For an Investigator-led Hair Study Comparing Between Healthy and Hair Loss Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Male volunteer from 21 to 45 years old
• Volunteer with BMI between 18.5 to 30 kg/m2
• Volunteer willing and able to fulfill the study requirements and schedule
• Volunteer willing to give their stool sample, as well as swabs, follicles, and blood.
• Volunteer informed about the study objectives and procedures, and able to understand them
• Volunteer who has given written informed consent

Volunteers in the healthy control panel must satisfy the following criteria:

• Volunteer in overall good health
• Volunteer with no diagnosis of hair loss or other condition or treatment susceptible to impact hair count and microbiome.

Volunteers in the AGA panel must satisfy the following criteria:

• Volunteer diagnosed with Androgenetic Alopecia grade III Vertex to V on the Hamilton-Norwood scale
• Volunteer willing to restrain from the use of any additional hair loss oral and topical pharmaceuticals (ex: topical minoxidil) over the course of the study
• Volunteer eligible to undergo oral minoxidil treatment, with no contra-indication

Exclusion criteria

• Volunteer with severe gastro-intestinal symptoms (including gluten and lactose intolerance)
• Volunteer with auto-immune disease, diabetes; hyper or hypo-thyroidism ; chronic kidney failure
• Volunteer with diagnosis of scalp-related disease such as folliculitis, lichen planopilaris, folliculitis decalvans, tinea capitis, head lice, or seborrheic dermatitis
• Volunteer undergoing hypertension treatment
• Volunteer who undertook any oral anti-hair loss pharmaceutical treatment in the past 3 months (e.g. Finasteride)
• Volunteer who undertakes any hormone-disrupting drug
• Volunteer who used topical minoxidil or other pharmaceutical-grade topical hair restorers in the past 3 months
• Volunteer with a total dandruff score above 1 on the L'Oreal Dandruff scale.
• Volunteer who used perms or hair dyes in the past 2 months
• Volunteer who underwent scalp reduction or hair transplant procedures
• Volunteer who declares to be deprived of freedom by administrative or legal decision
• Volunteer who cannot be contacted by phone in case of emergency
• Volunteer having currently participating in another clinical study
• Volunteer who used antibiotics or antifungal medication (topical to scalp and systemic) in the past 4 weeks
• Volunteer who used probiotics supplements in the past 4 weeks. (dietary probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and kimchi are acceptable)
• Volunteer who follows a non-conventional diet (e.g. vegan, ketogenic, strict intermittent fasting diets)

Non-inclusion Criteria:

• Volunteer diagnosed with HIV, Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B
• Volunteer with severe gastro-intestinal symptoms (including gluten and lactose intolerance)
• Volunteer with auto-immune disease, diabetes; hyper or hypo-thyroidism ; chronic kidney failure
• Volunteer with diagnosis of scalp-related disease such as folliculitis, lichen planopilaris, folliculitis decalvans, tinea capitis, head lice, or seborrheic dermatitis
• Volunteer undergoing hypertension treatment
• Volunteer who undertook any oral anti-hair loss pharmaceutical treatment in the past 3 months (e.g. Finasteride)
• Volunteer who undertakes any hormone-disrupting drug
• Volunteer who used topical minoxidil or other pharmaceutical-grade topical hair restorers in the past 3 months
• Volunteer with a total dandruff score above 1 on the L'Oreal Dandruff scale.
• Volunteer who used perms or hair dyes in the past 2 months
• Volunteer who underwent scalp reduction or hair transplant procedures
• Volunteer who declares to be deprived of freedom by administrative or legal decision
• Volunteer who cannot be contacted by phone in case of emergency
• Volunteer having currently participating in another clinical study
• Volunteer who used antibiotics or antifungal medication (topical to scalp and systemic) in the past 4 weeks
• Volunteer who used probiotics supplements in the past 4 weeks. (dietary probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and kimchi are acceptable)
• Volunteer who follows a non-conventional diet (e.g. vegan, ketogenic, strict intermittent fasting diets)
• Volunteer who used anti-dandruff shampoo in the past 4 weeks (For example, commonly used brands for anti-dandruffs could be : Head & Shoulders, Sebamed, Clear, Dove, Pantene, L'OREAL, Vichy Dercos)