Hair Loss News Items of Interest

Hair loss news first:

— I just found out that Devon Grimmé from Follicept unexpectedly passed away today at the very young age of 27. He made many helpful comments over the past year while testing Follicept’s product on himself. Also see my post from earlier this year regarding Follicept.

— Kythera submitted an Investigational New Drug Application (IND) to the US FDA for KYTH-105 (Setipiprant).

— The renowned Dr. Claire Higgins recently made a great presentation on re-engineering the human body. I found her team’s experiment and findings on hair growing dermis transplanted under non-hair growing epidermis growing hair through the previously barren epidermis very interesting. In contrast, the hair growing epidermis transplanted over non-hair growing dermis ceased growing hair.

It makes obvious sense of course since the critical dermal papilla cells are in the dermis that lies below the epidermis. The most interesting part of the below video, however, is at 33:47 during the question and answer segment where she mentions how people are now using “rollers with spikes on them” to stimulate dermal papilla cells.

I have mentioned dermarolling and microneedling based intentional wounding on this blog before. It is great to see that even Dr. Higgins thinks there is some legitimacy to this crude concept. Unfortunately, the wounding has to be done at a very precise level, manner, frequency and duration. So most  hair loss forum members who are doing this are unlikely to be doing it correctly. I can fathom a day in the near future when we will go to clinics to get professionals to do this for us. i.e., we will pay to have someone injure our scalps and bleed us, all in the name of more hair.

— On rare occasions, I promote someone or some idea on this blog that I do not fully understand or even trust. The only reason I do this is because my intuition tells me that there is some serious potential behind this person or idea even if some of the subject matter goes above me. If a person is extremely passionate about his idea, is also very intelligent (especially when it comes to hair, chemistry and biology) and is well spoken, I get an urge to post about him or her.

Getting back to the subject matter, this new Swisstemples hair loss treatment blog is extremely interesting and the author has also e-mailed me a few times. He does not sell anything directly as far as I can tell. I would probably not buy anything from sites that he starts to recommend, since some of these products may not be 100 percent safe or thoroughly tested. I am more cautious than most when it comes to taking drugs, especially oral drugs.

A lot of guys are participating in “group buys” of products from strangers in China and Eastern Europe. Absolutely foolish in my opinion, but perhaps the fools will have full heads of hair while I continue losing ground on Finasteride. I only posted this link for the entertainment and educational value. I will not participate in these group buys.

–Very surprising that the BBC had such a speculative article: can a bang on the head lead to hair loss?

Spironolactone is a potentially miraculous product for some, and also very cheap. Besides helping with hair loss, it can even reduce persistent high blood pressure.

— I mentioned Arfy and Ernie in a post from 2013, and just like the latter, the former is back again with a vengeance. More here and here. The hair loss world is quite something. Why on earth would one want to go watch a movie on a weekend night when one can find far better plots on hair loss forums?

— An interesting new video on balding.

And now on to medical items of interest:

Amazing videos on bioengineered organs.

— At first they were blaming the Chinese for moving too fast, but now they want to do it themselves. Western scientists seek permission to genetically modify embryos.

— George Church is a brilliant scientists and he is all for genetic engineering.

Spanish cancer patient receives 3D printed ribs from an Australian company in a world first surgery.

Getting closer to an invisibility cloak. Perhaps a future hair loss treatment may involve visuals…i.e., we will have others (and the mirror and the camera) see us as we want them to?

DARPA brain interfaces coming.

54 thoughts on “Hair Loss News Items of Interest”

  1. I have been following this blog since a week ago (when is started). I have read a lot of stuff on foruns and he has a point: No one seems to be know what they are talking about and this guys knows it, at least he knows A LOT. Besides, he doesn’t seem to be getting any money out of this unless you decide to donate him. I’m excited with his results and what he says makes sense with the latest researchs on hair loss (PGD2/PGE2).
    He uses setipiprant which is not yet for sale on a legit way, although it has been prooved safe on humans.
    Nevertheless, I’m excited that someone at least got great results without having to have an hair transplant.

    1. I wish I knew more about mpb to understand what he was explaining in his blog. His progress pictures look impressive, but I couldn’t dare try what he’s done to his scalp with all that chemicals and woundings. I hope someone can summarize the steps one by one… but then again it looks like one of the ingredients are not approved to be used on humans?
      disappointed…yet, impressed none the less.

  2. So sad to hear about Devon’s passing. Such a nice gentleman and at such a young age, I’m lost for words. Deepest condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.
    Do you know the reason for his sudden and unexpected passing? I have to stay my first thought was complications from using this IGF treatment.

  3. Geez that’s crazy. I feel really bad for his family. I remember seeing that YouTube video; he was a young guy with his whole life ahead of him.

    Kinda puts hairloss into perspective. Life is short and not worth getting hung up about hairloss all the time.

  4. Admin you are mistaken. Dr Higgins said “somebody is developing roller with spikes ” to put dermal papilla cells on the scalp. It has nothing to do with wounding.

    1. I m not sure, but some people say that since there have been past trials done on this drug, they might be able to move to phase 2 right away.

      http://www.kythera.com/products/kyth-105-setipiprant/

      “KYTH-105 had previously been studied as a potential allergic inflammation treatment and had undergone eight clinical trials, resulting in a safety database of more than 1,000 patients. Treatment in all studies was well tolerated across all treatment groups.”

      1. Yeah I hear you. We’ll get the news anyway and I’m sure you’ll have one hell of an update from it over here. Pretty sure that Desmond and Hellouser are the ones attending. Hopefully all goes well with donations and what not

  5. The setiprant trial should be phase 2 since the medicine has been shown to be safe from other phase 3 trials. However since it’s for baldness and nothing ever goes our way it’s probably phase 1. So give this 10 years to come to market if it works.

  6. @mjones. Your condition clearly frustrates you (same goes for most readers on this blog) but your constant negative outbursts is getting mighty tedious.
    @Admin, thank you for your hard work and a great blog.

  7. I apologize if I come off negative. It’s just frustrating seeing the same outcomes with all these hsir loss trials and breakthroughs. I am just being realistic. Seti won’t be released for at least 5 years .

  8. @mjones well, I would be lying if I didnt say that I understand your frustration…which I do.:-) Lets hope that we will all be surprised within the next year or two and some new treatment will finally be released ( sorry if im coming off as too optimistic). Have a nice weekend everyone!

  9. I somewhat agree with mjones on this. I honestly feel that all these different teams that we know about (and the ones working on it who we don’t know about) are SO very close to curing AGA. And even keep in mind the things we find out from them is past knowledge. Typically it can take up to a year for anything to be published, because all these different teams want to protect intellectual property. The science is almost right where it needs to be.The only concern I have is time taken to get to market. If it is anything like the past treatment timelines we are still in for a long wait, but I’m hopeful things can change.

  10. I REALLY REALLY hope I am 100% wrong and that a treatment comes out in 2016. I would be the happiest dude in the planet if I can fill in my temples and get some good density back. I am not asking for a cure. Just something that can stop further loss and fill in some good density all over. I am just worried that the next thing to hit the market will work no better than rogaine propecia combo. The only advancement will be it won’t cause sexual sides. It just sucks seeing your hair thin out worse each week and you are doing everything possible to stop it but it won’t work. Fingers crossed there will be a surprise in 2016 with a new treatment.

  11. One last thing. Call me crazy but I do believe the hair transplant industry will push as hard as possible to block an excellent new hair loss drug that can make a Norwood 5 to a Norwood 2. They will be destroyed instantly. It’s those butchers that are ruining our chances. Until hair regeneration comes out we will face ht blockage

    1. mjones actually I was thinking the same
      hate it though cause it sounds like conspiracy theory but its just the simplest explanation for all that nonsense we are expiriencing over and over again

    2. The transplant industry has no say, but would want SETI definitely.. Most men get turned down unless you are taking an anti androgen to halt hairloss. SETI is showing results at only a few months of use for people trailing it now when propecia/duta usually takes 6-12 for assesment. I’m with you on the timeline of release unfortunately. 5 years away at the least..

  12. I think many industries could interfere new drug. Actually, there are vice companies now in Japan.
    Much people pay immense money for fake cure or wig.
    But, this worst situation is better than past,because some people using internet and protest.

  13. I want to thank the admin for posting these articles on here. It gives us hope on what could be available. Sorry for my ranting but it’s better to rant and let it out than keep it in and suppress it. Once a better treatment cones out I will buy you guys the first prescription hehe

  14. Anyone know when kythera will begin testing setipiprant and how long before we know if there tests show that it is working for hairloss? . .they have owned the rights to this drug for several months now. I just dont understand y it has taken so long to get the ball started rolling???

  15. @tom: We don’t know yet anything about their trial structure. I hope that some info will be revealed during that hair congress as Kythera is one of the main sponsors and will have some presence during this meeting.

    1. @barthes yes I see they have sponsored. Unfortunately I believe they are not scheduled to speak but hopefully they will release some type of news. Are you on any treatments?

  16. @Tom: In the preliminary programme there is no info about their official talk, but there will be some poster presentations. I hope that Kythera (or Samumed!) will give us some info in that form.
    I don’t use any serious treatments actually: only Revivogen ST, Biotine, Zinc, and Nizoral. But it does nothing for me, I am NW2 or 2,5 (type V). I decided to wait for congress, if there will be some concrete info from Samumed, I will wait year or two and than do little HT and use new treatment. If there will be no perspective, I would have to use Finasteride, but I am really afraid of sides.

  17. Hey Barthes. Get on brand name propecia 1mg daily. It will stop your hair loss. I got on it at 20 yrs old when I started losing lots of hair. It stopped the loss in a month and maintained for 12 years with a nice Norwood 1.5. I worked out at the gym 4 times a week and ate healthy with the occasional fried bar food from time to time. I had some erectile sides at month 3 but it went away after 6 months. The longer you wait the worse it will get. I regret little hair but maintained like a champ for over a decade. I believe propecia is the only thing that truly works. Rogaine foam just makes your hair grow longer at least for me that’s all it did. Still losing ground unfortunately. Hop on fin daily, take multi hair vitamin from Country Max and use Nizoral 2% 3x a week and live healthy lifestyle. That should def work. Best of luck :)

    1. Yes fin definitely works but sides are real. Thats awrsome u avoided sides beside that three month period. I cant say the same. Um surprised you kept using it despite three months of sexual problems..and do u feel down at all? It messed me up mentally.

  18. Hey Tom. The sides at first scared me but I know it would go away since the body adjusts . After a few months thr sides went away and went back to normal. As for depression and mental sides, I never got that. I had my hair which kept me happy. I am depressed now that propecia isn’t working as well and my hair is getting worse. Propecia doesn’t cause depression, hsir loss does!

    1. Mjones im happy to hear propecia did not affect you mentally. I wish I could say the same. You see, finasteride affects the levels of neurosteroids which affect your mood and thinking. There have been plenty of studies done on it and that is why Merck is now mandated to include depression as a side effect. Hopefully a new treatment is on the horizon. Im curious, does mpb run in your family?

  19. @Tom, Paul, mjones : thank you for your opinions. You are lucky, mjones, that you were good Finasteride responder. However, I heard a lot of horror stories connected with that and I can’t decide to just take it and being paranoic to not have ,,post-finasteride syndrome”. Really I hope, that something concrete will be annonced in that congress when it comes to new treatment (like SM). Paul, could you tell about which treatment you think saying that will be in 2016-7?

  20. I knew I would have mpb so once I saw massive shedding at 20 yrs old I took immediate action and got on propecia. Fyi I had a super high sex drive and propecia actually balanced me out lol

    1. Hey mjones,
      Did you see less body hair on Fin? And even if Fin is not too effective for your scalp hair anymore after 12 years, I assume your acne (and body hair?) is still less then before? If its not too effective for your scalp hair anymore, have you tried raising the dose?

      I have not gone back to read all your comments so hopefully I am not asking the same questions others already asked.

  21. I raised my dose to 2mg. It didn’t really do anything but decrease my scalp inflammation and pinching feeling I had. Still lost ground since increasing dose back in 2014. It’s been a year since increasing the dose. I have hairy legs but my beard is very patchy and full grown. I believe propecia stopped me from developing a fill beard. My body hsir is the same as it was when I was 20. Acne completely gone. I might get a zit once in a while but nothing full blown like how I had it when I was 20.

    1. I got scalp pain at the one year mark on fin. Had no pain until then ever. Now I shed hair with sebum attached. I have brand name avodart now, but have yet to start due to that scalp inflammation.

  22. @paul, I am also interested in knowing what treatment you are referring too? Keep in mind it took 8 years for the fda to approve the foam version of rogaine.

  23. Emperor I have hairs with sebum on it. I shower everyday but still lose strands with that yellow gunk at the root. I give up. This hair loss thing is just impossible. Taking all these treatments and it still can’t stop it. If your body is programmed to go bald then you will go bald. If you were meant to be 5ft 4 then you will be 5ft 4. Good night everyone

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