More than 80% of all men experience some degree of hair loss or “male pattern baldness” during their lifetime. This is a staggering statistic. Because hair loss is so pervasive, the market has been saturated with products and procedures promising men an end to this often-devastating ailment. In the past 30 years, hair restoration has been an ever-evolving pursuit for patients and medical doctors alike. During this time, Bosley has consistently pioneered the most novel technology through research, development and innovations. Devoted to providing men and women with aesthetically superior solutions, Bosley’s efforts have culminated in results for their patients that are nothing short of miraculous. Bosley’s renowned medical director, and patient, Dr. Ken Washenik describes the lastest advancements and offers insight into the confounding landscape of solutions.Coming Soon to a Practice Near You…Hair Cloning
First Dolly the infamous sheep, now hair! Perhaps the most advanced and exciting solution on the horizon is hair cloning. The layman can call the process hair multiplication. Follicular neogenesis, as it is medically referred to, means that hair cells can be taken from the head to be cultured or multiplied in a lab. Everyone is born with about 100,000 hairs on their head. We gradually lose these hairs over time and the number can only be increased via cloning. Each individual has a supply of donor hair at the back of the head which is genetically resistant to loss and which will supply sufficient hair for multiplication. Hair restoration experts at Bosley are predicting that in the beginning, most candidates will have a combination of follicle-based hair transplantation as well as the new cell-based cloning.
In a recent issue of Skin & Aging, Ken Washenik, M.D., Ph.D., an investigator in the dermatopharmacology unit of NYU School of Medicine, comments on the research that has already begun. “There is the work of Colin Jahoda, who took follicular fibroblasts from his scalp, isolated and cleaned the cells and injected them into the forearm of a woman researcher he was working with. Hair did grow on her arm and DNA tests showed her hair had male DNA. The concept has been proven and offers perhaps the most exhilarating potential we have seen thus far; now we have to step back and work on the whole process. We need to approach it very scientifically to make sure it will reproducibly work.”
Then You Saw It, Now You Don’t: FUT
The most advanced and efficacious offering to date is the surgical hair transplant technique known as FUT, or Follicular Unit Transplantation. Translation, this technique, which produces imperceptible results, is a far cry from the traditional hair plugs most associate as the result of an antiquated hair transplant. Formerly, hair transplantation was performed using large round grafts or "plugs". In actuality, hair grows in naturally occurring clusters, or follicular units. With the FUT techique, Follicular units or naturally growing individual clusters of hair are grafted from areas of the back of the head that are resistant to hair loss and implanted into the areas affected by genetic balding. “Coupling this technique with concepts such as VarigraftingÔ and differential density. We believe only this multi-pronged approach can provide the maximum aesthetic result for each individual patient,” says Washenik.
Over the Counter and Under - Do It Yourself Techniques
Products like Propecia and Rogaine have been on the market for sometime and have a devoted following. Propecia, available by prescription, has a long-standing track record. Taken orally, it works by inhibiting the production of DHT (the hair loss hormone culprit) and has been proven effective in approximately ninety percent of the men who use it. “Results can take several months to appear and are often not very extreme,” Dr Washenik adds. “Once initial results are realized, patients must continue taking the medication to maintain the results.” There are no long-term side effects, though a small percentage of men experience some change in sexual function. The monthly price tag for the pills will run about fifty dollars. A man who starts using Propecia in his twenties can expect to pay more than thirty thousand dollars in his lifetime.
Rogaine has been a popular hair loss treatment for years. Not only can it help stop hair loss in the beginning stages, it can also help treat hair loss in more extreme cases. While it is not completely clear how this product works, Dr. Washenik comments, “It is believed that the ingredients improve blood flow, which helps promote hair growth. There is also a great deal of research to demonstrate that Rogaine works by increasing the size of the hair follicles. In doing so, the growing phase becomes longer, resulting in longer, thicker hairs.” The only downside is that Rogaine must be applied to the scalp twice a day, everyday. The product will not be as efficacious if this protocol is not followed.
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