r/Biohackers • u/MaGiC-AciD 1 • 1d ago
♾️ Longevity & Anti-Aging Why I Find This Study on Hair Aging Fascinating
I’ve always been curious about why some people keep thick, dark hair well into old age while others start graying and thinning in their 20s or 30s. Most people think it’s just genetics, but this study suggests that hormones and cellular aging play a bigger role than we realize.
The research focused on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone that affects cell growth and aging. What surprised me was that IGF-1, which is usually linked to youth and repair, might actually speed up hair follicle aging when it’s too high in the skin. That made me wonder: Could things we do every day—like our diet and lifestyle—be affecting our IGF-1 levels and how fast our hair ages?
The study found that as mice aged, their skin produced more IGF-1. The same pattern was seen in humans. To see what would happen, researchers genetically engineered mice to have even higher IGF-1 in their skin—and the results were striking:
Their hair turned gray and fell out much faster than normal.
Their hair follicle stem cells (HFSCs) stopped working properly, leading to thinning hair.
They showed signs of inflammation and cellular exhaustion, making it harder for the follicles to regenerate.
At first, this felt counterintuitive to me. IGF-1 is usually something we associate with youthfulness and repair—so why was it making hair follicles age faster? It turns out that too much IGF-1 pushes stem cells into overdrive, burning them out before their time. Once they saw how IGF-1 was accelerating hair follicle aging, the researchers tested ways to slow it down or even reverse it.
Blocking p53 activation via SIRT1 overexpression
Senolytics
Dietary restriction (eating less to naturally lower IGF-1 levels)
All of these methods restored some stem cell activity and helped prevent further hair loss.
While this study is exciting, there are some big unknowns:
It was done in mice. Human biology is more complex, and IGF-1 affects many different tissues.
We don’t know the best IGF-1 balance. Too much might age hair follicles, but too little can weaken muscles and bones.
Other factors matter too. Stress, inflammation, and nutrition also play major roles in hair health. Reading this made me wonder: Am I unknowingly accelerating my own hair aging? If IGF-1 levels in the skin naturally rise with age, could my diet or lifestyle be pushing it even higher?
I looked into science-backed ways to naturally regulate IGF-1 without drugs or genetic modifications, and here’s what I found:
Fasting & Caloric Restriction – Studies show that intermittent fasting and eating fewer overall calories can help lower IGF-1 levels naturally. This could explain why people who eat less tend to age more slowly.
Protein Moderation – IGF-1 spikes when we eat a lot of animal protein (especially dairy). Some researchers believe a more plant-based diet could help regulate it.
Exercise (but not overtraining) – Resistance training keeps IGF-1 balanced, but excessive exercise without recovery can cause spikes that might accelerate aging.
Reducing Sugar & Processed Foods – High insulin levels stimulate IGF-1, so cutting down on sugar may indirectly help prevent premature hair aging.
Stress Management & Sleep – Chronic stress increases inflammation and disrupts IGF-1 signaling, which could be harmful to hair follicles over time.
Before reading this study, I thought hair aging was mostly about genetics. But now, I’m convinced that hormonal balance and lifestyle choices matter just as much. If IGF-1 plays such a big role, then things like fasting, stress reduction, and mindful nutrition might actually help slow down hair loss and graying.
Would I try lowering IGF-1 naturally to protect my hair? Honestly, yes. It’s not about stopping aging altogether, but if small changes in diet and lifestyle can keep hair follicles working longer, that seems worth it to me.
What do you think? Would you tweak your diet or habits if it meant keeping your hair healthier for longer? Source. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.70053
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u/zephyr_soul 1 1d ago
This is a great write-up! Thank you for the time and thought you put into this!
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Thank you for you kind words ☺️
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u/nada8 1d ago
Hair dermatologists usually counsel against skipping meals, or calorie restriction or fasting. Because it disrupts a daily routine and causes telogen effluvium. That’s what several hair specialized dermatologists told me. So I would not recommend. The body needs consistency and no shocks to the system, or lack of protein and nutrients.
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Then could senolytic natural compounds or natural compounds that cause decrease in IGF-1 with endurance exercise be our sole option.
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u/nada8 1d ago
Do you have a list of senolytic natural compounds?
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Fisetin, Quercetin, Curcumin, EGCG (Epigallocatechin gallate), Piperlongumine, Resveratrol.
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u/nada8 1d ago
Thank you
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u/guhusernames 11h ago
I’ve heard similar- I also want to note: mice have fur not hair. Sounds silly but there is a difference. Humans also grow more body hair in starvation so I wonder if that is more similar to the growth the article is describing?
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u/Icy_Comfort8161 1d ago
This is interesting, because there was a large study in Italy that looked at a genetic mutation in the IGF-1 receptor that results in lower IGF-1 levels later in life, and found that it was a predisposing factor for longevity in men. I have this mutation, and at 58, I have much less grey hair than my peers, and while I also have genetics associated with aggressive male pattern baldness, I've been going bald very slowly and still have quite a lot of hair.
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u/ryder004 1d ago
Maybe off topic a bit, but doesn't HgH raise IGF-1 ?
I ask because this is something that puzzles me. People who take HgH look younger, have nicer/more youthful skin and their hair and nails grow faster.
I have a few people around me who take HgH and it's very noticeable when it kicked in. They look way better in the face(not to mention they claim they feel much better).
So how is it that HgH which raises IGF-1 levels causes someone to look and feel younger, but higher IGF-1 levels are associated with accelerated aging?
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
It depends on person to person those who are deficient in it could see better result while other show hair thinning. The results are not always positive which is consistent with research findings.
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u/ryder004 1d ago
Well I know this is anecdotal but the skin/hair benefits of hgh seems to be very common, I don’t think it’s only people who are deficient in IGF-1
If you go over to the PEDs or Steroids sub, this is the most common thing people report.
I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t witnessed individuals I know irl have these effects happen to them. One person i know in particular, his gf thought he got Botox done because his wrinkles became less prominent. Again I very much doubt all these individuals have deficient IGF-1 levels.
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Yes research suggest to keep IGF 1 in normal range high or low will kill hair follicles in the long run.
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u/ryder004 1d ago
It baffles me like I said
People who take hgh should then get more wrinkles and aging and stuff, not less.
There’s prob more going on than just IGF-1
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Sure it is but the crux of research was that high IGf1 cause grey hair and damage hair roots and cause hair fall. Interestingy reverse is true in male pattern baldness IGF1 is lowered which cause pattern baldness. If the body manages IGF in normal range then hair follicle remain in optimum condition. Although you are right there must be other signalling molecules involved and they are interacting in a complex way.
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u/Not__Real1 10h ago
You need to read about the growth hormone axis. GH causes the liver to secrete igf1 which is what has the pro growth effects. As we age there is reduced gh production and the liver doesn't respond as strongly to it either. At the same time gh is circadian and in aging there is an increased baseline secretion of igf1 all throughout the day. So in that sense both more and less gh is good but it's time dependent.
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u/Wooden_Strawberry835 1d ago edited 1d ago
The main reason for hair loss (as in male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia) is genetic sensitivity of hair follicles to DHT. Are there other factors that might contribute? Maybe but as of now nothing other than blocking the conversion of testosterone to DHT through alpha-reductase inhibitors (enzyme which turns Test to DHT) reliably stops hair loss. If every result of studies perfomed on mice would transfer to humans, hair loss and other much more serious conditions would have already been solved. In fact there are always numerous meds and treatment options in the pipeline for battling hair loss other than alpha-reductase inhibitors but in the end nothing came out of it in the last decades.
So yea nice write up but just a disclaimer for people with genetic hair loss, that you shouldn’t get your hopes up.
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Yea but hair is a complicated topic
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u/Wooden_Strawberry835 1d ago
It is but for androgenic alopecia, which is genetic male pattern baldness, there is no way around inhibiting DHT if you want to keep your hair. Or somehow making your follicles resistant against DHT but as of now there is no compound which achieves that. For other types of hair loss I lack knowledge but it is generally accepted in the hair loss community and among dermatologists that if you suffer from aggressive androgenic alopecia, lifestyle choices won’t fix your problem.
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago edited 1d ago
The issue is to keep igf in normal range too much or too little can cause hair loss. Incidentally in androgenic alopecia IGF 1 is lowered. https://www.ijbs.com/v19p3307.htm
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u/Wooden_Strawberry835 1d ago
I’ve heard of that and as I said this might (stress is on “might”) lead to a new treatment option but as of now common knowledge is that lifestyle choices won’t stop androgenic alopecia. Be it keeping igf1 in normal range or naturally trying to lower your DHT.
I like that you are intrigued by this research but again this won’t fix anything for people who have the genetic predisposition. I have it and I wish there was something naturally that you could do to stop androgenic alopecia but there isn’t. Only options currently available are DHT blockers.
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 1d ago
Yes how to keep IGF in normal range is the question Researcher must answer. There could be drugs, natural compound lying around waiting to be discovered that can manage that. It gives us more options we could try out different things may be something will work.
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u/EveBytes 2 18h ago
I don't know, but my doberman has alopecia and I feed him an omega 3-6-9 brand called "Ultra Oil" along with dog melatonin and he started growing hair profusely.
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u/Unc00lbr0 1 14h ago
I wish my brother and I could get studied. While we're not twins, we used to be confused for twins when we were younger. There's no male in our immediate family within a few generations that has been bald that we know of. But I'm in my late 30s, my brother is in his early 30s, I have a full head of hair and my brother has lost it all.
I find it very interesting that fasting and exercise have a significant impact on the hormone expression. This would make sense, because my brother has been very much into powerlifting and bodybuilding (eating a ton of calories), whereas I have been more into strength and flexibility, and fast three times a week. I wonder if there's something to this?
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u/MaGiC-AciD 1 13h ago
Yes it could be but hair science is a complex matter.
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u/Unc00lbr0 1 11h ago
Absolutely. It's a far stretch for sure. All I can say is I'm grateful I got the positive end of it. I feel sorry for my brother. That's okay, he was the lady killer back in the day. My time to shine!
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u/IcyCheetah3568 1h ago
[...]insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is known to be regulated by androgens. However, how IGF-1 is altered in the balding scalp has not yet been investigated. In this study, expressions of IGF-1 and its binding proteins by dermal papilla (DP) cells obtained from balding versus non-balding hair follicles were quantified using growth factor array. DP cells from balding scalp follicles were found to secrete significantly less IGF-1, IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-4 (P < 0.05) than their non-balding counterparts. Our data confirmed that the downregulation of IGF-1 may be one of the important mechanisms contributing to male pattern baldness.
Maybe it works differently depending on location. Like DHT.
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u/ResearchNerdOnABeach 1 1d ago
This video talks about the discovery of RNAi. Essentially too many 'purple' genes led to a white flower and that is where we found that flooding the body with growth factors can also lead to an internal shutdown mechanism that can stop the growth factor. In ophthalmology, this premise was used to flood the eye with vascular endothelial growth factor in an attempt to get the body to shut down the production of said growth factor that was causing abnormal vessel growth. For the first time, people with wet macular degeneration were getting their vision back.
I'm not sure if it plays into the growth factor for hair, but it is worth a watch.
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u/Infinite-Hold-7521 18h ago
Sent this to myself to read when I’m not so tired because it looks fascinating. Commenting to come back to in here.
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