How much better are things looking now compared to 10 years ago?

[INT]

For the people that have been on these boards for a longer time: how much more optimistic are you right now about potential treatments that will available in the near future (5 years or less) compared to 10 years ago?

When I look at older posts fom 2008 and earlier it seems like people at that time also thought that 'the cure was near' but most of the treatments people were excited about at that time never made it trough, even the ones that seemed to be working like RU and CB.

With exciting new technology comming up like Replicel (I don't consider Seti and Histogen exciting, simply because there is ZERO convincing proof out there that it actually works against male pattern baldness) it seems like current treatments like finasteride and hair transplant's will get some serious competition which makes me quite optimistic.

How do the guys that have been in the scene for a longer time think about the future? The same as 10 years ago or do you think that we are actually closer to an improved treatment?

 

[Swoop]

hair transplant's won't get competition from the current pipeline treatments. Finasteride might get competition, and minoxidil might get competition. That's about it.

 

[INT]

hair transplant's won't get competition. Finasteride might get competition, and minoxidil might get competition. That's about it.

If replicel would become more effective than finasteride in maintaining with less sides this will also have a negative effect on the demand for hair transplant's in my opinion.

 

[Swoop]

If replicel would become more effective than finasteride in maintaining with less sides this will also have a negative effect on the demand for hair transplant's in my opinion.

Jup, I agree. A very efficient side effect free maintenance treatment will indeed lower the demand of hair transplant's over time. But Replicel has to succeed in that first and that's a big question mark, guess we gotta wait.

In terms of regrowth though or cosmetic difference nothing is going to challenge hair transplant's from the current pipeline treatments.

 

[INT]

Jup, I agree. A very efficient side effect free maintenance treatment will indeed lower the demand of hair transplant's over time. But Replicel has to succeed in that first and that's a big question mark, guess we gotta wait.

In terms of regrowth though or cosmetic difference nothing is going to challenge hair transplant's from the current pipeline treatments.

By the way Swoop, I looked at your wonderfull hair transplant thread (congrats on such a good result) and was surprised that you were not on finasteride. Why? Are you not afraid of further progression of male pattern baldness or is RU enough for you?

PS: I see you are from the Netherlands, me too!

 

[Breyfogle]

Here's my perspective, with limited understanding, on the progression of hair restoration. (I'm leaving out transplant advances).

Ten years ago, in 2006, the most exciting (and only real) prospect appeared to be a company called Intercytex.
They were working on hair multiplication. The company's clinical tests failed, and their tech was scooped up cheap by Aderans.
It was a bummer.
Then Histogen and Follica (with Cotsarelis) started to show promise. The WNT work of Cotsarelis has spun into a few things, namely Seti.
RU and CB weren't on my radar in 2006. RU was (and still is) and abandoned path – apart from home brewers like myself. CB, as we know, is currently being tested by cosmo now, but I don't recall it being a big player at all 10 years ago.
Aderans and Replicel were two big maybes back in the day. Aderans tanked. Replicel seemed like it was going the same way but has surprisingly emerged looking great.

In short, we didn't know of much going into clinical trials beside Intercytex. Histogen and Follica were hush hush. Everything else seemed like a joke.

We now have a bunch of options in phase II clinical trials.
Topical finasteride looks good and strong without sides from Polichem.
Allergan is putting their evil empire behind Seti and Bimatoprost. Say what you will, the science is sound on both.
Replicel looks good. Samumed and CB both look good.
And I don't know why anyone would **** on Histogen. They've been working on this a long time and their news in November is fantastic.

So yeah, very hopeful.

 

[INT]

Topical finasteride looks good and strong without sides from Polichem.

Personally, I am not a fan op topicals... I have long hair that I wash only once every 3 days. Using topicals unfortunately means most of the time that you have to put ethanol in the scalp as well which completely fries my hair and skin.

Allergan is putting their evil empire behind Seti and Bimatoprost. Say what you will, the science is sound on both.

Agree, the science behind Seti sounds very promising. However... There has not been one result so far that indicated that it really does work for male pattern baldness.

Replicel looks good. Samumed and CB both look good.

Agree about Replicel!

And I don't know why anyone would **** on Histogen. They've been working on this a long time and their news in November is fantastic.

The photos they released actually caused me to lose faith in them... Clearly they tried to manipulate the results by using different ways of combing the hair and weird camere angles.

 

[Breyfogle]

Gail Naughton's been very frank and forthcoming on Histogen over the years. Her reputation is solid.
And the data is good. They're moving into phase 3. That's never happened before.

About the photo: A few weeks ago I was part of the phase 2 trial for Kerastem.
I wrote a post about my experience (which I've since had to take down because of confidentiality stuff I signed :innocent
Anyway, I included a pic of my head that I casually shot with my iPhone to give people a general idea of my hairline.
The very first response was someone whining about how they couldn't see every single follicle on my head and said my post was useless.

People on here are bananas and unrealistic about photos. Constant conspiracy theories. So just keep that in mind.

Histogen (and the great Hellouser) threw us a bone with one candid picture. Clinical results, good or bad, should speak for themselves when they come out.

 

[Swoop]

By the way Swoop, I looked at your wonderfull hair transplant thread (congrats on such a good result) and was surprised that you were not on finasteride. Why? Are you not afraid of further progression of male pattern baldness or is RU enough for you?

PS: I see you are from the Netherlands, me too!

Dankjewel vriend ,

I'm going soon on finasteride again. I'm fixing a new regimen for myself based on minimum maintenance. Many people seem to be afraid to take a hair transplant because they don't know if their male pattern baldness will progress. Remember I have 2.5K grafts left so I can go for one more procedure. I should be fine for the coming years. Plus I'm still on treatments just not as hardcore anymore as in the past.

And when the time comes that it will look bad I'll just shave it down. I got FUE so no linear scar.

 

[INT]

About the photo: A few weeks ago I was part of the phase 2 trial for Kerastem.
I wrote a post about my experience (which I've since had to take down because of confidentiality stuff I signed :innocent
Anyway, I included a pic of my head that I casually shot with my iPhone to give people a general idea of my hairline.
The very first response was someone whining about how they couldn't see every single follicle on my head and said my post was useless.

People on here are bananas and unrealistic about photos. Constant conspiracy theories. So just keep that in mind.

.

Cool! Can't believe I missed that. Are you not allowed to talk about about any effects about the treatment?

 

[Mach]

I've seen impressive results with Acell and PRP. Like all treatments it's nothing consistent and only if you got a few thousand laying around. I had PRP a year ago. I added Acell and PRP a month ago. I'll continue to do this one a year.

I should mention Dr.Cole is offering a discount of $250. I'm not sure if that is for a hair transplant or PRP treatment.

 

[mpower]

lots of promises, nothing on the table...

 

[Afro_Vacancy]

I hope that if Seti and Bimatoprost both work to some extent as topicals, that they're optionally sold in a single bottle. That would be more convenient. Maybe even include minoxidil I don't know.

Admittedly I don't even know if seti will be sold as a topical or as a prescription. Probably as a prescription, then rediscovered as a topical 20 years later to extend the patent.

It probably won't happen though, I don't know of any acne cream that includes both salicyclic and benzoic acid, and acne is sociologically similar to hairloss.

 

[Desmond_84]

If Replicel really ends up immunising hair follicles against DHT, we have reached a cure for those above NW3. This single treatment will completely revolutionise the hairloss industry! hair transplant surgeons would roll in cash as everyones trying to recreate their juvenile hairline after immunising their hair against DHT! At least 50% of hair loss sufferers will try to do something about their hairloss as there's finally a permanent solution available.

Samumed may face regulatory scrutiny during their approval process, since playing with WNT signalling is quite dangerous indeed. I'd be surprised if it gets approved in the timeframe they are forecasting.

Histogen has definitely given us some hope. Lets hope Mexico will happen. I personally know trial patients who had minor regrowth & maintained their Norwood for over 14 months after a single session!

Latanoprost will simply be an alternative to Minoxidil.

Tsuji, Lauster & Xu are still a good 5-10 years away from having a commercial product available on the market.

All in all though, Shiseido trial results will be very interesting to find out. The theory is solid. Lets hope it pans out in a real life human patient

 

[Dench57]

Replicel is certainly the one I'm most interested in.

 

[Swoop]

Replicel is certainly the one I'm most interested in.

Same, I was too harsh for Replicel. But that wasn't righteous of me because they have only shown phase 1 results. Phase 2 results are those that really matter. Their hypothesis makes sense, although they are really aiming high. If DSC really repopulate the DP and they manage to incorporate the cells into the niche then it's going to be huge. The DP only seems to actively recruit from early anagen though, which might pose a problem. Going to be really interesting. They have a shot at creating a functional cure. How sick would that be if that actually happens!

 

[Dench57]

Going to be really interesting. They have a shot at creating a functional cure. How sick would that be if that actually happens!

 

[Justinian]

If DSC really repopulate the DP and they manage to incorporate the cells into the niche then it's going to be huge. The DP only seems to actively recruit from early anagen though, which might pose a problem.

If that's the case, wouldn't enough injections over the course of say a year hit every follicle when it's in early Anagen eventually?

 

[kiwipilu]

In the Ancient Egypt, people used to wear wigs.
In the Dark Ages people used to wear wigs.
Nowadays people still wear wigs.
Luckily Man walked on the Moon and Matt Damon walked on Mars.

 

[Swoop]

@Dench57, lol!! Can't rep you unfortunately.

If that's the case, wouldn't enough injections over the course of say a year hit every follicle when it's in early Anagen eventually?

Yeah exactly. But they said these cells can be stored for a long amount of time right? Hope it won't be to expensive either then if it requires multiple sessions.

Being freed from the Androgenetic Alopecia curse.. Oh man, how lovely would that be.