Snippet from the article:
Kim Walton has been sewing and gluing in hair weaves for more than 30 years.
“I never heard of weaves saving anybody’s life,” Walton said. “Never in my life.”
But that is exactly what Briana Bonds said happened. Bonds said she feels lucky to be alive and she has her hair weave to thank for it.
Read the full article at WOAI.
Talk about a one in a million! I guess running the risk of traction alopecia isn’t so bad if the alternative is getting shot in the head…
What are the real chances of any of these “baldness cures” becoming a reality, I mean REAL no BS to make us feel better. Things like TRX2 and Aderans, when do you really think we will, if at all, see these on the market?
Probably not… but I am hopeful. To elaborate, we are at the infancy of genetic engineering and cloning. We are still striving to find the cure for the common cold, diabetes, cancer, HIV, etc. I think the cure for hair loss is not on the top of the list of what scientists puts their priorities on.
There have been some recent announcements, including the ReGenica press release, that may be worth looking at.
Snippet from the article:
Alopecia Areata is defined as a condition in which stress causes moderate to severe patches of hair loss on the scalp. Another form of Alopecia, known as Alopecia Universallis, is when complete hair loss affects the sufferer rendering them completely bald with the same side effects as those patients going through chemotherapy treatment for cancer. A study was performed to test the effects of hypnosis therapy on those suffering from Alopecia.
Subjects for this study included 28 people with severe Alopecia Areata for whom traditional treatment was ineffective. Twelve of the 21 participants showed significant improvement. This included 4 participants who had complete hair loss. Along with hypnosis therapy for hair re-growth, the participants were given therapy to help reduce stress.
Read the full text at Natural News
The study was just published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis and makes for some interesting reading. The study wasn’t very wide (only 28 people), but the results they discuss sound very positive.
I noticed that Aderans has started their phase 2 studies: AderansResearch.com. However, I can’t seem to find anything from the FDA clinical site regarding their study. I tried e-mailing Aderans and got no response, so I was hoping somone with more clout might be able to help. Do you know anything about this? Are they going to go through FDA procedures and oversite?
Also, I thought that Ken Washenik was legit (he’s even presenting at the AAD conference this year). But he’s associated with this project and Bosley. Any insight into this? Is this going to be something we should consider if the technology does come out?
Finally, given the new information from Histogen, I have done some research and found that there’s a concern that some people may develp tumors from stem cell therapy. Is this something we should be worried about with this new technique presented by Histogen?
Thanks for all your help!
All of your questions and insights are significant and right on. We can not force Aderans to reveal what it is doing. FDA studies in this phase are kept confidential until results are formally released.
Yes, Dr. Washenik is the medical director at Bosley, which is one of the many companies Aderans owns. Also in their portfolio of companies is Aderans Co. Ltd (wig maker), Medical Hair Restoration (another large hair clinic chain), and a variety of others across the globe (see Aderans Group).
The concept of tumors produced by stem cells has been published in many articles over the years and you can research this on Google.
What is your opinion of hair restoration doctors who sell supplies in their office? And are listed as consultants with various drug companies? And what does “consultant” mean? Basically a salesperson?
Are these doctors someone to avoid?
A consultant could be a variety of things to a pharmaceutical company. Off the top of my head, it could be a label used to give some credence to the product by having an M.D. associated with it. It could be a go-to person for data. Could be that the drug company gives that doctor early access to treatment information. I don’t know for sure, as I’m not a consultant (and it could vary from company to company). I have seen some doctors listed as advisors to various crap hair treatments, and without getting into specifics, I’m sure the doctor would have to be paid well to attach his name and reputation to such a product. I wouldn’t say you should automatically rule out any doctor that consults or advises or whatever word you’d want to use to describe it.
In my office, I don’t sell products or medications that are marked up in price (in other words, I sell Propecia at cost), so you will know that I have no conflict of interest. I can’t speak for the others you are reflecting upon.
Doctor
Miniaturization seems to be a bad news good news scenario. The bad news obviously is you’re thinning or balding. The good news, if there is miniaturized hairs, there’s a good possibility they can be reversed with medication. Would that be a correct assessment?
Yes, that is the case. I can tell you a short story about heart disease, which I think is a good metaphor for your question.
There is a test that can plot out the aging of your heart and the degree of heart disease that you might have. This test (a CAT scan of the heart for coronary calcification) can actually predict the probability of a heart attack within 2 years. Many people find out about this test and really don’t want to know. I tell them that in 70% of people, the first sign of heart disease is death and some people still don’t want to know. I tell everyone that there is no bad news. Either your heart is good or you have heart disease with some risk of dying — your choice to know. Is it not better to know and do something to prevent your death than to refuse to take the test?
Predicting outcome is similar with miniaturization mapping, but hair loss progress does not kill you. Do you get the metaphor?
First, I would like to Thank you doctor for having this blog. I just have a couple of questions that I can’t seem to get an answer too, and I decided to ask an expert like you. I would really appreciate it if you answered this question, as it is stressing me out lately. Firstly im 23 year old male with thinning hair, and these 2 questions are a reason I am reluctant in using propecia. My dermatologist prescirbed me the propecia but he was in such rush the day I went, and I coudnt ask him my questions. I still have my prescription but I am reluctant to use it.
If DHT(the by-product of testosterone) is responsible for angrogenetic alopecia in genetically predisposed males, then why does the increase in testosterone (or even normal levels testosterone) from taking propecia aggravate more hairloss or even aggravate more hairline hairloss(as I have read in numerous internet hairloss forums, from people complaining of more hairloss from propecia)? Isnt DHT suppose to cause the hairloss and not just testosterone by it self? Or does testosterone cause hairloss as well by itself? If the testosterone will cause hairloss then what is the point of taking propecia as it will only block DHT but that will just let the testosterone or sometimes the increased testosterone that results from propecia take over and continue the hairloss in genetically predisposed males.
Also doctor I also suffer from acne as I take topical clindoxyl gel and topical differen to correct that problem. I have read numerous medical articles that DHT is a cause of acne, then why does propecia sometime cause acne as a side affect? I know its a rare form of side affect but I have read people complaining from propecia causing acne or increasing there acne. If propecia inhibits DHT, and DHT is a culprit for acne, then shouldn’t propecia help out with clearing the acne problem instead of aggravating it? Or does the testosterone cause acne and propecia raises testosterone and thus cause more acne.
I Am really confused here. I really do want to start using propecia so if you can take the time to reply and answer my question, I would really appreciate it Doctor. Thanks again
These are questions you should ask your doctor, not us here. There is a feedback loop in the human body so when the DHT drops, the testosterone goes up to compensate for it. This is the best explanation I can give on the process. Testosterone does not cause hair loss until it is converted to DHT. That is just the way it is.
I am not an expert on acne so you should see your doctor or dermatologist on these questions. I haven’t a clue why Propecia might cause acne. I haven’t seen that in my patients, and as hormones aren’t fully understood, the connection is difficult to make.
When hair turns gray, does the diameter change?
From my clinical experience I can tell you that the gray grafts appear thicker than the non-gray grafts. This is evident in the single hair grafts. Now that you sent me this question, I should measure the gray hair diameter and compare it with the non-gray hair diameter over the next few weeks and maybe get back to you with a small research study. Thanks for the great question!
Snippet from the article:
Middle-aged women who swallow multivitamin supplements are not doing their health any favours – and are just creating expensive urine, according to the world’s largest study into the subject.
Researchers who examined the pill-popping habits of nearly 162,000 American women aged 50 to 79 found that although they swallowed dietary supplements by the bucketload, there was no sign that they reduced common cancers, heart disease or deaths.
Read the full article — Multivitamin supplements a ‘waste of time’
I know it’s yet another non-hair related news clip, but this is an important study, because we are wasting our money in the hope that we will all live longer and healthier. A long and healthier life really reflects more on how we eat, what we do (sedentary vs active lifestyle), and something about our genetics (family lifelines). What you can do is exercise, eat better (less grease, fats, fried foods), and take in a balanced diet with a good assortment of vegetables.
Paid advertisements (not an endorsement):
Here’s a new quote from Microsoft founder Bill Gates:
“There is more money put into baldness drugs than into malaria,” Gates quipped, triggering laughter. “Now, baldness is a terrible thing and rich men are afflicted. That is why that priority has been set.”
From this article — Bill Gates playfully frees swarm of mosquitoes
To be fair to Bill Gates, malaria is life threatening, whereas hair loss is not….
