, what a difference. I felt more rested in the AM, had a bigger bounce in my pace for my runs, and felt lighter on my feet - all thanks to no late night snacks.

We all need a little cheat once in a while, but - from what the science says and from my personal experience - shut down the kitchen three hours before hitting the sheets, it will make for a way better start to tomorrow.

Read

Meditations for Mortals

Selected quotes:

• “…the day is never coming when all the other stuff will be ‘out of the way,’ so you can turn to, at last, building a life of meaning…”

• “…at any moment of choice in life, know what the price is, and whether or not it’s worth paying.”

Oliver Burkeman follows up on his book, Four Thousand Weeks, with this new book that’s about “how the world opens up once you realize you’re never going to sort your life out.”

It’s 28 short chapters (he suggests reading one per day for four weeks) that calls out the absurdity of modern life and how we hold on too hard for control and perfection that isn’t possible - and thus don’t really live until it’s too late.

Even if not every chapter relates to you - there’s no doubt it’ll leave you thinking about how to spend your time and making the most of your days right now.

H&L in the News

Boost Endurance with Mindfulness: Meditation may hold the key to combating mental fatigue and improving endurance. Discover how athletes who meditate can maintain focus and perform better, even under intense physical strain. (Outside)

TOPGUN Leadership Secrets Unveiled: Fighter pilot Guy Snodgrass shares key insights on staying calm under pressure, teamwork, and building authentic relationships to achieve elite performance. (Big Think)

Turn Eco-Anxiety into Action: Climate anxiety is on the rise, but it’s a natural reaction to environmental threats. Instead of seeing it as a pathology, use it as a powerful motivator to fight for climate justice and a sustainable future. (WIRED)

Brain Games

Sports Connections

A couple of weeks ago (Issue #391) - we played Connections from NYTimes games. You create four (4) groups of four (4) words that go together in a common category.

Now they’ve created a sports version of the game - same rules, just all categories are tied to sports. Can you get this one?

Credit: NYTimes

** For answer, scroll to the bottom of the email

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Brain Games Answer

We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.

This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at [email protected].

To health!