Where will we be in 3-5 years?

[Scorpian]

I know this has probably been discussed already, but I just wanted to throw it out for discussion. Where do you guys think hair restoration will be in 3-5 years? I know we've always heard that the cure is "5 years away", but this is the first time in which legitimate companies have advanced to at least phase 2 of their trials. There are multiple companies offering different solutions. Also, with some companies, funding does not seem to be an issue. There are many doctors who are also working privately on hair regeneration. I spoke to Dr. Armani about this and he said that he was working on something on the cellular level and is highly optimistic about it. He said he hopes he'll have news by the end of this year. Dr. Armani told me that if something does come out, that it would rid the need to extract follicles but the making of the incisions as well as the inserting of cells/grafts would still stay the same.

 

Obviously, there are no guarantees but what do you guys think about hair restoration in the coming years?

[Scorpian]

I know this has probably been discussed already, but I just wanted to throw it out for discussion. Where do you guys think hair restoration will be in 3-5 years? I know we've always heard that the cure is "5 years away", but this is the first time in which legitimate companies have advanced to at least phase 2 of their trials. There are multiple companies offering different solutions. Also, with some companies, funding does not seem to be an issue. There are many doctors who are also working privately on hair regeneration. I spoke to Dr. Armani about this and he said that he was working on something on the cellular level and is highly optimistic about it. He said he hopes he'll have news by the end of this year. Dr. Armani told me that if something does come out, that it would rid the need to extract follicles but the making of the incisions as well as the inserting of cells/grafts would still stay the same.

 

Obviously, there are no guarantees but what do you guys think about hair restoration in the coming years?

[miked]

Always a good question. My bet is that we will be just about where we are today.

 

I would love to be at the stage where a pill a day awakens all the dormant follicles and causes you to regain your youthful scalp.

 

In ten years time it would be neat to have a machine do both the incisions and placement of grafts. You and the Doctor would work on the desired hairline and density and a computer would scan your head and calculate the number of grafts necessary and the optimal placement/orientation of each graft.

 

The doctor and staff would extract the needed strip, and sort the grafts and load them into the machine and it will do the rest by moving a probe around your head that will "prick and place" each graft with uncanny speed and efficiency. thus minimizing the risk of human error/fatigue while achieving optimal coverage through precise placement of grafts.

 

a 4 hour mega session (3,000+ grafts) would be routine and costs should approach $1 per graft.

that would be my vision anyways. Oh and it will perform LASIK and whiten your teeth at the same time

[1.8t]

I would wage to think that the timeline for advancement today is far greater than that of the "yester-years." Computer technology has come a long way as has our understanding of hairloss and its causes. There are many companies researching different methods of regeneration, whether it be through topical products, oral products, or injections. It is certainly true that there have never been more companies on board for a treatment than we have today.

 

What I think most people have an issue with is when asking for a "cure." I think a cure for baldness is very, very far from becoming a reality. Based off of your typical business model, companies would rather treat the condition with continual doses as opposed to cure it. Over the lifetime of the treatment, you are sure to spend more money with them than a once and done cure. I think if a cure is to be discovered, it will probably be done by accident or in the process of coming up with a more efficient treatment.

 

As for treatments, there are certainly interesting things in the works. It would appear that they are less invasive and more effective, so I feel our arsenal in this battle will increase significantly in the years to come. How soon? I am sure no one knows, but I would think within the next 10yrs there should be a few more treatments available that will hopefully be vastly superior to the current medications and topicals available today.

[thanatopsis_awry]

FUE might keep making strides and become a more attractive option for many who prize yield as high as they do a swift recovery.

 

For something really impactful, though, which to me means something that augments our donors....it wouldn't surprise me if some type of BHT became viable for some people, and act as very good "filler" in the mid-scalp and vertex. For many, we truly don't need *that* much more donor to be able to really smack MPB in the face even at its worst....2k...3k...let alone more would be *huge*.

[AnyonymousGuy]

I'm convinced that eventually, hair loss will be a simple 'illness' to cure. I think we'll reach a point where hair rejuvination will be as simple as skin rejuvination - getting rid of acne. What I'm not convinced of however, is whether or not we'll see the solution in OUR lifetime. I just don't understand why we can clearly see the reasons we lose our hair - but can't 100% stop it. I'm no scientist or doctor, but if you pin-point what's making the hair fall out - why can't you inject or re-supply what you would need to stop that process, and regrow more?

[Scorpian]

Well stopping a genetic disorder with a miracle pill is difficult. Hence, hair multiplication or cloning/culturing of cells would be a type of "cure". There are several companies trying this right now, and Aderans (ADI) seems to have the funding and research to provide something to the market possibly within 5 years. They are starting phase 2 trials this year. The good thing with them is that they have the research and the money to continue on. Obviously, they have to prove that their method works well; so once can only hope that it does. We can only hope I guess.

[alijame]

Once I was frustrated and asked my girlfriend that if we can send human to moon in 50s then why cant we cure hairloss in 2010 and she replied.

Human body is much more complicated than any machine. But the main reason is that hair loss is cause of genes and hormones ( both are extremely complicated and not to messed with part of body) and hair restoration is considered just a cosmetic surgery so it is not considerd worth it to mess up hormones for hair (but we are still doing it in form of propecia)

Research on stem for spinal cord correction and other serious ailments is considered ok but doing research on hair transplant is not considere worth it. But I think hair loss can have so much negative impact on individuals that it should be taken more seriously than it is by the federal and other research agencies.

Originally posted by AnyonymousGuy:

I'm convinced that eventually, hair loss will be a simple 'illness' to cure. I think we'll reach a point where hair rejuvination will be as simple as skin rejuvination - getting rid of acne. What I'm not convinced of however, is whether or not we'll see the solution in OUR lifetime. I just don't understand why we can clearly see the reasons we lose our hair - but can't 100% stop it. I'm no scientist or doctor, but if you pin-point what's making the hair fall out - why can't you inject or re-supply what you would need to stop that process, and regrow more?

[dakota3]

Based off of your typical business model, companies would rather treat the condition with continual doses as opposed to cure it

 

Just Like the common cold! We'll propably never have a cure for MPB, not because we cant but because THEY dont want too. Too much money to make off of "quick fixes"

[Speegs]

Hair cloning is inevitable but its going to be so expensive only the rich and famous will be able to have it done.

[SoCalMan]

For people like me (and like rihanna and tyra banks), who were born with a naturally receded hairline, Hair Transplants will always be the only solution.