Hair transplantation
May 27, 2010 by admin
Filed under ARTICLES : Hair Loss Treatment
Hair transplantation involves relocating (transplanting) bald resistant hair follicles from the back and sides of the head (the donor areas) to a person’s bald or thinning areas. The transplanted hair follicles will typically grow hair for a lifetime because they are genetically resistant to going bald. In recent years hair transplantation techniques have evolved from using large plugs and mini grafts to exclusively using large numbers of small grafts that contain from between 1 to 4 hairs. The grafting may cause localized loss of existing hair, the graft then typically grows in within a year.
Since hair naturally grows in follicles that contain groupings of 1 to 4 hairs, today’s most advanced techniques transplant these naturally occurring 1–4 hair “follicular units” in their natural groupings. Thus modern hair transplantation can achieve a natural appearance by mimicking nature hair for hair.
Another method is scalp reduction, in which skin in the balding area of the scalp is surgically excised. The left over skin is then pulled together and sutured.
Hair multiplication
Stem cells and dermal papilla cells have been discovered in hair follicles and some researchers predict research on these follicular cells may lead to successes in treating baldness through hair multiplication (HM), also called hair cloning.
HM is being developed by ARI (Aderans Research Institute, a Japanese owned company in the USA).
In 2008, Intercytex, a company in Manchester (UK), announced positive results of a Phase II trial for a form of cloning hair follicles from the back of the neck, multiplying them and then reimplanting the cells into the scalp. The initial testing resulted in at least two thirds of male patients regrowing hair. As of 2009, the company estimates this treatment will take “a number of years to complete” Phase III trials before it can go to market. However, after failing to achieve subsequent success in their trials, the company announced discontinuation of its hair multiplication project in January 2010 with intention to sell off its assets and research. In March 25, 2010 Aderans Research Institute Inc. (ARI) announced it acquired key technology assets from Regenerative Medicine Assets Limited (formerly Intercytex Group plc)
