Balding blues? Magic pills? Mouse juice? Michael Regilio untangles the hairy history of vanity products on this week's Skeptical Sunday! Welcome to Skeptical Sunday, a special edition of The Jordan Harbinger Show where Jordan and a guest break down a topic that you may have never thought about, open things up, and debunk common misconceptions. This time around, we’re joined by skeptic, comedian, and podcaster Michael Regilio! On This Week's Skeptical Sunday, We Discuss: Hair loss treatments have evolved from ancient Egyptian mouse-grinding adventures to modern pharmaceutical solutions like minoxidil and finasteride — though these modern miracles come with some rather unsettling side effects, from growing unwanted breasts to potentially losing interest in, well, everything. Vanity-boosting discoveries often happen through delightfully accidental means — minoxidil started as an ulcer medication, while finasteride's development stems from studying a fascinating genetic condition in a Dominican Republic village where some children experience dramatic physical changes at puberty. Collagen supplements, while sounding like a smoothie made from the entire barnyard, actually show promising results for skin elasticity and cardiovascular health — though their benefits for hair and nails remain unproven despite widespread marketing claims. Teeth whitening has a rather colorful history, from ancient Romans' creative use of public urine collections (yes, really) to modern peroxide-based treatments, which thankfully carry far fewer risks than their historical counterparts. The most empowering approach to appearance-related concerns might be the one suggested by an 18th-century British newspaper: the best cure for something like baldness is simply not being bothered by it. This mindset doesn't just save money and avoid side effects — it offers a path to genuine self-acceptance that no bottle, cream, or ground-up mouse could ever provide. Sometimes the most revolutionary thing we can do is simply rock what we've got. Connect with Jordan on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. If you have something you'd like us to tackle here on Skeptical Sunday, drop Jordan a line at [email protected] and let him know! Connect with Michael Regilio at Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube, and make sure to check out the Michael Regilio Plagues Well With Others podcast here or wherever you enjoy listening to fine podcasts! Full show notes and resources can be found here: See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapter 1: What are vanity products and why are they significant?
Hi, Jordan. You're a recognizable figure. I'm sure there's some pressure to be presentable.
I don't know how recognizable I am, and yet, yes, I feel a little bit of pressure to look good. I was actually unable to upload a photo for my ski pass because the selfie I took was, quote, a photo of a celebrity, end quote, according to the website. So that felt pretty good. That's amazing.
Who did they think you looked like?
Yeah, not funny. Okay, kidding.
Seriously, what'd you do? Did you put on like a fake nose and try again?
No, I actually have to go into the office and prove that I'm me because otherwise it's just too unbelievable that Jordan Harbinger would get a ski pass in California where he lives.
All right. Good luck with that. Look, certain things we do to look good, like working out and eating right, have health benefits. We look good and we feel good. Certain things we do to look good have health risks, like taking drugs to regrow hair.
Hair loss is no joke. It can lead to serious depression and baldness, for that matter.
Yeah, it can. In fact, one study found that some women with breast cancer were more distressed about losing their hair than their breasts. By age 50, 50% of men and women are experiencing some level of hair loss, and 85% of those people experience anxiety.
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Chapter 2: How have hair loss treatments evolved over time?
First, and spices. Second, once you got pigeon poop rubbed on your head, no one is thinking about your hair. That must have smelled horrendous and looked worse.
Right. So in a way, it was a cure. I'm also guessing that once you've rubbed enough opium into your scalp, you'll stop caring about your hair. Yeah. You know what? This was an okay treatment for baldness. Hippocrates did, by the way, tap into the true root of hair loss. For real. He noticed that eunuchs never go bald, and he wasn't wrong to notice it. He was onto something.
Wait, what, you mean the men who had their testicles cut off? That's some Game of Thrones stuff right there. Those guys never go bald, which is funny, because isn't the guy in Game of Thrones totally bald, the eunuch?
I don't know which guy. There's a guy that got his penis cut off. He's got hair, I think. It's been a while since I've seen it.
Oh, I don't know. There's a lot of castration in that series, so I'd have to go back.
Oh, no, no, no. No, you're right. There is a guy who's got his balls cut off and he's totally bald. So they're playing both sides on this one. But look, as we'll see, testosterone and its byproducts are a part of the hair loss equation.
I'm guessing no one ever decided to go with Hippocrates and just snip snip because they want to go bald. Seems like a bad trade.
Look, who's to say? In Rome, around 50 BCE, a popular treatment for balding was to rub myrrh berries into the scalp.
And I'm guessing that also did not work.
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