Treating hair loss using current medications is not as effective as some would like to believe. The good news is that new treatments are promising a revolution in a way that we treat hair loss, and could mean that baldness will become a thing of the past.
Hair Follicle Regeneration
One of the most promising treatments on the horizon is something called cell-based hair follicle regeneration. This is where cells are taken from around the hair follicles themselves and then grown in a lab. These regrown cells can then be injected into the scalp to make new hair grow. Studies have shown that 60% of subjects had more hair after this treatment was performed.
Dutasteride
Dutasteride is being marketed under the brand Avodart at the moment. This is a medication that stops testosterone in the blood converting into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In people with a genetic tendency towards hair loss, DHT is known to cause male-pattern baldness, meaning that this drug could be the key to preventing what your genes are programmed to do.
Latisse
Latisse is already being marketed as a medication to grow eyelashes, and the American FDA has approved this use. However, scientists are studying how to make Latisse work on head hair as well. The fact that the medication helps hair regrowth is indisputable, the only problem at the moment is finding out how to make Latisse can penetrate the scalp. Once that’s solved though, Latisse could be the treatment that we’ve been searching for.
Hair Transplants
Okay, this is a solution rather than a treatment, and is hardly a new solution at that. However, hair transplants may just be the easiest way to deal with hair loss. And the good news is that cosmetic surgery techniques for hair transplants are improving rapidly. As micro surgery improves, smaller pieces of scalp can be transplanted, making hair transplants look natural, rather than the old hair plugs that we’ve been used to. In the most modern technique, FUE (Follicular Unit Extraction), individual hair follicles are transplanted in specialist clinics such as the renowned Harley Street Hair Clinic where Wayne Rooney famously got his done. This procedure causes many fewer complications and gives a more natural look after treatment,
JAK Inhibitors
Not all hair loss is genetic, and for some people who suffer from Alopecia, treatment can be impossible. If the hair loss occurs because the body’s immune system attacks its own hair follicles for reasons unknown, then the above treatments are ineffective. A new class of drugs called JAK inhibitors may be the key to re-growing hair in Alopecia sufferers. The drugs have recently been approved by the American FDA and have regrown hair in some patients.
For those suffering from hair loss, there is plenty of hope on the horizon. All of these new treatments show promise, and maybe one day we can eradicate baldness for good.
Featured image credit: Stop Hair Loss on the blackboard /ShutterStock
