Last month I was in front of the mirror again, camera app open on my phone to record the damage. You know that, though, that weekly reality check where you hope it's not too bad, but you already know it's not. My hairline was pulled back another millimeter. It's frustrating.

And then I came across another story like this online. A guy who claimed growth hormone had cured his baldness. Complete transformation in six months. Before and after photos (although this "before" picture looked suspiciously like a bad day with bad light).

Of course I went Google. Because who doesn't?

The Rabbit Hole

Growth hormone, or HGH as the bodybuilders call it, is actually quite fascinating stuff. It's made by a pea-sized gland somewhere deep in your head and is responsible for... well, basically everything. Muscles, bones, fat burns, skin, and therefore hair.

The interesting thing is that growth hormone does something called IGF-1. Sounds like a Star Wars robot, but it's actually just a growth factor that lets your cells grow and recover. And hair must grow naturally.

So it makes sense that people think: more growth hormone = more hair growth.

But of course, our body is not as simple as an Excel sheet.

The Stories You Hear

I lost hours on forums. Hairweb, Reddit, obscure bodybuilding sites are everywhere people share their experiences with HGH against hair loss.

There was this one guy who wrote, "Use it for six months now, my hair feels thicker but the coves are still circling. Can't tell if it's because of the HGH or just natural progression."

And then you had someone else: "Four months tried, €2,000 lighter, zero difference. But nice skin got though."

I noticed that hardly anyone uses HGH alone. Everyone throws in finasteride, minoxidil, supplements, LED lights, you name it. Then, of course, it's hard to say what actually works.

Why it usually doesn't work (and why that makes sense)

This is where it gets technical, but I'm trying to keep it simple. Most baldness is due to DHT . . . dihydrotestosterone. That hormone makes your hair follicles shrink and eventually give up.

Now it's not like people with baldness have growth hormone deficiency. Their pituitary gland works fine. The problem is that their hair bags are just more sensitive to DHT. Genetically programmed to respond to that hormone.

Adding more growth hormone does not solve that. It's kind of like your engine leaks oil and you throw in more gas. Not exactly logical.

But there are exceptions...

When It Maybe Helps

I came across stories of people with Laron syndrome. That's such a rare condition where your body doesn't respond to growth hormone. These people are going to have problems with hair growth.

And studies have been done in men with proven growth hormone deficiencies. With them, supplementation helped with body and facial hair.

But they're people with medical conditions. Not Jan with his receding hairline.

There was also a woman on a forum who told me about her husband. After chemotherapy, his entire hormonal system was trashed. Growth hormone was part of a broader hormone therapy that helped him recover. But also there it was not only growth hormone.

The turnside that they don't tell you

About those charges. HGH is very expensive. We're talking about €500-1000 a month. And then the doctor's fees, blood tests, keep the whole injection thing in the fridge.

I talked to someone who lasted a year. "My wife went crazy with those daily stings," he said. "The same ritual every night. And when we left we had to bring a cooler for those injections."

Plus the side effects. Joint pain is common. Fluid retention that'll blow you up. And if you take too much, your bones and organs can grow in places you don't want to.

What Doctors Really Find

I asked a dermatologist I know. His reaction was clear: "We do not recommend it for ordinary baldness. Costs and risk derivatives are too high for the minimum risk of result."

He told me they sometimes see people who use it secretly and then come complaining about side effects. "The problem is that people read anecdotes and think that's science."

Endocrinologists are even more critical. For them growth hormone is a serious medicine for serious diseases. Not something to experiment with for cosmetic reasons.

Alternatives that actually have more sense

Instead of focusing on dubious hormone therapy, you better look at things that work proven:

Finasteride, for example. Blocks DHT and stops hair loss in most people. None €50 a month.

Minoxidil also works fine, just lubricate and ready.

And there are more practical things. Get your thyroid checked out. That goes wrong a lot more times than people think. Iron deficiency can also cause hair loss. Vitamin D deficiency as well.

Stress is a big factor. I know people who saw their hair loss decrease when they got their lives together. Better sleep, exercise, less worry.

The Psychology behind it

Hair loss does something to you. I can see it myself. You feel less attractive, older than you are. That makes you vulnerable to expensive promises.

There was this guy on a forum that €5000 had spent on all kinds of experimental treatments. "In retrospect, it was just panic," he wrote. "I couldn't bear the idea of going bald."

I get it. But sometimes acceptance is also an option. There are plenty of bald men who look great and feel fine.

My Own Conclusion

After all that research? Growth hormone for hair loss is usually discarded money. Science is weak, costs are high, and chances of disappointment are high.

That doesn't mean there's nothing you can do about hair loss. There are just better options that cost less and work better.

And who knows what the future will bring. New treatments are being worked on. Stem cells, genetic therapy, new drugs. Maybe in ten years there will be real breakthroughs.

Until then? Use your head. Don't let desertion guide you. And remember, there are worse things in life than a bald head.

Although that's easier said than done, of course. I still stand in front of that mirror every week.

Practical Tips If You Consider It Anyway

Okay, suppose you want to try. Then a few tips:

Don't go to such anti-aging clinic that promotes HGH for anything. Find a real endocrinologist. Get extensive blood tests. If you don't have a proven shortage, the chances of success are nil.

Put all the costs together. Not only the medicine, also consulting, testing, travel time. And multiply that by 12 months because shorter makes no sense.

Don't expect miracles. Even at best, you're not gonna transform hair from bald to full. Small improvement is the maximum.

And first try the standard treatments. Finasteride, dutasteride, minoxidil. They are cheaper, safer, and proven effective.

What The Future Brings

The investigation continues happily. There are promising things in development. JAK inhibitors appear to work in certain forms of hair loss. Stem cell therapy is getting closer. PRP treatments are getting better.

Maybe in a few years there will be something that really works without all this hassle and expense.

Last Thoughts

Hair loss sucks. No doubt about it. But don't let expensive promises make you crazy without proof. There are better ways to spend your money.

And don't forget: You're more than your hair. Although I understand that it's easier to say that from a position where you have something to work with.

At least for the time being, I'm gonna go on with my finasteride and minoxidil. Works fine, costs little, no fuss. What if it ever doesn't help? I'll see about that.

Until then, I'm gonna keep that camera app off my phone. Doesn't anybody do any good, that weekly photographing?