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The notion that injuring the scalp can potentially increase the effectiveness of proven topical hair loss treatments has caught the attention of our hair restoration forum community.  The Nanogen Scalproller claims it can help treat thinning hair and improve the effects of any topical treatment for baldness by slightly wounding the skin with its small titanium needles.  Allegedly, the wounds allow for quick and efficient penetration and absorption of topical hair loss treatments into the skin.

To discuss the Nanogen Scalproller and its ability in aiding the effectiveness of proven treatments such as Rogaine foam, visit this discussion thread.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Managing Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network, the Hair Loss Learning Center, the Hair Loss Q&A Blog, and the Hair Restoration Forum
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Technorati Tags: hair loss treatments, thinning hair, baldness, Nanogen Scalproller, Bill Seemiller, Falceros

Millions of hair loss sufferers worldwide hold high hopes that hair multiplication (HM) will be the baldness cure of the near future.  Hair cloning may eventually provide balding men and women with an unlimited supply of their own natural hair to end baldness once and for all.  Unfortunately, Intercytex is closing its doors after a long uphill battle to develop this future hair loss treatment.

Intercytex is a UK based company and was a major contender in developing hair multiplication/cloning. They’ve also been developing other treatments including those for wound healing, wrinkles, and blindness. In addition to slashing overheads and reducing staff, Intercytex sold the assets of its subsidiary Axordia to Pfizer in an attempt to support working capital. Unfortunately, the amount was inadequate to stay in business and no other funding was obtainable. Their stock which at one time traded for over $100 per share has slumped down to $4 per share and is now virtually worthless since the company is being dissolved.

Patrick Hennessey, publisher of the Hair Transplant Network visited Intercytex’s hair multiplication operation in Manchester, England when he visited the Farjo Clinic back in May of 2007. While they appeared to have good management and promising preliminary results, their subsequent Phase II testing on humans failed to produce cosmetically significanthair regrowth. It’s suggested that the key to success may lie in growing stem cells in vitro to a hair follicle stage and then transplanting the hair follicles using today’s state of the art surgical hair restoration techniques.

Every now and again, new alleged treatments for baldness surface and are worth discussing. Recently, the scalproller was mentioned and discussed on our hair restoration forum.

The scalproller is a microneedle roller designed to traumatize the scalp on the theory that it can stimulate hair regrowth. It’s often combined with other hair loss treatments such as Rogaine (minoxidil) and/or the experimental Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) procedure in order to enhance the effect or facilitate absorption of the treatment.

But is there any scientific data to support the theory that injury to the scalp can stop hair loss or enhance the benefits of other solutions? View this hair loss discussion thread to read more and offer your own input on the Scalproller and how it may or may not effectively treat baldness.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: treatments for baldness, scalproller, hair regrowth, Rogaine, minoxidil, hair loss, treat baldness

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) has recently received a great deal of attention as patient and physician members of our hair restoration community discuss whether or not it might prove beneficial to hair loss sufferers. However, a few leading physicians have been using PRP to aid healing in surgical hair replacement. And while Platelet Rich Plasma has been known to promote the healing of wounds for some time, whether or not it can actually increase hair transplant growth survival and yield is debatable.

Recently, discussion forum member “Julius” created a topic to discuss whether or not PRP can actually increase transplant hair growth yield. To contribute your ideas to this topic, visit “Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Hair Transplants”.

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair restoration, hair loss, PRP, hair replacement, Platelet Rich Plasma, hair transplant, hair growth

Today, physicians and scientists demonstrate that platelet rich plasma (PRP) may actually wake up dormant follicular stem cells and could quite potentially become the next major breakthrough in treating hair loss and growing hair. While some people feel this is yet another marketing attempt to rob balding men and women of their hard earned cash, others are very excited by its potential.

Blood is made from approximately 93% red blood cells (RBC), 1% white blood cells (WBC), 6% platelets, and plasma. When platelets are activated in the body, these sponge-like molecules form branches and release healing proteins called growth factors. Though growth factors have a multitude of responsibilities, the cumulative result is accelerated tissue and wound healing. The basis for the benefit of platelet rich plasma lies in decreasing the RBC count to 5% since they are less useful in the healing process while increasing the platelet count to 94%.

A recent case study on a 26 year old hair loss sufferer suggests that platelet rich plasma can stop and reverse hair miniaturization caused by androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness. While this 26 year old patient had hair transplant surgery to recover lost hair in the hairline, his posterior crown was traumatized using a 1 mm micro needling roller and platelet rich plasma injected into the crown. The result suggests that PRP not only stopped hair loss, but reversed miniaturization.

We get hundreds of hair loss related questions sent to us on a weekly basis and we do our best to answer them all in a timely fashion. Below, we’ve highlighted some important and controversial hair restoration topics for your review and posted the answers in our news and blogs.

Feel free to ask your own questions and get answers on our hair restoration forum or privately by emailing help@hairtransplantnetwork.com.

The Reality of Today’s Hair Loss Treatments

Can Rogaine Speed up Transplanted Hair Growth? (answered by Coalition member Dr. Robert True)

Knowing You’re Getting the Hair Transplant You Paid For

Do Lesser Known Surgeons Produce Quality Hair Transplant Results?

What are your Thoughts on Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?

Bill Seemiller – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss, hair restoration, Dr. Robert True

Given all the interest that Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for hair loss has generated, we feel it’s appropriate to address this topic again and state our current position on this experimental procedure.

Rumors that Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) may be the next greatest hair loss treatment since Propecia (finasteride) are circulating all over the internet. Thus, dozens of hair loss sufferers appear to be lining up at hair restoration clinics offering the experimental PRP treatment for pattern baldness. But what’s the real deal with this experimental treatment? Is there really enough information available to advocate its use as a viable hair loss solution?

While discussing this procedure on our discussion forum, people tend to fall into two opposite camps. On one extreme, some are so excited by the preliminary results seen on discussion forum topic “First PRP Treatment in New York” that they believe PRP will solve their balding problems forever. Those in this camp are usually men and women just starting their research and looking to grasp onto anything that promises a possible remedy.

On the flip side, others believe PRP is entirely worthless and could never cause any significant and lasting hair regrowth. Many in this camp are skeptical due to the unsubstantiated claims and empty promises hair loss companies have made for years.

While members of the first camp are too overly ambitious and it’s completely understandable why members in the second are skeptical, since there is not enough data to support either argument, we’d suggest a more scientific approach to analyzing the PRP procedure.

This blog was written by Dr. Steven Gabel of Hillsboro, OR who is an elite member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.  

This takes the cake, or should be up there, in a list of top 10 bogus hair loss solutions. There is now an IPhone hair loss application called: “HAIR CLINIC:  for man and woman.” I just found this on the internet and had to check it out and it is true. Go to Apple’s website in the application store and you will find it.

They call it “The World’s first Mobile Hair Clinic System.” From briefly reading this, people are supposed to put the IPhone to their head and the application makes the phone generate inaudible high and low frequencies to promote circulation around the hair follicles.

The best part is the disclaimer: may cause headaches if the built in speaker is used close to the ears. The company states that it is not responsible for the headaches.

And all this for $3.99.

Steven Gabel, M.D.

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Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher of the Hair Transplant Network and the Hair Loss Learning Center
View my Hair Loss Weblog

Technorati Tags: hair loss solutions, IPhone hair loss, HAIR CLINIC:  for man and woman, Hair Clinic, IPhone

Evaluating hair loss treatments takes careful research, looking for clinical evidence, and reading real patient testimonies with photos. Recently, a study on mice revealed that drinking green tea may stop and even reverse hair loss.

Mice with identical hair loss were split into groups and given either plain water, or water containing green tea. The results showed that green tea stopped their balding and even stimulated new hair growth in all those in the test group.

Though the results are certainly interesting, how valid is a clinical test on mice for balding humans? Can green tea really stop or even reverse hair loss? View this thread to read the study and offer your input on or experience with green tea.

Bill – aka Falceros
Associate Publisher/Editor

Technorati Tags: hair loss treatments, green tea, hair loss, balding, hair growth

Coalition member Dr. Jerry Cooley of Charlotte, NC has already described how platelet rich plasma (PRP) may be beneficial to wound healing and hair transplant graft survival.  See The Benefits of Platelet Rich Plasma in Surgical Hair Restoration. 

Today, physicians and scientists demonstrate that platelet rich plasma may actually wake up dormant follicular stem cells and could quite potentially become the next major breakthrough in treating hair loss and growing hair.  While some people feel this is yet another marketing attempt to rob balding men and women of their hard earned money, others are very excited by its potential.  

Coalition member Dr. Alan Feller of Great Neck, NY claims that platelet rich plasma may indeed be the “best medical treatment for hair loss since Propecia“.  However, he also admits

The technology as I’ve seen it applied falls a bit short.  Either the original research in the application of PRP to hair loss are unaware of the short comings as presented or more likely, they held back some important steps in the name of technical propriety – which is perfectly fine and understandable.

Blood is made from approximately 93% red blood cells (RBC), 1% white blood cells (WBC), 6% platelets, and plasma.  When platelets are activated in the body, these sponge-like molecules form branches and release healing proteins called growth factors.  Though growth factors have a multitude of responsibilities, the cumulative result is accelerated tissue and wound healing.  The basis for the benefit of platelet rich plasma lies in decreasing the RBC count to 5% since they are less useful in the healing process while increasing the platelet count to 94%.