iAremyhair believes in giving our customers ample information so that they can make wise decisions regarding hair loss treatment.
For this purpose, we will be introducing a series of topics that offer insight and objective viewpoints. Topics range from basics of hair to hair loss causes to treatment options to other related and interesting issues.
To ensure that our readers get the most out of our newsletters, we have condensed information from established publications and online reference materials such that each topic can be easily digested. iAremyhair invites you on this journey and welcomes your comments.
There are some promising new preventions and treatments that are not commercially
available in the market yet as they are still in the early or intermediate stages of research and
development. When they are finally available, some of the new surgical treatment methods
have the potential to actually ‘cure' inherited pattern baldness permanently.
Hair Follicle Cloning
Cloning is the process of reproducing cells from a single parent and it results in offspring that have
the exact copy of the *DNA of the single parent. Cloning multiple hair follicles from a donor hair
follicle that is already programmed to grow new hairs for a lifetime will result in a limitless supply
of hair transplant grafts. It means that through cloning, scientists will be able to make as many hair
grafts as are needed to completely fill in all your balding areas. It may even be possible to
individually inject the cloned follicles into the scalp, eliminating the need for surgery. However,
there are some problems associated with cloning and one of it is the increased risk of cancer. The
reality of cloned follicles will indeed require many more years of studies but progress is being
made.
* Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and
functioning of all known living organisms.
The Splitting Hairs Method
Surgeons have observed that when a hair follicle is accidentally cut in half, one piece and sometimes both pieces of the follicle, will survive and grow a new hair if the follicle is transplanted back into the scalp. Each cut follicle is an exact DNA clone of the original and so if the original follicle is DHT-resistant, the clones will also be the same. When the cut follicle pieces are placed back into the scalp, the nearby hair follicle stem cells help with the cell regeneration process. With some refinement, this crude cloning technique holds some promise for the immediate future.
Mature Cell Cloning
This is the method of cloning *dermal papilla cells from hair bulbs and injecting them back into
the donor's scalp. Experiments have shown that the cloned dermal papilla cells interacted with
neighbouring skin cells and made a hair follicle that eventually grew hair. Another research
focuses on the cloning of hair follicle stem cells collected from the bulge area (midway up the hair
shaft) of DHT-resistant hair follicles.
*Dermal papilla cells are cells that grow hairs and they are found in the bulb area at the base of the hair shaft.
Hair Multiplication : Scalp Impregnation Therapy
This process involves extracting hair cells from a small donor site in the scalp and sending them to be cultured and multiplied in a lab. The multiplied cells are then replanted into the balding areas. As with any medical breakthrough, the results are not yet determined. Research conducted demonstrated that the cells at the base of a follicle can regenerate and mature into hair follicles. However, to date, experiments have found only twenty percent of implanted cells maturing into follicles.
Gene Therapy
It is a breakthrough because this therapy has the potential to deliver a gene's DNA coding directly to hair follicles such that the hair follicles with DHT-sensitive cells could be changed into DHTresistant cells. However this therapy involves several difficult steps such as : identifying problem genes, among tens of thousands of genes, that are responsible for inherited hair loss; figuring out how exactly the target genes can be modified so that they give instructions that will achieve the desired result; incorporating the improved genes into the living organism and with success. There are many areas of gene therapy that need refinement but ongoing research shows great promise.
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The future of cosmetic treatments The temporal nature of cosmetic treatments remains unchanged but there will certainly be improvements in some areas. There will likely be hair-styling products that will surpass what we have today in terms of giving the appearance of a full head of hair. Hair appliances such as wigs and hairpieces will be constructed of even finer and more durable materials to enhance comfort and the look of genuineness. Attachment methods may become easier and faster to release, reducing the maintenance effort, and improving hygiene. The future of medical treatments As we gain a better understanding of how the normal hair growth cycle is controlled and how various disease conditions affect hair growth, new medicines will be developed to effectively target the cause of the hair loss and cause fewer side effects. Perhaps, medications of the future will be combined with shampoos or hair conditioners to keep the hair from falling out. Powerful new drugs will be developed, not only to protect the cells in the bulb of the hair follicle but also to signal certain cells in the hair follicles to start or remain in the growing phase. |
Reference Materials
Panagotacos, Peter J, M.D. "Hair Loss Answers". USA : Author's Publishing Cooperative, 2005.
Kobren, Spencer David, "The Bald Truth". USA : Pocket Books, 1998.
Rassman, William R, M.D. and Bernstein, Robert M, M.D. "Hair Loss & Replacement for Dummies" USA : Wiley Publishing, Inc, 2009.
