
In general, I avoid writing an entire blog post on any individual hair transplant surgeon. I make rare exceptions to this rule when a surgeon is doing something groundbreaking, or garnering a lot of online attention.
My main reason for limiting these types of posts is due to the fact that even the most gifted hair transplant surgeons will have some bad results and unsatisfied patients. I never want to encourage a reader to go to someone specific for a hair restoration procedure just based on one blog post. You have to always do your own extensive research (both online and offline) before making a choice.
Moreover, some surgeons are mostly interested in publicity and marketing. I could be unwillingly helping them by overestimating their abilities in a post. By corollary, I could also be judging someone too harshly or even entirely ignoring them unjustifiably. I have never had a hair transplant, so such posts are never first-person accounts.
In any event, I can no longer ignore Dr. Tsvetelin Zarev from Bulgaria (his first name is also spelled as “Tsvetalin” on the web). I communicated with him several times during the past year (see his responses further below in this post). I was still not too keen in writing about him without getting more feedback from other surgeons.
However, during the past month, a number of readers have inquired about his gigasession (or giga session) hair transplant procedure. This is likely due to this 2-month old Reddit post followed by this large recent HLT thread. So I have decided to finally write about Dr. Zarev.
I am also writing this post in order to warn readers about the dangers of falling for marketing terms such as FUE megasessions, FUE gigasessions and even “super gigasessions”. Please read the bottom of this post carefully.
Dr. Tsvetalin Zarev
I first heard about Dr. Zarev and his crazy up to 14,000 graft follicular unit extraction (FUE) gigasession hair transplants in 2019. At the time, the highly experienced Dr. John Cole praised Dr. Zarev profusely at the 8th Annual FUE Europe Conference. See Dr. Zarev’s presentation from that conference here (video also embedded below).
He has apparently developed a new extraction technique via which he can extract 60 percent of hair from the donor area, without leaving any obvious signs of damage or barren gaps. Note that for some androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness) sufferers, even the “permanent” donor region can thin significantly in old age. So look at your family history of baldness progression before choosing to undergo any large procedure that you might regret later.
10,000 Grafts More Common
Later on, while browsing through Dr. Zarev’s Instagram, it became clear that most of his patients seem to get closer to 10,000 grafts (spread across two or three procedures). Same when it comes to Dr. Zarev’s Facebook page. I saw a few cases of patients getting 10,000-12,500 grafts across two procedures. The 14,000 graft cases are likely extremely rare.
This is a relief, as it shows that Dr. Zarev is not just performing “super gigasession” hair transplants willy nilly just to break world records. There was a time when even 4,000 graft FUE procedures were considered to be too large, but it seems like this is no longer the case?
Note that an average graft has 2-3 hair follicles. And there are around 90,000-150,000 hair follicles on an average human head.
While I enjoyed the above presentation by Dr. Zarev, I did not pay too much heed to Dr. Cole’s praise. For one, I have not heard of too many other ISHRS member surgeons singing Dr. Zarev’s praise as yet. Moreover, Dr. Cole has over the years praised many people and procedures. Including exosomes and a Turkish hair transplant surgeon just this year.

Dr. Zarev seems extremely young to me based on the earlier mentioned 2019 video. However, it turns out that he has already been performing hair transplants for 10 years. Here is a local Bulgarian video from 2014 that covers Dr. Zarev. He uses both manual and motorized FUE techniques, and applies a vacuum assisted technique for hair transplantation.
Dr. Zarev’s FUE price is 4 Euros per graft. See my hair transplant cost table for comparisons. I am surprised that there are no Google reviews of Dr. Zarev’s clinic as yet. Or perhaps in the US I am not being shown the Bulgarian version of Google reviews?
Dr. Zarev’s Email Response
I e-mailed Dr. earlier this year, and it took him a month to reply. I then e-mailed him again in May, and he replied again in July. Normally, one would get annoyed at this kind of cat and mouse waiting game. However, I was pleased to see that he is not in any way desperate or even keen for my covering him on this blog. Some hair transplant surgeons and/or their representatives have in the past bugged me incessantly to write about them and their latest groundbreaking technique.
These were my questions for Dr. Zarev:
1) If there is still controversy about FUE megasessions (and dense packing), how did you mange to go one step above into FUE gigasessions without attracting controversy? What percent of follicles can get damaged during gigasession dense packing?
2) How many grafts would you define as being in a) A typical average hair transplant. b) A megasession. c) A gigasession.
3) Are other surgeons such as Dr. Cole who praised you now offering this same procedure?
4) Can you also do strip/FUT gigasessions?
This was his response after 1.5 months:
1) I created FUE technology (My Note: I think he means his version of existing FUE), which in most cases allows me to extract up to 60% of the donor areas without causing unaesthetic dilution. The density of implantation in the recipient areas is a very important value, which is calculated individually for each patient, according to many parameters – diameter of the follicular units, number of follicles in the follicular units, length of the follicular units, elasticity of the sclera in the recipient areas, thickness , the dermis and subdermis, the specifics of the anatomy of the blood supply of the recipient areas, the location of the recipient areas and many others.
Gigasessions do not necessarily mean a high density of transplants. When needed, I usually do it in two surgeries every 10 months.
2) Not categorized operations of small, medium and large. I transplant as much as necessary to achieve a natural visual density. I have had operations under 100 grafts, as well as over 14,000.
3) At this stage I have not shared this technology with anyone as I am still in development.
4) The type of operation I perform makes the application of FUT completely meaningless. (My Note: See my post on FUE versus FUT hair transplants).
Clarification
Dr. Zarev sent me the following update after reading this post:
“I have never sought out loud popularity through the operations I perform classified as FUE Super Giga Sessions. Such operations are only part of my practice. I would also like to clarify that the self-serving, ill-considered and unjustified pursuit of operations with such a volume can be extremely dangerous and harm patients irreversibly. For the past few months, I have received daily inquiries from patients wishing for such an operation. For most of them, even from the low-quality photos they send, it is clear that they do not have enough resources in donor areas for an operation of this size.
The planning of operations with such a volume can be done only through personal consultation and precise and in-depth analysis of the donor and recipient areas. It is also extremely important to predict future losses, in cases where the baldness process is still in progress. I hope that the results I am showing do not give rise to vain hopes in many patients from which unscrupulous practices will take advantage of. Such scenarios can only lead to a lot of frustration. The operations I have performed in excess of 10,000 grafts are a result of in-depth preliminary analysis, meticulous execution and of course extraction technology, outside the general standards.
At the upcoming GHLS 2020 virtual conference, I will show a detailed video of one of my two-day operations. The video shows all stages of a patient’s first operation, in which the surgical plan includes the transplantation of a total of 11,500 grafts. And I want to clarify that in my practice, nurses do not have direct contact with the patient during the operation. I always perform personally all manipulations on the scalp, both in the process of extraction and in the process of implantation.”
Megasession versus Gigasession Marketing
If you Google search for “FUE gigasession” or “FUE giga session”, you will find an increasing number of surgeons claiming to offer such procedures. It has become a marketing gimmick. Some patients are even led to believe that a 10,000 plus graft procedure can be performed in one sitting with no risk. This is really dangerous. Make sure to read my posts on hair transplant gone wrong and on the dangers of getting a hair transplant abroad.
Two common problems with large giga session or even mega session type hair transplant procedures are:
- The donor region becomes see through and very thin and strange looking. Some call this look “moth eaten”.
- The surgeon overpromises and overcounts grafts. There are no shortages of cases where hair transplant patients receive fewer grafts than what they paid for. All the more reason to go to ethical and respected surgeons, even if significantly more expensive.
Dr. Alan Feller has in the past discussed the difficulties in even performing quality 2,500 or 4,000 graft mega sessions. Dr. Zarev seems to regularly be performing 6,000 graft procedures in one sitting. I assume it is much cheaper to hire technicians in Bulgaria versus in the US (Edit: seems like the doctor does all the “direct contact” work himself). But this many grafts is still crazy. Hopefully, Dr. Zarev can in the future share more information about his new vacuum assisted graft extraction technique.
On Reddit, Dr. William Rassman offered the following important warning on super giga session type procedures:

The results on his IG look almost too good to be true but the images are high res and some even have videos. Very interesting! Just don’t quite understand how this would be possible.
I had a hair Transplantation myself with Dr Zarev. I am actually a doctor. Impressive technique, especially his extracting technique allows for harvesting up to 60% of the donor site area. What I really like about him that he is a very professional and caring doctor. He is even not interested to make big marketing for his unreached special techniques. Even without marketing he has a waiting List for consultation over 2 years and surgery for 3.5 years. For me the Revolution in hair transplant surgery!!!
Hi John, have you posted pictures of your transplant anywhere? Would love to see a Zarev patient detailing his experience. There aren’t a lot on the internet.
Is this a scam? I looked at his instagram and all the results are amazing, there are 0 sign of hair loss after the FUE which lead me to think there is a scam somewhere because it’s impossible to go to N7 to N2 like that…
Absolutely incredible results. If I ever decide to go the hair transplant route, I’d prefer to see a US surgeon…but this guy’s result are literally the best transplant results I’ve ever seen. I hope he’s teaching other surgeons and that his methods become more widely adopted.
I really doubt that the best hairtransplant-surgeons come from the USA. They are well behind in terms of pleasing results.
A patient in India died because he wanted to have 9,250 hair grafts in one sitting. Are these giga-sessions safe?
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/hair-transplant-death-man-wanted-more-grafts-in-1-go/articleshow/68366127.cms
Histogen in the news again…
http://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2020/09/10/2091635/0/en/Histogen-Announces-Completion-of-Dosing-Milestone-in-its-1b-2a-Trial-for-Androgenic-Alopecia-in-Men.html
The new CEO does them good. They needed a business-man. Results will be published later this year!
Given the fact that they apparently improved the formula and inject 3 times (instead of once) I expect superior results to their first trial years ago. Which were already very good. This has probably the potential to gain 2 Norwoods. I am positive for Histogen.
I remember getting interested in hair transplants in 2007. That was the time when Hasson and Wong were the first ones to achieve fairly good results and the first ones to be on YouTube.
The technology has developed quite rapidly, results are getting better by the year. My favourite atm is Dr. Juan Couto – almost too good to be true.
I hope the stem cell companies (Tsuji, Stemson, Kemp) take advantage of the huge number of HT-surgeons (and of course their incredible skills) to implement and spread their new technologies. That’s probably the only way to offer it worldwide for everybody. Stemson for instance has two surgeons in their advisory board.
Got 2200 FUE with Dr Arocha. Worse experience. First, it was a tech who mainly extracted the hair, 2nd, he tried to act like my native hair was his transplanted hairs when I came back for follow ups. My hairs never shed, I knew something was wrong.. he advised it was normal.
$12000 spent, and only 3-5 hairs on corner of my temple grew.
This is why I’m scared of future treatments like cloning, if this FUE failed, would cloning fail for me to? :(
I had a consultation done with Arocha as well. This was years ago, but I swear I remember him contradicting himself multiple times as I asked questions.
Admin Edit: I removed an insult and do not want this thread becoming about attacking any one surgeon who is not here to defend himself/herself. Hope you understand.
Alexander your surgeon or tech was inadequate. You will do fine if cloning comes out. I am noticing more and more euro and Turkish ht docs performing much better results than any US surgeon. I feel like US ht docs are far behind the curve and still perform joe Biden style ht. Just compare Dr. Couto, lorenzo, this new Bulgarian guy and the top Turkish docs compared Arocha, cole, and Lindsey. The canadians do better work as well like Hassan wong and rahal. What do you guys think?
Mjones i agree with you most U.S. surgeons results are not very good except for Bernstein Medical in New York there results are good if you’re talking nw 1 to 6 but for 7 it’s a joe Biden hair transplant unfortunately where it’s slicked back. And hasson and Wong i’d probably go to them if I ever want a transplant.
Lol Joe Biden ht..Hassan Wong is a great surgeon..I totally agree with you
Amazing density results (if real). Though, looking at the naturalness of the hairline pics, Couto still looks like the gold standard to me. But great to see there are some more options out there ‘right now’ if you feel an FUE is absolutely necessary and have the time and cash.
To me, Couto and Zarev are on the same level.
Yeah totally agree woody. Luckily my hair is very coarse and thick strands. Frizzes up and looks thicker and fuller than what it is. The question is how dense is my donor. I’m a diffuse thinner and I know the sides of my head aren’t as thick as they were when I was in high school or college so not sure if those hairs are dht resistant. Do you have thick coarse hair strands woofy?
Mjones do you have a Reddit? I can send you pics of my hair loss and hair type
RepliCel Life Sciences Inc.
@RepliCel
Update coming Monday. Insiders are doubling down. We know the silence has been frustrating but activity is ramping up on multiple fronts and there will be much to talk about through Q4 subject to adequate financing.
Fadi replicel is joke.
drzarev’s profile picture
drzarev
6050 FUE grafts extracted from chest area in a patient with Pseudopelade of Brocq, stable for the last 3 years. Two sessions, 8 months after the second session.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0-3IjlHsUJ/
Those results are ridiculous. Never had mine properly inspected but my donor feels extremely thick. Do you think the majority of the guys on his IG are taking propecia? I can’t tolerate it.
Rahal performed FUT on me in 2009. Around 3.5K grafts as I recall. It has stood the test of time superbly and no one has ever asked me if I’ve had a HT. Truly undetectable. My hair is very fine and I do have to be careful when getting my hair cut because the scar is visible when shaved. No regrets. I’m now at the stage where I need FUE to add thickness after 11 years.
Dr Rahal injected the anaesthetic and administered all the meds during and after. He cut out the strip and stitched the scalp. His technicians prepared the follicular units by dissecting the strip under microscope in the same room. He made all the incisions in my scalp and did all the hairline. From memory he and another inserted the FUs in the main areas being filled out – one on each side of my temples (I was receding).
I still have the paperwork which details exactly how many FUs I received down to the detail
the count of 1s, 2s, 3s and even very few 4s.
I’m from the U.K. and travelled to Ottawa for the surgery. The aftercare was superb. The day after the surgery a Sunday he personally collected me from my hotel and took me to his clinic because I called him to say my scalp was overly red. He upped the antibiotics. He toured around Ottawa with me in his car showing me some of the sights. Truly outstanding, the guy is a skilled artist and a great human being. I chose him after around a year of research. At the time, I didn’t consider Europe. North America had the best surgeons.
Rahal is the exception and he is located in Canada, part of North America. The USA on the other hand doesn’t have quite skilled surgeons like Rahal or Hassan wong. At least none that I have seen. Rahal is awesome for fue now too from what I hear and he is still hairline king:) I did hear rumors that dr couto has had results sub par. I guess that is expected from every ht doc to have ups and down results. I was looking at Rahal as an option for fue to fill in hairline and top sides area that are diffusing. I’m hoping maybe follica or SM or even winlevi could give me a boost in growth to avoid an ht all together for at least another decade.
Woofy I don’t have reddit
Mjones well my donor hair is thick blondish brown.
After 3 years of research I did HT last December in Turkey. I did 5300 Fue and v happy with result (don’t think it could be done better with that amount of grafts for NW6. I did not have budget limitations but given I live in London did not make much sense to travel to US as clearly saw better results from Spain, Belgium and Turkey (top ones). I went with Turkey’s arguably best clinic as did not find controversial results etc although they perform >5 procedures per day over many years (with such number not having really poor results means a lot and there is no bias in taking only super easy/safe cases like some surgeons do). my donor density was not super great and Belgium top surgeons did not want to do it(in hindsight I see they take only easier cases)
I don’t know of any other Fue place that can do more than 6k fue in one session and tbh can’t see why people would do that as my 5.3k took 2 sessions (~2 hours each) extractions by 2 well trained technicians. I would say that’s already pushing slightly limits. Also grafts cant be outside of body for more than several hours otherwise chances of their regrowth start diminishing (hence does not make sense for 1 person to do all procedure like some people prefer surgeon to do everything which leads to worse outcome on average). For majority people 5-6k would do the trick and then they can reassess how donor look in 1 year and maybe do another procedure.
These larger fue surgeries are very dependant on technicians and large number of them and properly organised process. Following my years research I realised I don’t want surgeon to do grafts extraction (super labourious and straightforward, for large sessions needs to be done by 2 people simaltenously anyways) and people are fatigued after hours doing it – want surgeon to be focused on right angle cuts/placements instead.
Given Covid , work from home can’t recommend more doing it to people here. There is no Tsuji/stem cell solution for average person for at least 10 years below 100k it we are realistic, and not clear if great results actually. I had hairsystem and while I convinced myself it was ok in terms of look and maintenance it makes all hair consiousness even worse – just don’t go that path if you can help it (especially you understand it after getting rid of it). While you can easily fix the problem for $10-20k (turkey-europe) with good surgeons after research. But yeah probably propecia might be needed (unless your donor is really good which actually quite often)
Very useful comment London 2020.
Hi, Would you share which clinic in Turkey have you used for your HT?
Hi Admin, minor news from StemsonTx. They updated the company-section on their website: couple of new researchers, including a new vice-president. Stacking up their „human resources“, which is a good sign. Wonder if they are still on track for a 2021 human trial.
Oh, and a new investor: Fortunis Capital from London. Probably the reason for the new staff members. Terskikh always said funding is critical, so this seems to be solved.
Nothing groundbreaking here, but good to see they are progressing. StemsonTx is slowly becoming my personal number 1. Unfortunately it became very quiet regarding OrganTech, which is frustrating, but could mean nothing at all. R&D startups are usually very conservative in terms of PR & marketing.
Great to hear and thanks!
The best thing about it: the race is on and Stemson’s pace is high. The others better not slow down.
I demand an interview with Terskikh! ;-)
He gave me one in the past and then said would give me one last year, but then changed his mind :-( Will try again.
What will be the cost of stemson cure? the same as Tsuji’s what is your opinion?
I have recently watched an interview of Angela Christiano and it was very disappointing if I have to be honest. From what I understood they still haven’t solved the inductivity problem which is supposed to be one of the first steps, and she was asked twice if she could give a timeline of when the procedure could have been available to the public and she simply ignored the question both times. I really got the impression that the technology is still in its infancy, considering that they aren’t even close to solving all the theoretical problems. Why can’t they focus on turning the steam cells in our scalps into full grown hair? I just have no faith in hair cloning right now
Shu christiano will spend another 20 years doing research and using grant money. Her goal will never be to find a cure for mpb. It will and always be research and releasing scientific journals. Cots is in research but he in phase 3 for a treatment. Yeah it may not be a cure but at least its something progressive. Christiano has been trying to clone hair since 2001. 20 yrs and she hasn’t done sht. Forget her. All other researchers moved on to trials but her. Washenik, cots, lauster, tsuji etc. Washenik with aderans lol but still they took their research to trials.
Shu did Tsuji solve the problem?
I have no idea my friend, I hope they did
what about stemson?
Shu don’t focus on Christiano it’s all talk and that’s backed up by history. You should be focusing on tsuji and stemson they are probably at a more advanced stage right now it’s obvious tsuji is. It’s like traveling to another planet more advanced. tsuji and stemson are quiet for a reason.
Stemson and Tsuji are silent because they have no positive results when it comes to cloning human hair, these are the facts Woofy
You don’t know Jan.
Woofy, do you have any information about human trials with tsuji or stemson?
Hi Shu, I have been following the whole hair cloning research for a long time. Christiano is an expert, but she will never have a product. She‘s a pure academic, and that’s alright for me. Do not focus on her.
Inductivity has been solved, years ago. I can’t find the papers that quickly, but Fukuda, Tsuji and Terskikh (and I suspect Kemp and the Stemore-guy too) have done it successfully, proven by peer-reviewed research. To me personally it seems more of an mass-engineering problem firstly, and then comes immune-responses (but apparently NO cancerous reactions, which is more important!).
It will come, they know how to do it. When? I don’t know. The next step is human trials, which are expected in 2020 (Tsuji) and 2021 (Hairclone, Stemson). That’s what I am looking forward to. You should too!
Ben I wouldn’t wait for hairclone the British company it’s literally the exact same thing as replicel and aderands and you have seen how those ended up. You should have tsuji, stemson, I would replace hairclone with Histogen because they are a better injection company results are better and they actually are in trials on humans.
That’s not correct. Replicel used dermal sheath cup cells, Hairclone uses dermal papilla cells.
And Aderans/Intercytex results were fantastic imho (which were the same guys as Hairclone).
I agree with Histogen, though.
if the results were so good why do companies no longer exist? what problems did they encounter?
They had financial difficulties and couldn’t sustain the highly expensive funding of the whole enterprise due to the 2008 crisis. At least that’s the official explanation.
There’s great lecture about the whole story out there online.
It’s all about funding, that‘s why I believe in OrganTech and Stemson, both of which are supported with big money of big players.
Stemson is few decades away lets be honest, what they show? few hairs on mice?
Ben, you can’t be sure that cloning will work on humans, there hasn’t been a single attempt yet, so how can you and others be sure?
Well, it was already done 10 years ago. Just google for „Intercytex Aderans hair trial“.
Paul Kemp of „Hairclone“ was a part of that company too, that‘s why I am optimistic for Hairclone.
You should find information on this blog too.
Ben that is wht i found:
“Initially, ARI expected this technique to create true hair multiplication/hair cloning, and began clinical research trials. ARI completed the phase I safety trials, and moved forward with the phase IIa and IIb efficacy trials. During these clinical experiments, the results revealed that the Ji Gami process may not cause actual hair multiplication, but instead revitalize hair follicles and permanently prevent these follicles from future loss. Though the treatment was now slightly different, ARI was pleased with the results and continued with late phase II trials in 2011 and 2012.”
so not a real crue for completely bald men
Hi Jan, sure, you are completely right. Technically „hair cloning“ is making new follicles which have not been there before.
ARI made DP-cell injections and revived dormant follicles – with great success I find. Paul Kemp is developing the same therapy, and OrganTech also.
I should use the term „cell therapy“ which is more accurate. But, you know what I mean.
Real cloning is actively pursued only by OrganTech and Stemson. Hairclone and Stemore might follow too.
Tsuji and Stemson, only hair clone and stemore will fail just like aderans remember my post
I probably won’t remember, but you may be right. Or not.
Paul Kemp has a great reputation and is a renowned scientist, only funding was always his problem. You just cannot compete with Allergan, Itochu, Otsuka, Kyocera etc.
I believe in Stemore too – check out their website for information.
i think stemore willl not be able to restore full head of hair maybe good for lower norwood
That is not correct.
Stemore develops (I think) 4 arms against hair loss, at least one of which is a full cure.
Please check for youself.
I doubt hair cloning will come out soon. With the end of the year approaching what will be the new name of the site. 2020 is done and still No cure for baldness ::::(((
https://www.hairguard.com/botox-injections-for-hair-growth/
Check out these results. Especially the first guy. Best I have seen with any treatment. This is the regrowth these upcoming companies should result. Not zooming in to see 4 hair grow. Wonder why botox hasn’t been studied more?
https://www.hairlosscure2020.com/botox-for-hair-growth/
You have to think, if these results are to be believed, then why don’t we see bald public figures and celebrities (Wayne Rooney as one example) with this level of turn-around in their hair? I’m calling fake or at the very least, an extreme marketing distortion of the reality of what this Dr. is achieving….
Yeah you are prob right. My bs meter was goikg high when I saw those botox results. Either way this should be the standard regrowth results for any new treatment coming out. Not 5 hairs here svd there. Thick dense visible dramatic results…RESULTS!
Ben- I was totally hyped for intercytex and aderans back then. Things in 2008 were more exciting than now. Two big players in phase 2 for hair cloning. I heard they got shutdown by being bought out and shelved. Aderans was able to halt further loss but they believed that wouldn’t bring revenue. If that came out in 2011 I would be a solid nw1.5 and happy. There are forces at play that is blocking these great treatments.
Mjones aderans didnt find cure for baldnss, only to prevent hair loss, not a real cure for bald men, so things in 2008 were not more excitng than today
How is something that keeps your hair on your head not a cure for someone who has just started balding? And it’s also better than all we have now. Also you could get a hair trasplant and keep the rest of your hair without taking finasteride that besides its risks also has a limited efficacy, around ten years
if You have hir on your head, i was thinking about bald men
Jan 2008 is still better than now. Yes aderans was a cure for nw1 who were just starting to bald. But like shu says if you were a nw4 or 4 you could do a large fue session and get aderans and you were set. All the new stuff coming out in the pipe is just a propecia rogaine refresh if you really think about it. No dramatic results. Only thing that excites me is that maybe CB, SM can kick start some thickening and hold my hair another 10 yrs like the big 3 since those are not working on me that much anymore
Ben so can Histogen’s injections grow new hair follicles? Or just reawaken the old Follicles? Or both?
Well, as per their website and press releases, it „promotes new hairgrowth“.
But it is highly likely that it only „awakens“ dormant follicles. In the eye of the customer it seems like new hair.
forget about histogen it is a joke not a cure, just like dr christiano – never ending story
Dr. Christiano I agree.
Histogen I don’t.
ok i would like to know why Ben?
If you do some research online, the history of Histogen was a troubled one. Mainly because of business-reasons.
Dr. Naughton is an outstanding scientist and created a very good product, which resulted in great results. She is the founder of Histogen, but she always made the false decisions on the business-side.
The new trial has a better formulation of their injection, and it will be injected 3 times. If the results are just slightly better than in the old trial, it is a clear win. Definitely a product I am looking forward to.
Christiano never produced any results whatsoever, and that in 20 years. Histogen clearly did.
Is Histogen a cure, probably not. But I don’t know what you are expecting? This is hard-core science, and it won’t be achieved easily. Be grateful for the times, there’s a good number of companies working towards a cure.
the fact that there are companies that work on treatments doesn’t mean anything to us, because if it doesn’t work on people it doesn’t matter at all, they can work like this endlessly and we have no use for it – I’ll believe cloning works if I see results – if a bald man grows back a lush hair, at the moment I saw a few more hair and hairy mice
Jan I disagree I’m a agree with Ben. Christiano yes. Histogen is not a joke
tsuji in 2021 – one year ago, do You remember? and we are in 2020- still nothing, lets face the truth
Woofy – the cure is a long way away – imo 50 years for average men
Patent approved in the US for StemsonTx.
Marching on, those guys.
Ben it will be a long time….it is the USA, do not forget this. Why do they not do this in Japan?
Well you are just stating the obvious. It’s a long way. I didn’t say anything else.
I don’t know if they do the trial in Japan or the USA, I suppose Allergan with its army of lawyers knows best how, when and where.
Don’t forget that the USA released the “21st century cures act” in 2016 as a reaction to Japan’s “Regenerative Medicine Promotion Law” in 2013. Basically it says that companies like Stemson can skip the last trial number 3, which is always the longest, hardest and most expensive one to pass. There’s even a chance that you market the product during trial number 2, under certain conditions.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that Stemson was founded in the US – the regulatory requirements are very good.
Besides that it is crazy how these political decisions shift billions for R&D from one country to another one. The investments in Japan for the development of new cell-terapies were huge. Other countries (USA, GB, South Korea, China) had to react.
the more I read about hair cloning and gray hair treatment, the more I am convinced that it is all fairy tales – people who work in these companies conduct endless research to keep their jobs, and you live your dreams here and in other forums – We can bet that in 2030 we will be in the same place as now and the cure will be in five years as usual
Jan We’ve been over this.
yes Woofy we were doing that 10 years ago. I don’t think I need to remind you how it ended, ken washenik also assured that there would be a cure and what came out of it? get down to earth, man, have you seen anybody with hair from dr tsuji? and yet the cure was supposed to be in 2021 …. this is a never-ending story:( in 10 years we will continue to write on this forum that we are already close, and I am not happy about it
You really can’t look at the past fails Jan. Tsuji is one of kind not like the other players.
Woofy explain why…Tsuji didnt show any postive results on human, You cant say he is not like other players
Jesus, you are really something. Spreading only hopes and positivity! ;-)
I do understand you though, past disappointments have been endless (Intercytex, Aclaris, Invitrohair, Tissuse(?), Bimatoprost, Replicel, Brotzu,… – heck it’s frigthening!). But you cannot predict the future based on past experiences.
Some points:
*Cell science is still a very young field. Intercytex approach was extremely early, I guess too early. There weren’t even proper regulations for cell experiments.
*The knowledge of cell science in the last 10 years exploded.
* Stemson and OrganTech each do have an outstanding team of researchers and developers.
* Stemson and OrganTech are well funded. Multi-billion companies are involved: Itochu, Otsuka, Iyogin, Mitsui, Kyocera, Allergan
* Stemson and OrganTech are led by businessmen. They want to commercialize a product, and not do endless research.
* The prerequesites for trials are extraordinarily good, given the US and Japan regulations.
Jan – get on board of the believers! ;-)
(Results are not guaranteed, though)
I would also like cloning to be available in 4 years, but it will not happen, after all it will be years before they perfect this process, how long did it take to improve the hair transplant? I am a realist, not a pessimist or a troll
From the Stemson patent:
The Induction Problem:
“DP cells have been proposed as a cell-based treatment for hair loss diseases. However, human DP cells are not suitable for this purpose because they cannot be obtained in necessary amounts and rapidly lose their ability to induce hair follicle formation when cultured. Therefore, there is an unmet need to develop functional DP cells capable of inducing a robust hair growth.”
Solution—Neural Crest Cells & Stem Cells:
“a population of induced dermal papillae cells can be generated from a population of induced neural crest cells, which in turn can be generated from a population of stem cells. The population of induced dermal papillae cells can be subcutaneously transplanted into a subject, and generate hair. Advantageously, each population of cells can be amplified to provide a vast population of induced dermal papillae cells available for use, such as use in a transplant.”
If it generates robust hair growth, sounds like the cure.
(Reminder Alexey Terskikh will be giving a lecture on Hair Follicle Regeneration on October 18th for the ISHRS conference. It may surface online.)
Toccata in kyocera know that the cure will be in 2030, if human trials go well, stemson is many many years away
Hi Admin ,
I have searched hi and low and to my knowledge there is nobody in the U.S. that even approaches Dr. Zarev level. I am curious if you or anyone in this forum knows of any up and comers I possibly haven’t heard of that show potential with gigasessions and vacuum assisted FUE like Zarev ?
Unfortunately, the word “gigasession” has become a marketing thing these days for some surgeons. I am not sure who does vacuum assisted FUE in the US, but many advertise gigasession offerings. I am reluctant to post links. Will update this comment if I learn anything new.
Hi Admin,
Thanks again for responding so quickly. If you recognize my name you know I have lurked around your site for years and we should all be very grateful for your knowledge and dedication. I agree that the word gigasession has become overused and hard to sift through and who is worth their name coupled with the word in the same sentence? I guess my passion and what I feel will be so important given that us hair loss warriors have the funds would be to consider a few things. Bare with me , I wrote a small novel but i’m very passionate about the potential here:
While Dr. Zarev’s expertise is unparalleled, the potential impact of his methods goes far beyond his personal practice. By training and mentoring the next generation of surgeons, Dr. Zarev could revolutionize the field of hair restoration:
Eliminating the Need for Multiple Surgeries:
Many patients endure multiple procedures due to inefficiencies in outdated techniques. Sharing Dr. Zarev’s methods would make high-density restoration achievable for more patients in a single session, reducing costs and improving overall satisfaction.
Restoring Confidence Worldwide:
Hair loss can be devastating to self-esteem. Expanding access to Dr. Zarev’s techniques would bring hope to millions, especially those with advanced hair loss who often feel left behind by traditional methods.
Protecting Donor Area Aesthetics:
One of the most challenging aspects of hair transplantation is preserving the donor area’s appearance. Dr. Zarev’s tiny punch and vacuum-assisted techniques ensure that even after significant graft extraction, the donor area looks natural—setting a new gold standard for ethical and aesthetic hair restoration.
Expanding Access to High-Quality Care:
By training up-and-coming surgeons, Dr. Zarev can ensure that his innovations reach patients globally, reducing the disparity in outcomes and allowing more people to experience life-changing transformations.
Now I believe obviously this is a business first and not charity, so it would benefit him to visit, teach and charge open minded and capable surgeons in The USA , Europe , Asia , Latin America etc… Would love to get your thoughts on this admin. sorry for the novel lol.
Am outside on phone right now, but will read fully later.
I can send him your comment via WhatsApp if you want FYI. He is on my contact list.
Hi Admin ,
Yes ! I would absolutely love if you share my comment with Dr. Zarev. I think he would welcome the input and he may provide some cool answers. man who knows, perhaps he would be willing to do a Q&A with you in regards. Admin, you are an absolute rockstar and it is very obvious that you really care about the hair loss community. Thank you.
FYI Richie, Dr. Zarev read your prior comment last week and said he would email me a response to post here. No email received so far.
Hi Admin,
I like to try and give a thoughtful response so i am not always quick however I wanted to add this. i noticed in another thread that you said you have lowered your dosage of Dut I believe if i’m not mistaken and I believe you said you have noticed some fat gain. I find that very interesting for the following reasons:
For years, I have grappled with the consequences of hair loss treatments, particularly with finasteride and dutasteride. While these medications are often heralded as breakthroughs in the fight against hair loss, they have come at a cost to my overall health and well-being. In my experience, these treatments have caused profound issues with loose skin and fat gain. These side effects have not only impacted my physical appearance but have also had a lasting effect on my confidence and quality of life.
The primary issue stems from the way finasteride and dutasteride alter hormonal pathways. While this reduces hair follicle miniaturization, the hormonal imbalance can lead to systemic effects. For me, these effects manifested as a loss of skin elasticity and the accumulation of fat in atypical areas. My once firm and youthful skin began to sag, giving an aged appearance that felt disproportionate to my years. Additionally, the fat gain—particularly in regions not typical for my body type—further compounded my dissatisfaction.
Understanding the risks associated with these chemical treatments has led me to seek more natural and pragmatic approaches to hair loss. One of the primary alternatives I have embraced is saw palmetto, a plant-based supplement known for its mild DHT-inhibiting properties. While it may not be as potent as finasteride or dutasteride, it offers a safer profile with far fewer systemic side effects. Alongside saw palmetto, I have incorporated other natural modalities, including topical treatments, dietary adjustments, and scalp care routines. This holistic approach has given me a renewed sense of control without compromising my overall health.
Looking to the future, my optimism is bolstered by specialists like Dr. Zarev. His innovative methods and meticulous attention to detail provide hope for those of us who may lose more ground in the battle against hair loss. I understand that not everyone has a suitable or rich donor area, which can limit the success of a transplant. However, for those who are candidates, a well-executed hair transplant offers the opportunity to achieve natural-looking coverage that chemical treatments alone cannot provide.
The decision to pursue a transplant comes down to weighing the risks and benefits of all available options. With chemical modalities, there is always a risk of systemic side effects, as I have learned firsthand. By contrast, a transplant—when performed by a skilled surgeon—offers a long-term solution that can be maintained with natural, low-risk strategies. For me, the pragmatic approach is clear: accept the reality of hair loss, seek the best possible coverage through transplantation if needed, and maintain the results with a carefully curated regimen of natural treatments.
This perspective has given me a sense of peace and direction. While the journey has not been easy, I now have a plan that feels right for my body and my future. Hair loss is a deeply personal struggle, and each individual must find the approach that aligns with their unique circumstances. For me, prioritizing my overall health while striving for the best possible outcomes has been the key to regaining both my confidence and my optimism.
Again I really like to give you what’s on my mind and articulate as best as possible my current thoughts. Hopefully Dr Zarev gets back to you soon. As always, thank you for all you do for this community.
In a perfect world crispr will knock out this gene for us and long term studies will show no ill side effects. Until then perhaps we should crowd fund a quantum computer to help us search for the answer lol. Although I am confident we will get there by 2030 however just my opinion.
Great summary. I have reminded Dr. Zarev as he might have forgotten.
My issue is that I have also cut back my exercise drastically over the past decade ever since an achilles tendon rupture.
I still think that the Dutasteride/past Finasteride use might have given me modest fat gain and some gyno. But at least half of the gain is due to my very sedentary lifestyle :-( Especially in winter.
My diet has hardly changed.
Hi Admin,
Any type of Achilles injury can be tough to recover from, so I really feel for you. I hope you get all your mobility back be it through physical therapy or other medical avenues. Having to be sedentary will certainly add to not being able to achieve a level of leanness you want. I noticed diet habits had stayed the same for me too however my skin became looser and fat gain was something that happened more easily. For me I think of muscle definition like trying to see the details of a sculpture through a layer of fabric. For some people, it’s like the fabric is thin and stretched tight over the sculpture, showing every detail. But for others, it’s like the fabric is thicker and looser, so it takes removing more layers—or, in this case, losing more weight—to reveal the same level of detail underneath.
I think both Fin & Dut are the culprits, but I still believe they have their benefits mostly outweighing their cons. I am still considering using a very minute amount of Dut topically and hoping that because of its Daltons it will localize. Yes, I’m another self made chemist lol. I figure if the half life and amount is timed right I may never exceed the saturation point. We will see I guess. I got away from my point lol, which is these 5A’s Inhibitors certainly changed something molecularly on my skin and it adds credence to what a guest of the Youtuber Ryan Russo said. This was in a post 1 year ago titled “Strange side effects from Post Finasteride Syndrome suffer.” I’m still pro Fin & Dut, but I am certainly frustrated as I have never had skin that behaved this way before. Just something to be conscious of and why I’m siding with less is more. And if I lose ground seeking out Dr. Zarev or hopefully someone he can partner with or train in the U.S. if someone worthy should emerge.
Hey Admin just checking in to see if you heard back from Dr. Zarev yet.
He told me he would reply via email, but then never did despite my two reminders to him :-( I will not try again. I do know that he read your comment.
Hi Admin,
Well then lol , what I can say is that you went above and beyond. I am extremely grateful. One can deduce he may just be too busy or perhaps he really wants to analyze what he will say since he may be held to his words. Either way I appreciate you more than you know my friend. On a side note I have some info on an interesting compound and hopefully I don’t offend you because you are probably way ahead of me but for some reason if it’s under your radar here you go:
DLQ01 is a topical hair loss treatment developed by Dermaliq Therapeutics, currently undergoing clinical trials for androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss). It incorporates a Prostaglandin F2α analogue, a compound known to promote hair growth, and utilizes Dermaliq’s proprietary hyliQ® technology to enhance delivery into hair follicles.
Hi Richie, I had to delete most of your post as it seemed like pasted content. Maybe you can post the actual link instead?
Also, I covered Dermaliq in 2024. So post the link in the below page if it is a new development:
https://www.hairlosscure2020.com/dermaliq-therapeutics-dlq01-topical/
Hey Admin,
Sorry about that, will do.
No worries. Just want to avoid Google thinking it is copy and paste lengthy content:-)
Yoda say never trust anyone with two first names. :-)