The fight against hair loss is one that lasts a lifetime, and most men find their salvation in 5-ar inhibitors like Finasteride and Dutasteride + a plethora of other drugs that are stacked together in order to create a synergy for hair growth and restoration.
Many users have taken up MK 677 as a part of their hair loss stack, with some even claiming that it alone is responsible for the rejuvenation and re-growth of their hair.
This article will teach you exactly what MK 677 does and doesn’t do for your hair, as well as how to implement it into your hair loss stack. It is based on the latest scientific data and the careful analysis of hundreds of anecdotal reports and experiences from users that experimented with MK 677.
MK677's Effects On Hair - Scientific Data
MK 677 is a Ghrelin receptor agonist. It increases the endogenous production of GH and IGF-1 by attaching to the Ghrelin receptor, which is the receptor for signaling hunger.
Its efficacy in increasing GH and IGF-1 has been demonstrated in multiple trials. [1][2][3][4][5][6]
If you aren’t familiar with its mechanism if action, benefits, and side effects, read my comprehensive guide on MK 677.
So, what effects does MK 677 have on hair by increasing GH and IGF-1?
- High IGF-1 levels are proven to increase hair follicle growth by preventing hair follicles from entering the catagen state (end of their lifecycle). [7]
- A study in mice proved that DHT and IGF-1 act as antagonists to each other. DHT is the hormone responsible for male androgenic alopecia, or hair loss. [8]
- This study looked at how two hormones, prolactin and growth hormone (GH), affect an enzyme that can convert testosterone to dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is associated with male hair loss. The study found that the two hormones had different effects on this enzyme, which may have implications for hair growth. [9]
- Another study found that insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is important for hair growth and differentiation and that balding scalp follicles secrete less IGF-1 than nonbalding ones, providing evidence for its effect on hair growth and alopecia. [10]
- This study discusses the potential role of growth hormone (GH) in human hair follicle biology, which has not been fully explored. The study suggests that GH may have nonclassical functions in human skin physiology and could have implications for hair growth and hair loss. [11]
Do any of these studies specifically demonstrate MK 677’s ability to regrow one’s hair? Not really, but they all demonstrate the hair growth properties of the two hormones that MK 677 significantly increases, GH and IGF-1.
From this, we can conclude that MK 677 does, and will have a positive impact on your hair.
Conclusions & Empirical Data
MK 677 will not directly prevent hair loss as it doesn’t fight the root cause – DHT.
While it will drastically improve your hair, along with your sleep, recovery, metabolism, etc. it simply isn’t a hair loss drug. But, if you’re someone who wants to have a fuller and thicker head of hair then adding MK 677 to your hair loss stack is definitely worth considering.
You can expect your hair to thicken noticeably after the first 4 – 5 weeks after starting MK 677. [A]
The extent of this differs from person to person, and the severity and level of hair loss. There are plenty of anecdotal cases reporting incredible gains, and others reporting little to no improvement. Needless to say, a lot of the anecdotal users had different hair loss protocols, with some implementing 5ar inhibitors, and all of them implementing topical minoxidil.
How to Use MK 677 for Hair Growth
A typical hair loss stack for most people looks something like this:
- 5-ar inhibitor (Finasteride or Dutasteride)
- Minoxidil
- Microneedling
- RU58841 (topical non-steroidal anti androgen)
- 1% Ketoconazole shampoo
This hair loss stack is widely used and is proven to be extremely effective, and generally well tolerated.
The addition of MK 677 will only further strengthen the synergy of these drugs, and make them even more effective of preventing hair loss and regrowing lost hair.
Though many people have had bad experiences with 5-ar inhibitors, and even minoxidil. So do your due diligence and consult your doctor before you decide to take any of these compounds.
Protocol
- Half-life: Unclear
- Dose: 10-20 mg/day
- Frequency: 1x a day
- Timing: Morning
- Cycle Length: 8 - 16 weeks
NOTE: Even though the half-life in humans is unknown, its effects have been shown to last for 24 after administration.
Take MK 677:
- For 8 – 16 weeks at a time
- at 10 – 20 mg/day
Never run MK 677 for more than 16 weeks at a time, as it poses risks such as insulin resistance through increasing blood sugar levels, which if ignored may lead to diabetes type 2.
Luckily this can be easily mitigated and prevented.
- The low insulin sensitivity (aka insulin resistance) and high blood sugar levels caused by Ibutamoren can be mitigated by taking 2 days off every week of the cycle OR taking 1 week off for every 4 weeks on.
- Alternatively, if you do not want to take breaks, you could fight this side effect by supplementing with glucose-clearing agents such as Berberine at 300 – 500mg before carb-loaded meals.than 10 mg/day
Another side effect of MK 677 is a modest increase in prolactin. This increase is not high enough to cause problems like erectile dysfunction or gyno, but it can make you feel lethargic on high doses.
- This side effect can also be easily prevented by supplementing with B6 at 100mg before bed, every day that you run MK 677.
Conclusion
That was everything you need to know about running MK 677 for hair growth. If you want to learn more about MK 677, and the exact properties it has in terms of sides and benefits, visit my MK 677 guide where I break it down in greater detail.
Apart from that, my personal opinion and take away conclusion as someone who has done heaps of research on this topic, and is also experiencing hair loss would be as follows:
If you’re not interested in leveraging the complete spectrum of benefits of MK 677, then you will not go wrong. But taking it sake of improving your hair doesn’t pose an ideal “ROI” (return on investment). Though if you lift, eat well, and care about maximizing your quality of life, and overall performance, on top of wanting to improve your hair, then you’re in for a treat with MK 677.
References
- Effects of an Oral Ghrelin Mimetic on Body Composition and Clinical Outcomes in Healthy Older Adults: A Randomized, Controlled Trial
- Effects of oral administration of ibutamoren mesylate, a nonpeptide growth hormone secretagogue, on the growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor I axis in growth hormone-deficient children
- Growth hormone increases muscle mass and strength but does not rejuvenate myofibrillar protein synthesis in healthy subjects over 60 years old
- Low-dose growth hormone treatment with diet restriction accelerates body fat loss, exerts anabolic effect and improves growth hormone secretory dysfunction in obese adults
- MK-677, an orally active growth hormone secretagogue, reverses diet-induced catabolism
- MK-0677 (ibutamoren mesylate) for the treatment of patients recovering from hip fracture: a multicenter, randomized, placebo-controlled phase IIb study
- Effects of Insulin and Insulin-Like Growth Factors on Cultured Human Hair Follicles: IGF-I at Physiologic Concentrations Is an Important Regulator of Hair Follicle Growth In Vitro
- Dihydrotestosterone inhibits hair growth in mice by inhibiting insulin-like growth factor-I production in dermal papillae
- Comparison of effects of prolactin and growth hormone on adrenal 5alpha-reductase in hypophysectomized rats
- Further Clinical Evidence for the Effect of IGF-1 on Hair Growth and Alopecia
- Growth Hormone and the Human Hair Follicle
