Bosley Hair Loss Blog

More Info on Cloning Hair Follicles

Back in October, we posted an article about a group of scientists in Australia who had successfully cloned hair follicles in mice.

If you want to know more about the latest developments in this growing research area, take a look at this YouTube video from the International Congress Research Against Hair Loss conference.

 

Results on Stem Cell Treatment Released

Earlier this year, we reported on a new treatment being tested that uses stem cells to stimulate hair growth. Now, Biosystem has released the results of the 2-year study. Of the 700 patients involved in the study, 80% showed renewed hair growth. Check out this article to learn more about the treatment.

Fat Cells Could Stimulate Hair Growth

Stop those abdominal crunches! It turns out that those few extra inches around your belly could be used in a new treatment for hair loss.

This new treatment involves taking fat cells from the waist and injecting them into the scalp. These fat cells send signals to dormant hair follicles and reactivate them to produce new growth.

Studies are currently being performed on mice, and experts from Yale University hope this new treatment will be on the market within five years.

Attack of the Clones

Scientists in Australia have successfully cloned hair follicles, and that could mean there will be a new hair loss treatment on the horizon soon. To date, no human trials have been held, but the results from cloned follicles that were implanted on mice have been promising.

One of the challenges will be increasing the yield of cloned follicles. Currently, one hair only produces one or two clones. Still, scientists are optimistic about this new treatment, and you should be too!

Blood Plasma Finds New Use

Over the years, doctors have found many uses for blood plasma. The platelet-rich plasma that is collected from a person’s blood can be used for treating injuries or optimizing performances in athletes. And now it looks like it just might serve as a hair loss treatment as well.

Clinical trials in Rome show that when a person’s plasma is injected into their scalp it can wake up the dormant stem cells found in hair follicles. This awakening allows for new hair growth, and noticeable results can be seen in as little as six months.

For more on this brand new treatment, let’s check in with Dr. Jo from the Fox Medical Team.

 

Keep Your Hair, Use Your Blood: MyFoxPHILLY.com

Pigs: They’re Not Just for Bacon Anymore

Ok, ok— we all know pigs are actually good for a lot more than just bacon. Like ham, and carnitas and BBQ pulled pork. But would you believe that they just might help prevent hair loss too?

Evidently there’s a powder that can be derived from the bladder of pigs that, when mixed with plasma from the hair loss victim’s blood, can be injected into the scalp to prevent further hair loss and reactivate cells so they grow new hair. Who wouldn’t inject part of a pig into their head if it meant winning the battle against bald?

Limited trials of this treatment are expected to start in London soon, and we’ll be sure to share all pig-related updates as they roll in.

Treat Your Scalp Like the Rest of Your Skin

Watch any commercial for an anti-aging product, and you’ll learn that as we get older, our skin ages. It loses tone and elasticity, and cell production slows down. Well, our scalps are no different. And according to recent research, it looks like that the treatments we use to slow the hands of time and keep our skin looking healthy and young could also help inhibit hair loss. Here are a few ingredients, common in skin-care products, that could aid in help stave off hair loss:

• Peptides and amino acids – like Pterocarpus Marsupium Bark improve hair density, increase the number of follicles, prevent scalp disorders, and stimulate the cells that improve root anchoring and strength
• Antioxidants – Thioctic is powerful dual antioxidant that maintains protection of extra-cellular proteins, fights free radicals and limits lipid oxidative degradation
• Vitamin B – such as Inositol, part of a complex that stimulates protein biosynthesis and cell vitality, proliferates cell growth and increases energy production
• Enzymes and proteins – ingredients like Panthenyl Ethyl Ether, Milk Protein and Lactose can stimulate protein biosynthesis and cell vitality, increase energy production in scalp tissue, and anchor hair to the root. Hydrolyzed Lupine Protein also works to slow hair loss and encourage nutrient assimilation to help hair growth.

Look for new products on the market today designed specifically to nourish the skin on your scalp.

Laser Cap Helps Prevent Hair Loss

Multi-tasking has become a must. You check your email while in line at the grocery store. You participate in conference calls while boarding airplanes. Wouldn’t it be great if you could give your balding scalp laser light therapy while you wash your car or work in the garden? Well, if you get the Laser Cap, you can do just that.

The Laser Cap is a battery-operated device that contains 224 lasers to stimulate hair follicles. It can be placed underneath any hat, giving its users laser therapy on the go and incognito.

Check out this video to learn more about the Laser Cap, and to see it in action.

 

Thicker Eye Lashes, Thicker Hair?

Want to have something in common with Brooke Shields? Latisse, a prescription drug used for helping to grow thick, luscious eyelashes (and whose commercials feature Ms. Shields herself) may help hair growth on the scalp as well.

While this drug isn’t approved for treatment of hair loss, initial test cases have shown that topical applications of the drug have produced noticeable results on patients’ thinning heads. In fact, one doctor in Florida who prescribes the treatment has seen impressive hair growth in 70% of the men who have tried it. Clinical trials are expected to start soon, with the hope of FDA approval not far behind. But in the meantime, you can learn more about this potential new weapon in the battle against bald here: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/w_MindBodyNews/latisse-eyelash-enhancer-thickens-thinning-hair/story?id=13536165

Experimental headwear may make hair loss related to chemo a thing of the past

Shirley Billigmeier recently underwent her final round of chemotherapy, and she has a full head of hair, thanks to an experimental piece of medical equipment called a "cold cap."

Doctors fastened the cap on Mrs. Billigmeier's head for one full hour before each round of chemo that she received. After treatment, the cap – which is set to -22°F – is worn for an additional four hours. Those five chilly hours were well worth it, as the treatment seemed to have been a complete success.

Although it's still considered "experimental," cold cap treatment has been around for over a decade. A 1997 study published in teh European Journal of Cancer reports that 87% of patients who wore the cap retained their hair during and after chemotherapy treatment.

The treatment is available, but it's the accessibility that is the problem. The Rapunzel Project - a foundation setup by Mrs. Billigmeier while she was undergoing treatment - aims to give more people access to cold cap treatment. We wish her luck!