Saturday, May 18, 2013

£285 cream that claims to reverse baldness by waking up dormant follicles on the scalp

£285 cream that claims to reverse baldness by waking up dormant follicles on the scalp

  • Kérastase Densifique has gone on sale in hair salons this week
  • Maker L'Oreal claims that the treatment is effective for men and women
By John Stevens
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Kérastase Densifique - Baldness cure: A new hair
loss treatment claims to stimulate growth by
waking up dormant follicles on the scalp
It is a problem that has left many men the subject of jokes and caused upset for women.

But now those suffering from hair loss and baldness could finally have an answer to their prayers - without resorting to a comb-over, toupee or hair transplant.

A new hair product on sale in salons from this week claims to not only stop hair loss, but also stimulate new growth.

The treatment Kérastase Densifique, which has been hailed as a ‘major breakthrough’, stimulates the scalp to wake up dormant follicles.

Scientists have found that many of those suffering from hair loss or balding have skin tissue in the scalp that has an oxygen deficiency – a condition called hypoxia.

Kérastase Densifique - Root of the problem:
Scientists have found that many of those
suffering from hair loss or balding have
skin tissue in the scalp that has an oxygen
deficiency a condition called hypoxia
They have developed a molecule called stemoxydine that targets this condition by attempting to increase oxygen levels in the scalp.

The increase aims to help follicles to produce thicker hair and stimulate hair growth in areas where the follicles have shut down.

The Kérastase Densifique cream, which costs £285 for a three-month treatment, is applied to the hair daily.

It is put into damp or dry hair using an applicator and then massaged into the scalp.

The maker L’Oreal, which developed it in its hair laboratory in Paris, claim that it is clinically proven to be effective for both men and women.

In a study, 101 people who used the product once a day for three months found a four per cent increase in the number of hairs they had, which represent an average of 1,700 new hairs.

Patricia Pineau, head of scientific affairs at L’Oréal, said: ‘We’ve known for 100 years that hair grows and falls out. We haven’t known what makes hair regenerate until now.

‘It is all about hair stem cell environment. In 2000, we have published the existence of two stem cell reservoirs in the hair and, more recently, we have both identified the optimal environment and designed a molecule able to favour it.

‘Kérastase Densifique is a result of this discovery that happens not very often. We have been able to develop a cosmetic product that respects the natural way hair regenerates.

‘A clinical trial has proven its efficacy on hair density - number and diameter. Kérastase Densifique will really help people who are experiencing thinning hair and less volume.’

Hairdresser and Kérastase Ambassador Luke Hersheson added: ‘It’s set to be the holy grail for a lot of women – and men.’

Monday, May 13, 2013

Scientists' 'vampire treatment' for baldness

Scientists' 'vampire treatment' for baldness


By Jasper Copping
7:30AM BST 05 May 2013
Source: telegraph.co.uk

Scientists believe among others the treatment
 could help male-pattern baldness (Photo: gettyimages.com)
Scientists believe they may have hit upon a cure for baldness — but it is not for the faint-hearted.

Researchers found they were able to regrow hair on the bald patches on people’s heads by injecting them with a solution derived from their own blood.

The so-called “vampire” treatment involved taking blood from the patient and processing it in a machine that extracts “platelet-rich plasma” (PRP), which is then injected back into the head.

Scientists believe the solution then stimulates new stem cells below the skin which can aid the regrowth of hair.

Such “vampire” treatments are already used in some cosmetic procedures, where injections of PRP are used in an effort to reduce the effects of aging on the face and hands.

The new treatment could have helped Sir Elton John who invested in a hair transplant.

The research, published in the latest edition of the British Journal of Dermatology, was conducted among a group of people suffering from alopecia areata, which affects about 2 per cent of the population.

However, the scientists believe it could also help those suffering more common varieties, such as male pattern baldness. Dr Fabio Rinaldi said: “We think it can help to regrow hair on people with androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness). We believe it is the best treatment available, apart from surgery.”

The study involved 45 patients, who received the injections on just one half of their head. Some were given the PRP, some were given a more traditional steroid treatment, while others received a placebo.

A total of three treatments were given to each patient, once a month. Hair growth was assessed by measuring the area where new hairs grew on the bald scalp. The PRP was found to lead to significant hair regrowth in the bald patches, compared with both the placebo and the steroid treatment.

The scientists, based at the International Hair Research Foundation and University of Brescia in Italy and the Hebrew University Medical Centre in Israel, are carrying out further research. They hope to be able to develop the treatment as a cream, to avoid the need for needles.

Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists, said: “Alopecia is known to lead to overwhelming effects on the patient’s quality of life and self-esteem. This could offer hope to thousands.”

Friday, May 3, 2013

Follica, Inc.

Follica, Inc.


follicabio.com
About Follica

Follica, Inc. is developing novel therapies for conditions and disorders of the hair follicle, the epicenter for the development and replenishment of human hair and skin.

Treatments for conditions of the follicle account for a total market exceeding $10 billion annually, despite a lack of truly effective solutions. Follica has assembled a world class team of scientific, clinical, and industry experts that is harnessing the recent advances in epithelial stem cell biology to identify and develop novel therapeutic approaches to these disorders. (Source: follicabio.com)

Science and Technology

Adapted from Chuong C, Nature, 447, 265-266,
 2007; Formation of new hair in a healed wound:
 (a) after the epidermis is disrupted in the skin of
  adult mice, re-epithelialization occurs. (b) new
 hair follicles originating from the epidermis form
 in the reepithelialized area
To date, all mainstream efforts to reverse hair loss have addressed the problem by trying to stimulate (or transplant) existing follicles. Follica's approach is completely novel. The company has obtained an exclusive, worldwide license from the University of Pennsylvania to develop and commercialize a breakthrough technology that has been demonstrated to stimulate the genesis and development of new follicles. Dr. George Cotsarelis discovered that physical disruption of the skin, under the appropriate circumstances, can lead to follicle neogenesis. This capacity of the adult skin to generate new follicles had been observed in the scientific literature from the 1950's and 1960's, but due to lack of understanding of the fundamental biology of the follicle, could never be definitively proven.

Using tools primarily developed in his lab, Dr. Cotsarelis was able to demonstrate hair follicle neogenesis and show enhanced effect through manipulating the key signaling pathways involved in hair follicle formation. Some of these pathways can be manipulated using known drug compounds. Follica is developing the hair follicle neogenesis platform into clinically effective therapies for treating hair loss and for long term or permanent hair removal. Additional pipeline products may apply in acne, skin rejuvenation, and wound healing. (Source: follicabio.com)