High-resolution MRI to Track Treatment of Baldness — Men’s Health Clinic Tokyo

If you look at the hair loss research centers around the world page (scroll below the world map for better details), Tokyo is one of the leading cities in the world where significant resources are being devoted to hair loss research.  Among the key companies and/or researchers to look out for in Tokyo include the renowned Shiseido and Dr. Takashi Tsuji that have both been covered on this blog before.  The Japanese government’s less stringent new regulations governing regenerative medicine testing in humans will likely result in a few other domestic and foreign companies testing new hair loss treatments in Japan in the coming years.

Earlier this month, I read an interesting article about the Men’s Health Clinic Tokyo that has developed a technology to carry out an image-based diagnosis of androgenic alopecia by using an ultra-high resolution scalp MRI.  This new MRI can take clear images of 200-300μm hair follicles.  This is a much needed development.  In my opinion, newer treatments such as PRP and laser are often benefiting hair growth at levels where the naked eye can see very little change, positive or negative.  Moreover, it is increasingly crucial to figure out whether a newer treatment is regrowing miniaturized hair longer, or whether a treatment is just maintaining existing hair and perhaps making it thicker.  Any treatment that reverses miniaturization even on a millimeter basis is something worth getting excited over, and this MRI will hopefully enable more accurate measurements of hair follicle structural changes.

Perhaps of more significance, the Men’s Health Clinic Tokyo has a section devoted to androgenic alopecia (AGA).  Most web browsers nowadays have a translate option that you can access via right clicking when on a page you wish to translate.  On the home page of the Men’s Health Clinic of Tokyo, the translation to English from Japanese results in a pretty funny title:

“Men’s Health Clinic in Tokyo is focused on testosterone (male hormone), is Japan’s first clinic to increase the male force.”

When it comes to my scalp, I definitely wish I had the female force rather than the male force!

It seems like besides the Men’s Health Clinic Tokyo, there are a number of other places in Japan that cater to men suffering from hair loss (e.g., Azabu Skin Clinic and Hair Medical and Shibuya Clinic).

101 thoughts on “High-resolution MRI to Track Treatment of Baldness — Men’s Health Clinic Tokyo”

    1. haha! why is your name notbaldingyet? I though everyone on this blog is on the way to baldness and just desperate to get a cure asap. In my case, I went from a head full of hair to a completely bald crown within one year. Must say that really sucks but I am keeping my confidence sky high.

        1. I’m 19. I come to this blog a lot, because it’s really interesting. I’m not balding yet, but I can see that a lot of my uncles, dad, and grandparents have lost some hair. So I like coming here to keep updated and stay informed to I can have the best option to prevent mine.

          1. My friend, as soon as you think your hair is starting to fall, Finasteride or better, Avodart.. don’t lose time. Cause it works if it is in the begining, ONLY!!! save your hair ok!!

      1. Hey “not balding yet”, do yourself a huge favor and get off this site until you actually start balding. The past two years have been thr most depressing years of my life since my hair loss stsrted and coming to this sir every day has become an obsession in hopes to seeing a cure bring released but to only see the same old 5 to 10 yrs. Why thr fk would you come on here for fun. If I wasn’t balding in would be out smashing bitches and getting my balls locked like how I did in my twenties. Everyone in my family is bald or balding and I never went on these sites before I started losing my hair. I went to a doctor who prescribed me propecia which worked for 12 yrs. My advice to you is stop coming on here before you jinx yourself and wake up with your hair all over your pillow. I don’t want to sound mean but it’s good advice I’m giving you kid :)

        1. mjones, let the guy!! He is doing the right thing, worrying before is too late! If you had started sooner your situation could be better, as you knew your parents had this problem, all of your family, as you say, you knew you wouldn’t be spared and then should have started even before seeing the first signs of hair loss starting.

          Notbaldingyet, you’re very welcomed here.. you’re smart, boy!! take care of your hair, go to a dermatologist and start the sooner the better to use what is available today. Propecia is a GREAT MEDICINE, it works, don’t give ears to those who keep saying it is terrible, has side effects, all BULL SHIT of people who didn’t take care at the right time and only after losing a lot of hair went to try it, and off course it didn’t give them the lost hair back, cause it’s not made for that, it is for PREVENTION.. you’re lucky boy, you still can save your hair, DO IT.. go to see a doctor first, but do something NOW!!! don’t wait for these treatments, we never know when they will be, and IF they will ever be, released, or how effective they will be… If you don’t do something before balding starts, then later is too late. Don’t listen to those who detract from Finasteride and/or Minoxidil.. Most of them do that because IT’S TOO LATE..

          1. Mjones I appreciate your advise, but I feel like if I want to visit this site for like 15 minutes every few days then I can. And thanks for your advise julian, but idk about taking propecia, when the time comes. There seems to mounting evidence of PFS.

          2. Propecia and minoxidil both have terrible side effects. I wouldn’t call it even side effects, it’s the normal effect of surpressing a hormone, I got the self called “sides” first day on 0.25 mg. It works sure, and it destroys your hormones too.

        2. It’s so pathetic how people who are in a more advanced balding stage reacts, total pack of self esteeme, jealousy and hatred towards people with hair. It is normal to feel that to some degree but be a man and keep it to yourself. From a guy with a full head of hair who is starting to see signgs of thining, that’s why I’m here.

        3. I started noticing a receding hair line and a thinning crown a few years ago. Since I’ve noticed, I’ve buzzed my hair every single morning. I’m an all or nothing type of guy. I thought my sex life would take a hit, but it hasn’t. I still check this site out often, for updates and hope for a cure- but I also know that if I lose it all, it won’t be the end. I am still self conscience. I wish I wasn’t.

  1. Interesting post but slightly misleading headline: it should be “detect” or “measure” baldness rather than “treat”. Still, it would be be nice to see more objective ways to evaluate miniaturization and follicle health. Great blog by the way, thanks a lot for a great resource for us DHT-ravaged readers

    1. I think it is a valuable tool, as the adm. says, I agree.. but for trials only, in my view. If a treatment works consistently it will show off sometime, and won’t take long. You’d perceive it with a few weeks. So, not necessary, after some medicine has sure proof.

    1. Male force is good but make your hairs go to the drain because testosterone becomes DHT and.. you know. That’s the meaning.

    1. That is the question you should ask a prophet, or God, if you may have a word with Him… Do you want a guess, it will make you sleep better.. Nobody knows my friend… it’s all just HOPE here.

  2. So this Japanese thing doesn’t do shot but count hairs. I found this new wnt treatment being released in Italy and is studied by Dr Cole who said it should come out here this year. It’s called DELTACRIN. It’d a capsule and topical. Supposedly it works no better than rogaine but at least it’s something that might help not just count how bald we are with radiation mri.

    1. This is big bull shit jones, don’t buy it, please man. If WNT will ever work somehow it will be Samumed the one who will make it.

      This is another snake oil shit, believe me.

        1. yeah.. overtime you hear/read the word NATURAL go away man… don’t lose your time.

          You know what NATURE does to your hair already… it takes it away, it makes it fall… So NATURAL won’t bring it back.

    1. you’ll spray it and you’ll see no hair after 6 months you’re like POPEYE… lol

      This is crap man.. it looks like, sounds like, talk like, smells like, tastes like… C’mon. You’re cunning boy!!

    1. Hi Paul, just one serious question.

      I sometimes see you post that (a) good treatment(s) is (are) coming within 1 or 2 years.

      Do you think / know HSC of Histogen is one of those?

    1. yeah Guest, it does the same thing a magnifying glass does, but it is expensive and full of shit, just that!

      sorry adm, but that’s my opinion.

  3. I see Ralf Paus is already mentioned in the post called ” Hair Loss Research Around The World”.

    They cooperate with Boston.

  4. Why can’t follica just come out with a treatment already . I know totally random buy shit they have been out since 2007 and they mentioned on the Today show they would have a treatment on the shelves within 2 years. Well its been 9 years now. More than enough time for clinical trials to fo through and submit for fda approval. If anything they should be out by now or very soon.

  5. mjones, what do you think. They don’t have it. Things weren’t the way they expected. But they’re still working on it, all suggests. Hellouser told us they’re active, just shut up as always, which can be a good sign. We never know. They’re not out of the game, and it’s good to know. Despite it’s taking much longer than they’d predicted it is still possible that a product be released sometime. they’re alive and kicking yet.

  6. So, another day ends without us hearing the so awaited news.. but don’t give up boys… it’ll come someday, and you can be sure it will be just when you least expect it, as always happens…

    Good night guys! Dream with luscious locks of hairs of yours…

  7. In the MRI, anyone know what the thin white layer under the subcutaneous fat layer is? Is it the galea? Whatever it is, it’s clearly thicker under the balding area than in the non-balding.

  8. Someday! I don’t know about u guys but I want my hair while I’m still young, what’s the point of having hair when I’m 50 +? I don’t want to mess with ur hope but this guessing game is getting fcked up.

    1. I would be fine if they discovered the cure later. I just want to keep my hair. I like being able to style it. 5 years ago, it was so lush and thick. I would love to have that again, no matter the age. Age doesn’t matter.

  9. Everybody wants it while still young, Nima, off course. But even so, I prefer getting old with hair anyway. I’d like to be like one of those 150 years old mummy-like indians with a tremendous thick white mane!! I mean, even an ancient full of hair looks younger than an elderly bald man. I want to be 150 and look 99…

  10. My gut feeling tells me we won’t see a stem cell treatment like replicel or susheido for 10 yrs. They keep postponing and to be honest I don’t think they have shit. If they did they would rush like crazy to get it out . Follica at least completed trials. Samumed rushing through quickly. Histogen is 50/50, with me. They got screwed with law suit, but they have showed pics st least of some growth if it’d real growth and not photo editing then it’s quite impressive. Everything else is just far off. The ultimate treatment would be if they could grow hair in a lab and then implant it to our heads. But it seems like growing teeth, skin, vaginas etc is easier to do.

  11. Do you guys think that samumed will work long term or will it only last like 2 to 5 years effectiveness then crap out like minox and propecia

  12. Histogen is fake man….those pictures lol…if it were real they would have released the treatment ages ago…just playing around for funding…look at follicept….they even closed their website….

    1. and they have that funding page, which in the biomed world is a joke level investment, so if they had solid evidence they wouldn’t need such a desperate looking investor “go fund me” type page. Just saying. I trade, and as I said before, I would sell their stock based on that suspect picture, and the fact they only showed the ONE of their best outcome!?. The fact they’ve only raised $26 mill since 2007 says it all. OR MAYBE they are just absolutely terrible at IR and only understand science, not business…but ya, from a numbers perspective, wouldn’t bet they have anything game changing.

    1. So true farhan. It would have been out in 2013 like how they originally had it set on their website. Jak better work and Christiano better release evidence that it does asap! Just to give us hope we have a chance at some point in the near future to grow back our hair. I still have a ton of faith in samumed since they have been hurling through trials faster than any company. Always a good sign.

  13. We dont know yet wheter samumed will work or neither how the results will look like so its for me pointless to know it is for long time or not if the results are similar to minox.
    I hope they show us very good results and photos and not like photos from histogen

  14. I have an off topic question, what you think about this guy, swisstemples. He writes a blog, in which he shows his prostaglandin method, seems like a mixed up method which is strongely based on dr cotsarelis work. He has written on his block that the year of cure is 2016. We already know that dr cots has generate new hair follicles via wounding in mouse and human, is it possible that swisstemples figured out and generate new hair follicles on himself?

  15. Swiss puts in a lot of work for minimal results. The most promising part about his research is that he is probably working with a very rough understanding of what Dr. Cots is doing, and yet, he has managed to regrow hair in places he has not had hair in over 10 years. This means that it is possible to regrow hair in slick bald areas. So, Dr. Cots, hopefully, will have the real deal.

  16. U are right Julian, of course even I prefer to have hair in my old ages instead of being bald, perhaps I’m just being dramatic .this hair loss crap is getting to me more and more everyday and nothing is interesting in life like before.its been a long time that I’m just waiting and waiting and I can’t stop thinking about the fact that after years of waiting we have nothing in hand and not even sure when we would have something in market and if it will be effective. Its hard to handle this pressure sometimes.sorry if my negative words happen to disturb ur hopes guys just ignore it since they are coming from an stressful depressed mind .

  17. Nima, think positive man! It could always be way worse, e.g. Serious health threatening conditions. There are tons of bald guys out there taking life by the horns! I’m 21 and edging in on NW3, hair shedding all the time, and it bugs the hell out of me some days. On those days I go to bed early, then get up early and hit the gym. I always feel a little better at breakfast even if I had a bad workout! Don’t let mpb take more than its due, man! You’re still a man (or woman)! My goal is to be 100% indifferent to my head by the time the cure comes around, but in the mean time don’t give up hope! Live life! Make money, drink wine, read good books, do what you love! We are all gonna make it!

  18. Ggg, I’m sure this is not for real. It’s a normal transplant with another name to fool people as always… stem cells alone don’t grow hair.. Stem cells are intact in a bald scalp, Cotsarelis has proved that already. According to his studies, it is the progenitor cells that are lacking in there.

    Why transplanting stem cells to a place where they are all there already?

  19. Fyi guys this researcher at Harvard supposedly found a treatment for longevity and it was supposed to cure age related diseases and stuff. He was forced to shut down his research and the university defunded him. Weird right? I wonder if this is the case with us. Maybe some research for mpb was happening some point and it worked and it was forced to be shelved. I know you guys hate my conspiracy theories but think about it. Weird this Harvard researcher got shut down after discovery such a great discovery of longevity that can make us live 100 more years

  20. Guys I really appreciate ur concern and positive words, needed it more than u can imagine , well let’s just hope one of these companies come up with something useful soon.

  21. Speaking of stem cell, anyone heard anything new from shiseido or replicell? I don’t take histogen seriously and personally believe they aren’t even close to what they claim but shiseido and replicell are far more interesting and considering the fact that they said they will have the cure by 2018 makes me think they know what they’re doing.any thoughts?

    1. I hope they don’t release pictures, just data! I always get disappointed with pictures.. always! please Samumed.. just data!!

  22. I found interesting how you compare the possibility to live 100 more years with the conspiracy theory, i mean 100 more years means paying more taxes, working longer for companies. You know a human needs about 20-25 years depends on his education, to actually being capable to get work and get these people longer to work could be the goal for companies but it is possible that the pharma companies dont want to release a cure for mpb.

  23. And why nk if the cure, as long its IP is totally safe, why they would keep from earning BILLIONS and BILLIONS of all the currencies that exist!!!! just tell me!

  24. L”OREAL is a big pharma, isn’t? Don’t you think it would sell much more shampoo and conditioners if all the people had more hair??

    I mean, there way much more converging interests in this case than you might think..

  25. Can’t believe you guys talking about conspiracy theories… Jeeez.. What is this some kind of movie.. I think baldness has taken some people to their nervous system

  26. I really dont believe in conspiracy things but i dont want shut this thought down because i have no information so i cant say wheter its true or neither is false but i agree with you. if a better treatment or something is created so it is better for everyone especially for big pharma companies to release it because so many fake drugs will sold out there and if something really good comes out none of this scammers will make money, only the big pharma comp.

  27. I just find it odd that you hear about all these cancer research studies of advanced treatment that practically cure cancer then these researchers disappear. Their breakthroughs shelved. It’s fked up that the fda won’t allow anything better than chemo. Maybe the same with baldness? But I believe they will allow a much better drug for hair loss because it will bring in billions of dollars but I won’t ever expect a full one time stop cure for hair loss. No money in one time cures.

  28. You may worry about the cure never be found… but please, don’t mind that if it is, it is hidden. C’mon man…

      1. A one time cure would make a lot of money. If you compare 10 years on finasteride… idk like $1000-$2000. Just think of a one time cure that costs $10,000 or even $20,000. That is so much more money made by the industry. And if it’s effective, more than the current 7% of the population would seek treatment. Don’t entertain conspiracy theories. It’s flipping crazy. Curing things aren’t as easy as you think. It’s really hard. There are so many things we don’t have cures for. It takes a lot of money to research and conduct trials. So imagine a company trying to get money to solve a really hard problem… yeah not so easy. Patience, one day it’ll be here. Until then, we can only hope.

  29. I could go on and on and on about my reasoning but it’s Friday night and I am going to hit a few clubs. Just ask yourself why there hasn’t been any advances in cancer treatment aside from chemo, why is there no cure for aids with all this research, why are we still using hair loss treatments from 20 to 30 yrs ago ? None of you question that someone or something doesn’t want a full cure out for any of these issues. It’s just weird with billions of dollars spent on research and we are still using practically the same methods for treating these diseases.

      1. I recently read that they are very close to curing AIDS actually. But once again, in the history of medicine we’ve probably only “cured” a handful of major diseases. There are so many things that needs to be cured, not just baldness. Baldness sucks, I know, but I would rather the majority of research going into life treating diseases. In the big picture, we’re lucky. A lot of people have it worse.

  30. Life thrives on hope. I am from Northeast India, and I have been visiting this site for the past few years on a regular basis, however, this is my first comment( quite a proud moment :) ). And yeah, everybody here( including the huge no. Of stalkers), though might not actually admit it, is waiting for something much better than fin and minox. The hackneyed expression ‘ hope for the best yet expect the worst’ befits the current scenario of advancement in hairloss cure. What I am actually trying to imply is that, all the pessimistic people in here, should stop giving discouraging opinions. Period.

  31. I know what Mjones trying to say. A year ago, one old lady (around 80s) told me: son, do you know that if countries wanted to stop producing illegal drugs they could do it long time ago but then there will be not need for cops that much !! She said do you think that all the money that is going for curing cancer is being used for research ?! Son some money is being stolen. Am not saying anything but telling you guys what the lady told me

    1. Thank you khourli! My point is exactly what that old lady said. There is a lot behind the scenes that is blocking a current cure or future one that could stop baldness and other diseases. I just don’t believe that they can’t grow more hair on our scalp after all these years . It’s insane. If they really can’t figure out why hairloss happens after all these years then my friends we are doomed because our researchers are way way behind. I mean shit they just realized hair follicles are still alive on thr scalp lol. It took then millions of dollars of research yo look at bald man scalp to see that follicle are there just really tiny and miniaturized lol. It’s like they are purposely stalling any advancement! Christiano puts jak inhibitors last place for research and tests areata instead. It’s like just put jak on a mpb man head so we can see if it works! Wtf! Why wait 3 years to see if it works! Noooooo she has to make a press release, wait a year, trial it , wait another year then say it works or doesn’t. If it works then put it through fda trials which takes 6 to 9 years. Then shit gets stalled. You guys see my point now?

  32. I said in another post: I have a conversation with one of the most important dermatologist/doctor in USA. They said me: We have in a few years a new treatment. Maybe a cure. That’s not wrong! :)

    1. Phoenix you said it was this year or the latest next year for mpb cure or new treatment. Now u are saying in a few years. Personally I think you are pulling numbers put your ass. I asked top dermatologist at university of Pennsylvania and she told me in 5 years we will have a stem cell activation hair loss treatment. She said specifically it wouldn’t be a cure. I asked another top dermatologist last fall about when hair cloning aka treatment like replicel would be available and he said within 20 yrs you will be able to grow unlimited hairs. So none of them said next year. He mentioned that latisse might be available very soon. Which is a freaking joke of a treatment but I wouldn’t be surprised if that prediction is true because I wouldn’t be surprised if the fda approved a worthless treatment like that for us

  33. Mjones we have a lot of players in this game. Think about that. Something is changing…is inevitable. We have a new treatment 100 % SURE.

  34. Even without anyone crying about JAK inhibitor the comments are still mostly of complaints and conspiracy garbage which has nothing to do with the article the admin posted. I check the comments to see if anyone has found a new study or useful information the admin may have overlooked but that’s rarely the case.
    The cure will come when it comes. And when it does even those who have never heard of this blog will benefit from it too. Just be thankful because of blogs like this we’re better educated and won’t fall for any snake oil that was invented by a former fighter plane pilot who cured his bird’s alopecia and sort.

  35. “Just ask yourself why there hasn’t been any advances in cancer treatment aside from chemo, why is there no cure for aids with all this research, why are we still using hair loss treatments from 20 to 30 yrs ago ?”

    Because modern medicine today is generally reactive rather than preventative. Most medicines work by attempting to offer treatment for an illness rather than preventing it from happening in the first place. Preventative methods are the future of medicine, but for now reactive medicines are as for a we can go. So for certain conditions, such as AIDs and MPB, it’s already too late once you get it. Never mind the fact that you’re ignoring all of the countless treatments and cures modern medicine has brought. But, no, there’s no cure for baldness so that HAS TO mean the big pharma companies are all in on some big Illuminati conspiracy.

    So why do people prefer Mjones over Nasa again exactly? All Mjones does is complain, weigh us down with negativity, and rants on about his stupid conspiracy theories. At least, Nasa offered optimism. There are people worst off in hair loss than you, so your cynicism isn’t justifiable.

    1. It’s not about preferring NASA or Mjones, in fact it’s about who make sense more. When nasa says JAK will be the cure in 2016, I mean come on! There is no evidence that will work for MPB even if it does it won’t be released in 2016. In addition, JAK inhibitors may not cure all AA sufferers and remember everyone responds different with medication. According to cots a new treatment will be in the market in next five years but the cure may take 10+. So when mjones says the cure will take longer time to be on the market he is just being realistic about it and not only he says that but top researchers say that( except if something was discovered accidentally and became a cure).

  36. I see a kind of an optimism in mjones thought too. When you believe jn conspiracy thoughts so you couldbe soure that a cure for mpb is found but its hidden from no one knows who.

  37. so from reading all this ..i understand that fin wont work. and everyone is waiting for something new to come around..i have a bottle of fin right here and was about to take my first pill..but since it has mad sides..i guess its time to ldar

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