Brains Expel Hair
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As the other posts on this forum show the interest in Latisse/Lumigan is growing in regard to hair treatment and there are trials underway on their effectiveness. However I believe there may be many other compounds already out there with similar potential.
Background
Lumigan is Bimatoprost a prostaglandin F2a analogue that was originally used to treat glaucoma but had a nasty side effect of giving people sexy eyelashes (OH NO). So the company decided to capitalize on this by dousing Brooke Shield's face in their serum and slapping a larger price tag on a bottle with a different name (Latisse).
So What?
Turns out it wasn't terribly long before someone realized that if this grew hairs that some men might be interested in it as well and so currently they're testing the product specifically for Hair Loss.
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=55381 contains an article that is related to Bimatoprost's effects on hair growth on monkeys and the effects were very promising at the 500mcg/ml, both Latisse and Lumigan are 0.03% (g/100ml) or 300mcg/ml meaning they are already close to the dose used in the study and probably would have a good chance at having quite a noticeable effect on filling out the "Thinking Man's Haircut".
The Catch
Bimatoprost is prescription only (in US) and the US patent on it was supposed to expire in 2012 however due to them finding an extra use for it (in Latisse) the patent got extended for another 2 years till 2014. Now I have no idea if it works like this, but if they do find another FDA approved use for it in treating Alopecia then they might get another patent extension. The current prices for both Latisse and Lumigan are pretty expensive ranging between 90-150 USD for a 1 month supply assuming you're only using the same amount on your head as people use on their eyelashes, meaning this 1 month supply might only last you half that if you're lucky. Also because it's a prescription only medicine you have to either get your doctor to write you a prescription for your eyelashes or one for glaucoma. If you do try and go the cheaper route through the glaucoma version you run the risk of serious insurance problems when it comes time for you to find a new policy.
Alternatives?
While looking up the info on bimatoprost I saw that there are plenty of other (also patented) versions of prostaglandin analogues that are marketed for glaucoma and even one or two unofficially (cosmetically) for hair treatment. In looking over exactly how far reaching this hair growth effect was in the prostaglandin family I came across this Study: Here. Which actually looks at the effects of not just prostaglandin analogues but just the simple prostaglandins themselves. The results while not completely divulged in just the abstract of the paper apparently show growth as a result of not only prostaglandin F2a (PGF2A) but also prostaglandin E2 (PGE2).
In searching for available forms of various prostaglandins with this amazing new site called google (you should check it out, really!) I came across many various types of prostaglandin creams/pills/etc however I believe that all I found were controlled substances requiring a prescription in the US. I also saw that PGF2A is a semi-commonly used steroid in weight lifting circles but all sources said you need to "know some guy" to get it.
In This Thread
Since it seems like this hair growth effect may be shared by many different forms of prostaglandins I would like other poster's knowledge or opinions on the efficacy of other forms of PGs on treating hair loss/ any possible over the counter sources of prostaglandins/ any dietary sources of prostaglandins/ any current experiences with prostaglandin treatments.
Background
Lumigan is Bimatoprost a prostaglandin F2a analogue that was originally used to treat glaucoma but had a nasty side effect of giving people sexy eyelashes (OH NO). So the company decided to capitalize on this by dousing Brooke Shield's face in their serum and slapping a larger price tag on a bottle with a different name (Latisse).
So What?
Turns out it wasn't terribly long before someone realized that if this grew hairs that some men might be interested in it as well and so currently they're testing the product specifically for Hair Loss.
http://www.hairlosstalk.com/interact/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=55381 contains an article that is related to Bimatoprost's effects on hair growth on monkeys and the effects were very promising at the 500mcg/ml, both Latisse and Lumigan are 0.03% (g/100ml) or 300mcg/ml meaning they are already close to the dose used in the study and probably would have a good chance at having quite a noticeable effect on filling out the "Thinking Man's Haircut".
The Catch
Bimatoprost is prescription only (in US) and the US patent on it was supposed to expire in 2012 however due to them finding an extra use for it (in Latisse) the patent got extended for another 2 years till 2014. Now I have no idea if it works like this, but if they do find another FDA approved use for it in treating Alopecia then they might get another patent extension. The current prices for both Latisse and Lumigan are pretty expensive ranging between 90-150 USD for a 1 month supply assuming you're only using the same amount on your head as people use on their eyelashes, meaning this 1 month supply might only last you half that if you're lucky. Also because it's a prescription only medicine you have to either get your doctor to write you a prescription for your eyelashes or one for glaucoma. If you do try and go the cheaper route through the glaucoma version you run the risk of serious insurance problems when it comes time for you to find a new policy.
Alternatives?
While looking up the info on bimatoprost I saw that there are plenty of other (also patented) versions of prostaglandin analogues that are marketed for glaucoma and even one or two unofficially (cosmetically) for hair treatment. In looking over exactly how far reaching this hair growth effect was in the prostaglandin family I came across this Study: Here. Which actually looks at the effects of not just prostaglandin analogues but just the simple prostaglandins themselves. The results while not completely divulged in just the abstract of the paper apparently show growth as a result of not only prostaglandin F2a (PGF2A) but also prostaglandin E2 (PGE2).
In searching for available forms of various prostaglandins with this amazing new site called google (you should check it out, really!) I came across many various types of prostaglandin creams/pills/etc however I believe that all I found were controlled substances requiring a prescription in the US. I also saw that PGF2A is a semi-commonly used steroid in weight lifting circles but all sources said you need to "know some guy" to get it.
In This Thread
Since it seems like this hair growth effect may be shared by many different forms of prostaglandins I would like other poster's knowledge or opinions on the efficacy of other forms of PGs on treating hair loss/ any possible over the counter sources of prostaglandins/ any dietary sources of prostaglandins/ any current experiences with prostaglandin treatments.