Lasers, Wavelength and Hair Growth

I have covered lasers and hair growth on this blog a number of times in the past. A spate of new studies on this subject suggest an emphasis on laser light wavelength during treatment.

New Low Level Laser Therapy Hair Studies

When people discuss laser treatments for hair loss, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) is usually what they mean. There have been many studies done in the past that show LLLT to be beneficial towards scalp hair growth. However, a large number of those studies have been of subpar quality (e.g., small sample size, bad photos) or biased (e.g., sponsored by a laser device manufacturer).

So this subject remains somewhat controversial. However, in the past month, three new studies have been published in support of low level laser therapy to treat hair loss:

  • A 2017 study from China concluded that low level laser therapy stimulates hair growth in mice via upregulating the expression of Wnt10b and β-catenin. Hair follicle count remained the same in LLLT treated mice versus untreated mice, but hair length increased in the former. If this holds true in humans, perhaps LLLT can really make existing hair stronger and less likely to die from the attack by dihydrotestosterone (or at least prolong the battle). However, long-lost hair is probably not going to return from LLLT.
  • A 2017 study from Iran tested a new laser scanner device (with a combination 655 nm red laser plus 808 nm infrared laser) by comparing it with a 655 nm red light laser hat. Both products led to hair growth benefits, but the laser scanner was superior. So laser wavelength may make a difference in outcome.
  • A 2017 study from Egypt on female hair loss sufferers found that combination LLLT+Minoxidil 5% treatment led to the better outcomes (measured via Ludwig scale classification and patient satisfaction) in comparison to LLLT only or Minoxidil 5% only treatments.

LLLT Wavelength: Blue Light > Red Light?

A 2017 study via a European collaboration effort found that a UV-free blue light laser (453 nm wavelength) led to hair growth via prolongation of the anagen phase of the hair cycle, but a red light laser (689 nm length) did not do the same. Update: February 2021 — From the same scientists, a new study on blue light, cryptochrome 1 (CRY1) and hair growth.

This result is surprising since most commercially available LLLT laser products (combs, caps, helmets) are of around 650 nm wavelength (i.e., in the red light spectrum). Interestingly, a 2015 study from South Korea found that 830 nm laser was superior to lower wavelength lasers (of 632 nm, 670 nm and 785 nm) when it came to hair growth in rats.

LLLT Light Wavelength
LLLT Laser Wavelength Spectrum.

The above mentioned European study also made an important finding: “We provide the first evidence that OPN2 and OPN3 are expressed in human hair follicles”.

Update: A November 2021 report finds that photobiomodulation response from 660 nm is more durable than that from 980 nm.

Update: A June 2021 report finds that blue light therapy is a promising therapy for patients affected by androgenetic alopecia. Moreover, blue light-emitting diodes seem to darken grey hair in some people.

Combining Fractional CO2 Laser and Hair Growth Factors

I discussed fractional lasers and hair growth in a post in 2015. Now a new study from China finds that a combination treatment using carbon dioxide fractional laser treatment plus growth factors is significantly superior to using growth factors alone.

124 thoughts on “Lasers, Wavelength and Hair Growth”

    1. The problem I see with this is the company’s name right now is kind of misleading. They are not cloning follicles and giving you back hair for transplantation giving you an unlimited donor supply in which you can possibly have a full head of hair back, they are cloning cells which they will inject back into the scalp in hopes that it rejuvenates miniaturized follicles. This method does not sound (I could be wrong) like it will sprout your hair back from a complete smooth baldness but maybe catch some follicles in time and reverse the miniaturization so to me it’s not really a cure all but could be considered one if your not already very noticeable diffused or have any bald spots/areas.

      1. How do you figure this? They’ve been adamant from day one and in any interview or Q&A I’ve read with Paul Kemp, that they do plan on actually multiplying hair; your description is more in line with RepliCel and Shiseido. Even Tsuji is multiplying and culturing cells in 3D that, when injected, should give rise to new follicles.

        It’s just that Hair Clone hasn’t even said what kind of cells they plan to copy, what culturing method they will use or any of that.

        I WANT to believe, but I’d be lying if I said I had unwavering confidence in a team whose business model is charging you to bank cells for when and if they actually devise a feasible method. Paul Kemp said they don’t even know if they’ll use 3D culturing or what, but they want to begin a trial this year?

        Please.

    1. There is no need to buy one. You can make one. Get the biggest torch you can, get 3 pieces of transparent cellotape and colour one in completely in red and the other two in blue. Then stick on the blue to cover the torch light, then the red one on top, then the other blue on top of that. You now have a UV light. To test it, buy a cheap UV pen and write something with it then use the torch to read it. It’s a good way of writing secret messages!

      1. No. Wish it were that simple. A “torch” aka flashlight, probably (read “definitely”) will not penetrate the scalp enough to provide cellular activity that these studies and products claim is necessary to promote actual growth. It’d look cool though!

  1. Hi admin, thank you for posting about lasers. I have always had an interest in their healing abilities. I really believe lasers can produce great regrowth, they just need to find the right level and type. I don’t know if you remember but there was a study done about 5 years ago about laser hair removal lasers actually being tweaked to grow robust amounts of hair. Do you remember that study? It was all over the placr then it just disappeared. I bet it worked to well and it got shut down. Anywho great article!

    1. Hey mjones, in several of my past posts on lasers, I discuss the phenomenon of laser hair removal causing the opposite effect and increasing body hair. I also linked to some threads about this from the hair removal forums at hairtell.com

      I do not remember the study you mention, but it would not surprise me if one existed.

      1. Thank you for posting! I’m building my own comb/helmet with the standard 650nm laser diodes that most FDA cleared products use but also adding several other wavelengths as well as these are repeatedly mentioned as being more effective than 650nm: 830nm, 780nm and 670nm. Might add 785nm. Doing my own initially based on cost of market products but now also because I’ve learned they cannot get FDA clearance on the more effective wavelengths due to safety concerns.
        The hard part is finding laser diodes at the right size and cost to do this. I’m ordering from a certain company and I’m hopeful for success. My concern is, these small diodes work on a ~3V power source and I am trying to figure out if that’s too much or too little output to be effective. Typical efficacy figures list Joules/area or similar and I hope my mfgr will be able to tell me what my output is in those terms. I will try to post results here but, in the meantime, anyone who’d like to try this for themselves can find DIY laser cap on YouTube. I’m going with a comb because- despite the fact that the most celebrated comb mfgr initially said that caps don’t work because they don’t move the hair out of the way but is NOW making a cap – I believe the laws of physics tell us that you’ve got to get past the hair to be effective at activating cellular processes that create growth opportunities.
        Thanks again – best of luck to my fellow balding sufferers!
        ~The Reaper

        1. Thanks for taking the initiative Reaper! Please keep us updated. If you are on Discord, you can also join our chat if you desire.

  2. Fractional CO2 laser is what they use in skin resurfacing to blast away old, damaged skin and reveal newer, younger-looking skin below. I wonder if this is a type of wounding procedure? It does peel away top layers so maybe Follica is experimenting with fractional CO2?

    1. Follica is most likely using some sort of laser for the wounding process, the non-Cots co-founder is a laser guy…

  3. LLLT always sounds good in theory but, as I’m sure many of the guys on here can attest to, it has absolutely no effects in practice. Having tried the Hairmax for 6 months (which fell in the scientifically validated nm parameters for hair growth) and had 0 results, I honestly wouldn’t waste my time on it any more. As convenient as it would be, I just don’t think this all stacks up.

  4. Why? Why are they STILL studying treatments that we already have available instead of focusing their effort and funding on finding new treatments? This is getting so frustrating.

  5. Dont get me wrong, I appreciate @admins work as much as the rest of you. But these recent articels (SMP, lazers etc.) stands as a good representation of the progress in the hair loss industry. Like @Ana said, same old. We’r half way through 2017 and still dont know anything about any new treatment that might work. We’r all still fumbling around in complete darkness arguing with eachother…feels kinda pathetic.

    1. “Ana” is “Sussana” is “Susana” is “Susnna” FYI. Do not ever take her too seriously just because she now uses a different name…If I did not delete many of her comments, I would probably have a comment acceptance rate of 98 percent :-) With her included, it goes down to 95 percent :-(

      For all I know, Ana/Sussana/Susana/Susnna might not even be a woman. Sometimes she does have useful comments (or at least no insulting comments) and I leave them…but please try not to reply to her and feed the troll.

      Lasers, PRP, wigs, hair transplants, massage, natural treatments, robots, wounding etc… have all been covered on this blog many times from day 1. Not sure why you think it is all recent considering that you are among the 5 most frequent commentators (and visitors?) on here Spanky.

      1. For what it’s worth I love your posts (and the majority of the comments from the ‘regulars’); explains why I’m here all the time.

  6. I have a home LLLT decide I bought a few years ago in the red light spectrum. I tried it for about 6 months for 10 mins per day 3 times a week as instructed. Noticed absolutely no effect on hair growth. At he time I hadn’t shaved my head and I was hoping this would stop the shedding but it didnt. I always wondered whether home devices could ever match in clinic lasers.

  7. The ablation Is indeed a form of wounding which is an interesting concept in conjunction with the excitation of the tissue.

    I wouldn’t be keen on using UV light which over time would age the skin and likely lead to a longer term acceleration of hair loss.

  8. @rancidmango did you enroll in the setipiprant trial? I believe you were interested several months ago.

    1. @Tom I was going to enroll, but they didnt have it open to apply for months and I just kept losing more hair. Since I had no idea when they would actually let me sign up and if I would even be chosen, I decided to jump back on fin to try it again. So they wouldnt let me enroll due to me being on a treatment.

      1. Finasteride kills your testosterone, btw. I’m taking test shots – which I think accelerated my hair loss – and my trusted Army medic doc said it’s pointless to take both. Hair today, gone tomorrow!

  9. @rancid mango: thanks for replying. Sorry u had to go back on fin. I would consider signing up as I’m not on treatments however I can’t figure out how to. Sounds Dumb however it isn’t clear at all.

  10. I thought laser didnt do much first time i tried it. Second time i already basically “knew” that it didnt do much yet my doctor told me to try it. I tried it again (this time i had been in fin for a couple years) and was also taking high dose epicatechin. Second time I got impressive hair regrowth so I think fin, epi and lllt are quite synergistic. I saw my before and after pics a few weeks ago and was shocked of how drastic the difference was. It happened so slowly that I had no idea just how large it really was. I highly reccommed trying this combo if you havent.

    1. Follistatin (drastically raised in the bloodstream by epi) stops bmp from blocking wnt effect and other growth factor effects.

    2. Interesting….thought epicatchetin might have a Strong Hair Loss effect through increasing vascular efficiency. Can buy it as a topical i think too. What supp do you Use?

      1. Yes various studies point toward increased peripheral vascularity from epicatechin. High protein (arginine/citrulline) can help synergistically too via increased NO potential.

    1. Not sure if it would be prudent to take directly or at least not for long periods. Its also probably difficult or near impossible to get. Histogens key ingredient is follistatin though so perhaps if you sign up for a trial!

      I take epi which raised follistatin but its not follistatin per se.

        1. Hold the phone … FECAL transplants? Finally when I get called a sh!thead, it’ll really mean something!

    1. Not a surprise at all in my opinion. Do enough reading on the subject and immune system involvement is pretty apparent. Some hesitation for me is in lieu of the fact that oral tofacitnib caused a man with AGA and AA to regrow hair back in his AGA damaged pattern. But this isn’t a covalently bound inhibitor specific to jak3, in fact it’s has higher affinity for Jak1 than jak3.

      As I’ve harped on before, maybe you need a strong ultra selective jak3 inhibitor that also must somehow make it to damaged hair follicles and their stem cell/dp crosstalk. Devascularization occurs early in AGA, and the follicle makes its way up into the epidermis, which would prevent an oral jak inhibitor from being as effective. You need it as a topical to get the medicine in the right place to the damaged follicles.

      This also fits in with the fact that in AGA according to cotsarelis stem cells stay in tact in bald men and women with AGA. So the problem is just their activation/disregulation, not the lack of stem cells. This is important because at least to me it suggests that finding this should mean it can be reversed (much like a baby/toddler that undergoes vellus head hair to terminal head hair transition very early in life, in AGA it’s just in reverse, and driven by dihydrotestosterone causing the reversal).

      1. Also interesting that the gene encoding this protein is very close to 20p11, which is where the 2nd biggest at risk snp region in European men with AGA is located ( and the largest at risk snp region in men not of European lineage). Could mean nothing location wise, but interesting

      2. Would you mind giving me your thoughts on which wavelengths and intensities are best for LLLT to generate new growth? I’m building my own comb and have sourced the laser diodes after researching a bit but you sound really knowledgeable. Thanks!

  11. Anyone else notice how Jamie Foxx suddenly got all his hair back within the last couple of years? I wonder what he did….

    1. Looked Jamie up and it’s a good question! Highly possible it’s just a cosmetic solution like spray on hair fibres as a few of the pics show slightly different ‘new; hairlines.

  12. Basement Membrane Matrix Promotes the Efficiency of Hair Follicle Reconstruction In Vivo and Is a Cell Delivery Vehicle for Follicle Regeneration.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28541264

    BACKGROUND:
    The efficiency of hair follicle (HF) reconstruction is decreased by extensive apoptotic remodeling that occurs soon after grafting.
    OBJECTIVE:
    To evaluate a basement membrane matrix (matrix) to improve the efficiency of HF reconstruction and serve as a cell delivery vehicle.
    CONCLUSION:
    The matrix improved the efficiency of HF reconstruction and was a suitable delivery vehicle of cells for HF engineering.

    1. Yes, but pessimistic because everything depends on one company’s decisions now it seems.

      Hope some rogue researcher/scientist also tries developing and testing a topical JAK.

      1. I’d second that. I’m much more pessimistic about FDA regulations than the science behind it. Its the timeline that could (or could not) be the holdback

      2. @admin Concert Pharmaceuticals is in direct competition with Aclairis. I was reading somewhere that they are in phase 2 of a topical jak application. They’re geared towards AA treatment but the topical could still yield some answers.

  13. Infrared is known to penetrate cm into tissue, but blue (visible) light should just bounce off the skull. Perhaps then blue laser is being mostly absorbed by scalp epithelium where as you would expect most of the infrared to be absorbed by the blood under the skull, i.e. in the brain. (This is how NIRS works)

      1. Yeah, if he never took it, i think i was the runner up and i live and have consulted with dr rappaport. Would i still be able to take his place if he never went?

        1. Seems like the UK winner never flew in :-((

          I have asked Dr. Rapaport’s representative to select you “Emperor Alopecia”. Most likely they will e-mail you at the same address you communicated to me with in the past.

  14. I built a 100 laser (650 nm wavelength) helmet a few years ago. It’s pretty easy to do for anyone with basic electrical skills. The cost is a fraction of any commercial device, but comparable in specs.

    Still, I stopped using it due to underwhelming results that did not seem to be greater than the effects of minoxidil alone. The hassle of use (a daily, stationary routine) and maintenance (swapping out dead lasers) combined with my suspicion of the science lead me to stop using it.

    That’s one of the strange challenges we face, isn’t it? Balancing short-term observations and anecdotes against a long -term therapeutic outcome promised by marginal science? I think a lot of people abandon therapies because the effects are so subtle and slow.

    The conflicting findings about light wavelengths is curious and somewhat perturbing. I wonder if ethnicity/skin pigmentation has an effect on individual results?

  15. @admin: More delays. Pathetic industry.

    I believe that pharmacists or investors are not aware of the positive impact of a new androgenetic effective treatment. There are only good things. Launch a new product!
    I think the delays are bad. The competition is huge…

    https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03004469?term=androgenetic+alopecia&rank=56

    Actual Study Start Date: July 2016
    Estimated Study Completion Date: February 2018
    Estimated Primary Completion Date: February 2018 (Final data collect).

  16. Nice find Paul phoenix. Good thing is that phase 3 is fairly short roughly 7 months. If follica starts their phase 3 trial this fall, then hopefully it will be completed sometime early spring or sooner. It seems like they have marketing, packaging, distribution all figured out with ht doctors, dermatologists etc. I’m still very positive about them.

  17. Thanks @mjones. Maybe you are right. Thanks for the comment.
    The delays are constant but there is no reason to be pessimistic about a new treatment in 2018.

  18. @mjones The Polichem Trial (for this already known and approved chemical as new topical) actually is about 20 Months Long which is quite bad News for the other systemical and new Treatments as we know JAK inh., Stem Cells, KROX, FOXO, Tregs aso. I expect new Treatments to be available in Europe and US arriving in 2018 which stop Hair loss and give slighly Growth. Real Hair Growth will be achieved by using a mix of different Drugs. Probably new topical cremes of JAK Inh. for Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis will also help. They are quite far in Trials already and will come in the next 2 years. So finally I think the first mix will be 3 topicals like Brotzu, Reboost and Polichem together with 3 Supplements like Nutrafol, Rivertown and any new Kind of Algae. Real treatments like the famous Trials in Japan will come later starting in 2019.

  19. The mechanisms these TREGS are involved in, fit in the story.
    The KROX research, the TREGS study, and the FOXO4-DRI findings, together will form the base of the AGA solution.

    I am waiting for the time that scientists dare to admit that AGA is a disease, because they can no longer deny that when the immune system is involved (immune system involvement has been questioned by quite a lot of people on here). If AA is a disease, then AGA is too.

    Forget about that.

    I just have three question (related to the immune response) for you guys/girls:
    – which area of your scalp is balding (front / mid / crown)?
    – which area / part is painful sometimes (none / front / mid / crown)?
    – how fast is that area balding (slowly / mildly/ agressive)?

    1. I will go first:
      – Crown _ Right Temple
      – Crown is painful _ Right Temple is not painful
      – Crown agressive _ Right Temple slowly

      1. When I was full of hair but receding, at 17, hair albeit thick was more difficult to comb and much curlier than it was till 13 and 14. In part my hairline type has always been that “receding type”, though. As I said, at 17 the top of my head was very seborrhoical and irritated, the follicles were targeted already. Now at 30 they thinned to a Nw 5, with a few dark but short hair on the crown and front and mostly vellus the rest.
        The sides stayed high, though.

    2. Area: All over the top is diffusely thinning.

      Pain: Everything is painful. Even the wind blowing in my hair makes me scream. Don’t even dare to touch my hairline, because that hurts even more. (And people claim its no disease..)

      Tempo: Very aggressive, I believe.

    3. -Balding pretty much all over except back.
      -my crown and one particular spot in the frontal area get a burning/numbing/very irritating feeling
      -Was always balding but became very aggressive in the past 2 years even after taking fin

      I’ve always had inflammation biomarkers tested in my blood and mine is double the norm at the moment and I believe inflammation to be an immune response. I think there is definitely some form of correlation

  20. I believe getting LLLT is more natural than not getting lllt given that its part of natural sunlight (of course without the uvs!).

  21. Area: all over the top
    Pain: actually there is no pain anymore because it’s…..dead :/
    Just hope we are not.

  22. I think my hair loss is immune related too. I also have had problems with red marks and a dry face from acne. =(

  23. I also have skin problems since my early teens (acne, dry skin etc.)

    @admin: How about a poll who has skin problems and is also balding? Would definitely be interesting to determine the correlation.

    1. Hi Jerome, good idea. I have mentioned in the past that maybe MPB patients with significant itching and flakes could also have an immune system component to their hair loss.

    2. I have had dandruff, acne, hair thining. I actually asked this exact question in last weeks post. I would bet they are related. Definitely hormones, but what else…

  24. Aclaris Therapeutics, Inc. at Jefferies Global Healthcare Conference Thursday, June 8, 2017 3:30 p.m. ET

    Last year at the same time Dr.Neal Walker clearly said:
    “We will be developing a topical JAK inhibitor for androgenetic alopecia, and the data on that is quite interesting in that they found that the systemic JAK inhibitor does not work for that particular indication, but the topical does, mainly as a function of the target being more superficial in the skin and not really accessible from a systemic circulation.”

    https://www.hairlosscure2020.com/jefferies-2016-healthcare-conference-dr-neal-walker-confirms-that-topical-jak-inhibiters-will-be-tested-on-androgenic-alopecia-patients/

    There will be a webcast presentation:
    http://www.aclaristx.com/events-and-webcasts

    Since Dr.Walker clearly said that a topical does work for AGA I am very curious if there will be some new information about decernotinib.

    1. Crispr is def tru all chemical companies and monsanto and preparing for it. A new agricultural (and medical) revolution is under way for the 2020’s

    1. Yeah, it’s true that it’s genetical and related to testosterone, but the point it Dht triggers the immuno response somehow. If it’s testosterone alone, how comes many people start balding over 40 or even over 50? It’s not the same, imho as the predisposition to say either grow a hairy chest or not, as that happens before 30 top.
      Though I also found that as my hair loss advanced, some chest hair started to grow, even on my neck, lol. Before my 20’s I has only a handful on center chest and quite shorts. Then I got many on shoulders and a few sparse here and there on the chest, but they got quit long. Even the upper arm got one or two hair standing out among the rest of dark but peachfuzzy hair. It’s like some phenomenon of androgenization continued. My cranium, luckily kept a regular shape and the features stayed gentle. But I definitely noticed some people who got bald, you would say, when they had hair they would have looked cool even shaved, but then approaching 30, not talking about wrinkles, but their features got harder when they got bald, as if bone growth continued to some lesser extent.
      Not that I subscribe to crackpot theory, but it seems http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ajhb.1310040109/abstract, I stress, not sure of the universal validity of this study and I also hope not so :), but it serves to show some reference. Although there is bone loss, it seems combined with a partial expansion, more pronounced in males.
      Although that doesn’t explain hair loss near temple points, typical both of advanced baldness and in some people of early frontal parietal loss pattern with doesn’t even evolve in full baldness.

  25. Glad our species is about to cure hairloss, autoimmune disease and cancer to finally put an end to animal testing.

    Only a few million more have to die for human self-enlightenment.

  26. @all: what yo seriously think about this hair cloning news by brits on nbc? seems to be valid? the guy on the video seems very adamant about it.. even they will start trials soon
    are we closer to a cure than 2020?
    the only downside I see with cloning is possible risk of getting tumor.. afterall each hair is like a new organ…

    1. They aren’t cloning anything nor do they have the capability. They’re merely storing stem cells in HOPES of being able to clone in the future. It’s a fluff piece article.. Right up there with ppl getting their heads cryogenically frozen to come back to life later…

  27. Lol looks like crispr is over it will never amount to anything. I remember when bitcoin was 48 cents and all my friends thought it was goofy and every forum was ridiculing it. Bumps happen it sucks but so does life lol

        1. Haha ok. Crispr is the real deal. Billions are pouring into R&d and theres actually already crops and cures that were made w/ crispr.

  28. There are two phrases that always pop up in these new discovery stories that’s like a kick to the nuts.
    ” scientist hope that one day…” and ” testing on humans is still a ways off”

  29. Stem cell plasticity enables hair regeneration following Lgr5+ cell loss.

    https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28553937

    “Utilizing diphtheria-toxin-mediated cell ablation of Lgr5+ (leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5) stem cells, we show that killing of Lgr5+ cells in mice abrogates hair regeneration but this is reversible”.

    1. This is a very interesting find as WNT pathways and Inflamation continue to be discussed a lot in recent research. The comment about CD34 proliferation being reduced by trying to control inflammation is a little confusing. Unless I misread it. Thanks for sharing.

  30. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28536317

    The hair follicle is a complex miniorgan of the skin and undergoes cycles of growth(anagen), apoptosis-mediated regression(catagen)and rest(telogen). Regeneration of the new hair shaft dependent on the activation of hair follicle stem cells(HFSCs), harboured in the bulge region. Using a hair follicle model, some molecular players that control the balance between HFSC maintenance and ageing-associated HFSC dysfunction have been identified. Here, we reviewed and discussed the recent findings of molecular characterization of HFSCs biology and pathology.

  31. MPB patients want a new treatment for decades. Do not listen the pessimists. They waste their time. Accept it. Minoxidil and Finasteride are drugs of the past for MPB. MEDICINE IS PROGRESS.

  32. @champpy

    Cannot agree more. The headline is always really catchy. And somewhere in the article those two phrases are written. This “may” lead to a cure in “humans” some day in the “future”.

    It’s frustrating.

    1. Milking the cow…..

      That whay will never have a cure…. The profit in this is more easy than Invest in reseach ?

  33. Not really relevant to the specific article title, but just reading everything that has come out the past 2 years, this condition (male pattern baldness) is SO VERY CLOSE to being completely irradicated. From the FOXO4 protein preventing senescent cells from killing themselves (allowing the bad factors to be continuously secreted), also this gene is located close to the androgen receptor, to the immune system cells acting in tandem with the stem cell bulge compartment to either promote or repress new follicle formation (along with pigmenting the hair) to the fact that stem cells are still in tact in balding scalp, to the fact that these immune cells promote the right kind of immature fat cells that release growth factors to the fact that abrogating jak/stat signaling reversed muscle degeneration (loss of arector pilli muscle), to the fact that the EXACT cell type has been identified marked and followed that moves down from the stem cell bulge, combines with melanocytes, and is responsible for the developement of the new hair cortex and cuticle (the parts of the hair shaft that undergo miniaturization in AGA, not outer root and inner root sheath)…. WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO BEATING THIS. It truly is an exciting time in my opinion. Stay optomistic.

    1. Matt – you think JAK is going to be the solution?

      All of these recent evidence ONLY seems to point to mainly to JAK’s. Tszui may be a last ditch solution if everything else fails.

      We need the solution this year. I have my fingers crossed on Aclaris solving it very soon.

      1. Hey nasa. I thought Aclaris is only preclinical what makes you think they can hit the market this year?

        1. It won’t hit the market this year period. But it could also be on a “fast track” compared to a normal new medicine timeline because it has already been largely used and a very good safety profile exists for the stuff

      2. I think it has a very damn good chance of working as long as it is a covalent topical and the delivery is perfected. You cannot forget that in AGA the follicle makes its way up into the epidermis, miniaturizes, loses vascularization so cannot at a certain point be reached by medicine that uses the blood stream, and becomes inflammed. And most lose contact with the arrector pilli muscle. Clearly this is in many ways different than AA. It’s also patterned, and starts with secondary hairs miniaturizing first before the “master” hair in the hair follicle unit finally miniaturizes last. If topical jak inhibitor doesn’t work as a complete immune system “reset button” and doesn’t provide a complete “cure”, I at least expect it to be a vastly superior treatment to finasteride and minoxidil. And as I’ve said so many different times before, Angela Christiano isn’t just a dermatologist like many doing this, she specifically studies the genetics behind different hair loss disorders. That is “what she does” and has for decades. So if she is finally selling off this I.P., and the company has said it works in AGA as a topical, I would feel pretty good about what it can potentially do.

        One thing is certain beyond a shadow of a doubt after the findings of the past year (and through about 6 or 7 years prior) and that is that the immune system plays a huge roll in the pathogenesis of AGA. This is going to be beat one way or another and I don’t think we are talking decades. It will be “soon” , I think within 5 years.

        Thank god we are done with “bad DHT we must stop it.” It is a patchwork solution that is the best thing we have at the moment certainly but comes with a large risk. I won’t touch the stuff again but to each their own.

  34. Hey guys I’ve decided to say it and jump on propecia, I won’t be taking minoxidil because it made my face look terrible after over a year use which is a shame as it pretty much gave me a full hairline and back. Now i have recession and bald crown again at 23. I wanted to ask. Is it pointless and crap results from using propecia alone or could i get same results like i did the minoxidil? I’m hoping so because minoxidil was a pain in the ass to use. Lastly I hopped off mionoxidil just over a year ago if that makes a difference. Thanks :)

    1. Hi, why do you say that it made your face terrible? Can you explain?
      It will definitely not give you the same effect, it will only in the best case slowdown the hairloss. I am on advodar (stronger than propecia) and it definitely doesn’t grow your hair back.

      1. Hey Greg, by terrible I mean i looked all drained and tired, Hard to explain. I have pictures from when i was on it and i just look terrible, i have heard it can give you crows feet and crap, but i think thats just the alcohol used for minoxidil to be absorbed but I didn’t really get anything like that. As great results I was getting i just really didn’t feel good on it and i kept ignoring that just for the hair till i got the wakeup call its not worth it. Hence me giving propecia a shot, not knocking minoxidil as it was great for hair. That said it did make me look like a werewolf, up the top of my back, made my hands hairy and my eyebrows wolf like :’) 1 year on every things back to normal again but its forever made me have to groom the top of my back -_-

  35. hello follica

    Nat Cell Biol. 2017 Jun;19(6):666-676. doi: 10.1038/ncb3535. Epub 2017 May 29.
    Stem cell plasticity enables hair regeneration following Lgr5+ cell loss.

    Hoeck JD1, Biehs B1, Kurtova AV1, Kljavin NM1, de Sousa E Melo F1, Alicke B2, Koeppen H3, Modrusan Z4, Piskol R5, de Sauvage FJ1.
    Author information
    Abstract
    Under injury conditions, dedicated stem cell populations govern tissue regeneration. However, the molecular mechanisms that induce stem cell regeneration and enable plasticity are poorly understood. Here, we investigate stem cell recovery in the context of the hair follicle to understand how two molecularly distinct stem cell populations are integrated. Utilizing diphtheria-toxin-mediated cell ablation of Lgr5+ (leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein-coupled receptor 5) stem cells, we show that killing of Lgr5+ cells in mice abrogates hair regeneration but this is reversible. During recovery, CD34+ (CD34 antigen) stem cells activate inflammatory response programs and start dividing. Pharmacological attenuation of inflammation inhibits CD34+ cell proliferation. Subsequently, the Wnt pathway controls the recovery of Lgr5+ cells and inhibition of Wnt signalling prevents Lgr5+ cell and hair germ recovery. Thus, our study uncovers a compensatory relationship between two stem cell populations and the underlying molecular mechanisms that enable hair follicle regeneration.

  36. @ The Jason Statham Stereotype
    Just jump on it man. All us kool kids are doing it!!
    No really you prob wont see regrowth but you can hold on to what hair and sanity you have left. Give it a shot

  37. I don’t think that nasa_rs meant that Aclaris will hit the market this year. He meant that they will provide further information that topical jak inhibitor (decernotinib) will work for AGA.
    I am very sure that aclaris knows exactly that JAK works for AGA. We only need the information that JAK works for AGA.. That’s it.
    If you know it then waiting will no longer be the problem.

    1. Oh thanks I see. I thought maybe as they have approval on an other jaks product then it could be fast tracked. When do they announce progress?

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