Hi,

In my mind it seems almost inevitable that some day (whether that is 1 year or 20 years down the track I do not know) we will be replicating healthy hairs and placing them into our bald patches, or reactivating something in our scalp to tell it to start growing hair again.

What I am curious to know is how this should impact on the decisions which we make in the meantime whilst this technology waits to become proven.

In particular, I am interested to know whether having a FUT/FUE HT now would negatively impact any future treatment using stem cell or other type of replication/reactivation.

1) Do these future techniques require us to have our old hair follicles in place?
2) Do current techniques damage our non-functional follicles to the extent that they would not be of use later?
3) Do current techniques use too much donor hair, leaving people unable to undergo such future techniques?

I realise that there are a of of unknowns still, but would appreciate some insight into what people think and why, also if you could be clear as to when you are guessing at something (which is fine!) and when you are citing something which can be backed with scientific evidence.

Live for today!!!!

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Newhairplease!!
Dr Rahal in January 19, 2012
4808 FUT grafts- 941 singles, 2809 doubles, 1031 triples, 27 quads

My Hairloss Website

I have been monitoring interviews with some of the hair replicating scientists and executives and it has been "assumed" by the representatives that if and when the technology is available that it would be effective for both ht and non ht patients.

I understand your timing conundrum completely, should i wait or do what I can now? There have been ever changing timelines for possible releases but at this point its really a wait and see scenario. I believe that after q1 2012 that we may see some phase one results which can be used to interpret progress. If the results seem substantiate it might entice you to hold off on a ht short term. On the other hand if we are only getting the same dime sized photos that aderans has been using at all presentations then maybe consider the previous posters advice, live in the now

Merk wouldn't be happy to support a technology that replaces their hair loss treatment completely. So I am guessing big pharma is fighting back these advancements.

On the positive side, scientists and researchers will continue to advance these new techniques and will be available sooner than what we may think.

By the way, stemm cell has already been proven safe long time ago for skin reconstruction in trauma suffering patients, it simply hasn't been massively produced, nor the doctors been trained in the field of hair loss.

If you wait for the magical cure, you might not live to see it. Seriously, all this research is interesting, but people have been searching for a cure for baldness forever. Something might come along, but I think it would be nothing more than wishful thinking to let this dream of a cure impact how you decide to deal with your hair loss. We would all love for it to happen, but there is no real scientific evidence at all that anything is on the horizon.

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Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1

That sounds like a rationalization of your hair transplant.
Now that's simply a lie. If you are here to lie then you might as well spare your time on these forums.

Wrong on both fronts my friend. I would not be so quick to start calling people liars. An attack like that is a violation of the terms of participating in this forum as I am sure the moderators will tell you. Finally, I really don't care what you think about me spending my time on this or any other forum.

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Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1

could you two please discuss why it is/isn't the case as to whether there is evidence suggesting progress? It looks to me like there is, based on many of the threads in this forum

I agree with the above and with newhair, live for today with what we have now.

However, at the same time I think Replicel is on to something with their ongoing and upcoming human trials.

The technology is years away but it isn't a fantasy. I think it will come true one day and give pharmaceutical companies a serious challenge.

Don't wait and continue to wait though. Some people have been waiting for 15 years already. My estimation is we should have substantial progress within the next 10 years after all clinical trials and when the product/method is put into market. However, those 10 years having hair probably outweigh the amount of time lost due to hair loss. Live happy now, and then enhance in the future if needed. That's what I think.

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1st FUE Hair Transplant With Dr. Rahal 8/31/2011: A total of 3016 grafts (1091 singles, 1439 doubles, 407 threes, 79 fours) At least 5,000 grafts remaining in the donor for any future use if needed.
Current Regimen: Finasteride, Rogaine Foam, Dove Shampoo/Pantene Pro-V, NSI MSM 1000mg (1 capsule per day), NSI Omega 3 With EPA & DHA 2.126grams (2 softgels per day), Natrol Biotin 10,000MCG (1 tablet per day), NSI B-100 Complex (1 capsule per day) and etc...

My Hair Loss Website

Sure. There is definitely exciting research going on and I hope that at some point there is a breakthrough that will benefit everyone with hair loss. That would be amazing! What is clear is that while exciting, there is no scientific evidence that a major breakthrough is on the horizon. So if you want to address your hairloss, in my opinion you should use available state of the art methods. We have no idea when or even if any of the research being done will ever pan out. There are great options available today that will provide results for you within a year. Five and ten years ago people were talking about research that could potentially be the answer and here we are with no "cure". My point is that the chance of a major widespread breakthrough in the next five years or so is extremely unlikely, though not impossible. Will something happen in the next 10 or 20 years? That is really just anyone's guess. In the meantime, I had a HT almost 6 months ago and already have results that I am very excited about......no more bald spot on my crown and a new hairline.....and over the next six months it will be even better. So my point is why wait for something that may or may not ever occur.

__________________
Surgery - Dr. Ron Shapiro 6/14/11 - 3048 grafts

http://www.hairrestorationnetwork.com/orlhair1