I originally published this important post on a cure for grey hair in January 2016. This is a second comprehensive update since that time. The post is now too lengthy and disjointed, but still worth a thorough read.
Update: June 22, 2022 — A new gene therapy treatment for a rare genetic disease (cystinosis) resulted in major hair darkening as a side effect. Four of the five patients have gotten significantly darker hair, and the fifth just started re-growing his hair post treatment. Of note, this gene therapy entails modifying blood cells, and only changes the DNA of a small fraction of the patient’s cells.
Update: June 2021 — A new experiment mapped human hair greying in relation to recent life stress events. I am very skeptical about stress causing premature hair greying in most people. I have devoted a whole section to this popular subject in the second half of this post.
Update: April 2021 — Harvard University scientists and a team from South Korea are developing a treatment for grey hair using pigment stem cells in hair follicles.
Update: September 2020 — Japanese scientists discovered an unexpected side-effect of dupilumab: reversal of hair graying. Dupilumab is a dual inhibitor of interleukin 4 and interleukin 13. It is used to treat allergic diseases such as eczema, asthma and nasal polyps.
Update: June 2020 — Chinese scientists found re-pigmentation of hair in a majority of Alzheimer disease patients after prolonged cholinesterase inhibitor therapy.
Update: June 2020 — South Korean researchers presented the first case of Ustekinumab-associated hair re-pigmentation. Ustekinumab is a monoclonal antibody medication that targets interleukin 12 and interleukin 23. It is used to treat Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, plaque psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.
Update: January 2020 — Medication-Induced repigmentation of grey hair review.
“As evidenced by the many cases of gray hair repigmentation in the literature, the development of gray hair may not be an irreversible process. Gray hair is a natural course of aging; however, it may not be an inevitable or permanent process.”
Grey Hair Treatment
Over the past few years, I have collected quite a few interesting links related to a cure for grey hair. I kept delaying writing this post because a permanent reversal of grey hair is obviously far less important than a cure for hair loss. However, there are some interesting ideas in reversing graying hair that are also relevant to reversing hair loss. Both problems also seem to have some common pathways and genetics.
Moreover, whenever we get back a full head of hair, the vast majority of us will no doubt prefer that the new hair is pigmented. At that point, grey hair will be deemed to be a significant problem unless one prefers the salt and pepper distinguished look.
Finally, for younger people who are both balding and prematurely graying, it is a double whammy. Hair loss shampoos and anti-aging products such NAD and NMN supplements do not seem to impact hair color in most people. See the comments in this May 2022 video on NMN and reversing hair greying and skin aging.
Why Does Hair Turn Grey?
A person’s hair color is determined by his or her pigment producing stem cells known as melanocytes working in conjunction with his/her hair follicle stem cells. Hair color depends on the presence and ratios of two types of melanins: eumelanins (brown and black pigments); and pheomelanins (red and yellow pigments).
As people age, a natural buildup of hydrogen peroxide occurs in their hair follicles. This in turn causes oxidative stress, melanocyte destruction and subsequent graying. Side note: many women use hydrogen peroxide solutions to go blonde.
In 2009, a team of scientists from Germany and the UK figured out why this hydrogen peroxide buildup occurs in people as they age. They also found out why hydrogen peroxide is to blame for graying hair. Basically, in younger people an enzyme called catalase breaks down hydrogen peroxide into water and oxygen.
However, as people get older, they often have lower levels of this enzyme. They also have lower levels of other enzymes (MSR A and B) that repair hydrogen peroxide related damage to hair follicles. On Amazon, products containing catalase often have at least some favorable reviews regarding the hair darkening side effect.
The combination of high levels of hydrogen peroxide and low levels of MSR A and B disrupts the formation of tyrosinase. That enzyme is important to melanin production in hair follicles. Scientists think that something similar is at play in the skin condition called vitiligo. One interesting and unusual thing about white nonpigmented hair is that it is thicker and grows faster than pigmented dark hair.
Our bodies produce molecules called free radicals that often react adversely with other molecules. These free radicals can cause a lot of damage, but they are countered by beneficial antioxidants. However, it the balance between these two classes of molecules shifts towards free radicals, we get damaging oxidative stress.
Also make sure to listen to this interesting 2020 Podcast on reversing gray hair.
Anti–interleukin (IL)-17 Therapy Reverses Grey Hair
In May 2018, Italian scientists reported a complete reversal of grey hair in one 61-year old patient. He first started getting white hair around the age of 45. He was undergoing interleukin-17 therapy with secukinumab to treat scalp psoriasis. The below before and after photo after 6 months of treatment is truly astounding. The 10-month follow up showed maintenance of results.
Note that this patient also saw new hair growth. The conclusion of the scientists is especially motivating: “hair whitening and thinning caused by the aging process might be reversible”.
Minoxidil could Reverse Grey Hair
In 2017, Dr. Wilma Bergfeld told the New York Times that:
“In early testing of the anti-hair-loss drug minoxidil, she and other researchers noticed the drug sometimes also restored hair color, suggesting it was rejuvenating the melanocytes”.
In 2021, I asked Dr. Bergfeld if there was any further research on the above phenomenon. She responded that she is unaware of anything new.
It is surprising that this phenomenon is not discussed by many other physicians, since Minoxidil has been in use for decades. Make sure to read my post on how Minoxidil works to regrow hair for more on this important FDA approved hair loss drug.
Update: May 1, 2022 — Well known dermatologist Rodney Sinclair said the following in a Reddit AMA:
“I have seen hair darkening with minoxidil in my patients.”
Hair Repigmentation after Immunotherapy
In 2017, scientists were able to reverse grey hair in 13 of 14 patients using a new immunotherapy based cancer treatment.
The treatment entailed anti–programmed cell death 1 (anti–PD-1) and anti–programmed cell death ligand 1 (anti–PD-L1 ).
The before and after pictures of two of the patients are extraordinary. I have included both in this section.
In recent years, research has found a connection between immune system involvement in both hair loss and hair premature greying of the hair.
Stem Cell Factor Protein, Krox20 and Hair Color
In 2017, scientists at UT Southwestern Center in the US led my Dr. Lu Le found that a protein called stem cell factor (SCF) was essential for hair pigmentation. Full study here. They found that the mice without SCF in Krox20 lineage cells developed grey hair early in life.
Is PC-KUS (a modified pseudocatalase) a False Flag?
In 2013, the same Germany and UK based team that was discussed earlier in this post came out with a potential way to reverse grey hair. According to the article:
“The researchers found that this massive build up of hydrogen peroxide can be reversed with a UVB-activated compound called PC-KUS, a modified pseudocatalase. The research team developed this new proprietary treatment.”
PC-KUS was also supposed to cure vitiligo. However, according to the UK’s NHS, the research and subsequent publicity on PC-KUS curing grey hair was a bit of a sham.
I am not sure if this avenue of work is definitely over, and perhaps these same scientists will surprise us and come out with better news in the future.
L’Oréal: A Pill to Prevent Grey Hair Forever
During the past decade, France’s cosmetics behemoth L’Oréal has led global research in the private sector when it comes to a search for a cure for grey hair. The company’s head of the “Hair Biology Group”, Mr. Bruno Bernard, is a co-inventor of a topical product to protect and/or regenerate the melanocytes of hair follicles. The patent for this product was filed in 2009.
Moreover, In 2011, L’Oreal announced that it was developing a pill that would prevent grey hair forever — as long as you continued to take the pill once a day permanently! The medicine contains an undisclosed fruit extract that mimics the chemical tyrosinase-related protein (TRP-2), an enzyme that protects pigment production.
Unfortunately, this pill will not cause existing grey hairs to darken, but instead, just prevent new grey hairs from forming. The pill was supposed to become available in 2015, but now we are now well past that year.
Dr. Mayumi Ito, Wnt Signaling and Hair Pigmentation
Dr. Mayumi Ito is a renowned Japanese hair loss research scientist who got her Ph.D from Nagoya University in 2003. She now does research and teaching at New York University. She has co-authored numerous papers on the impact of Wnt signaling on hair follicle growth and regeneration. On this blog you can find many posts that discuss this important subject matter.
In 2011, Dr. Ito found that Wnt signaling also explains hair losing its pigmentation. Her team even restored hair color in mice in 2011 via manipulating the Wnt pathway. It remains to be seen when they will experiment in humans (via stem cell injection or gene therapy) and see a successful reversal of grey hair.
Update: Also in April 2016, scientists (led by Dr. Ito) at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York found the molecular pathways responsible for creating the color of skin and hair. They found that a signaling pathway known as Edn/EdnrB interacts with other pathways (in particular, the Wnt signaling pathway). This in turn causes the proliferation of melanocyte stem cells (McSCs) that are involved in the earliest stages of skin and hair pigmentation. This suggests that targeting Edn/EdnrB signaling in McSCs can be a therapeutic approach to promote hair pigmentation retention.
Is Dr. Cotsarelis also Working on Hair Pigmentation?
Interestingly, in December 2011, the renowned Dr. George Cotsarelis and Dr. Mayumi Ito co-filed for a patent titled: “Methods for generating new hair follicles, treating baldness, and hair removal.” This patent was approved in December 2015.
In the description to the patent, it ends with “The present invention also provides methods for hair removal and inducing hair pigmentation.” Incredible. A three-in-one solution (hair regrowth, body hair removal, and grey hair reversal). If only Dr. Cotsarelis’ predictions and optimism would be realized faster than he thinks or claims.
Can Finasteride Make Grey Hair Darker?
Over the years, I have read quite a few testimonials on hair loss forums where Finasteride users have claimed that their hair darkened while on Finasteride (which reduces DHT levels). The majority of these patients had very limited quantities of grey hair to begin with, so it was hard for me to tell from their before and after photos (when available) if this phenomenon was true or not. Also see my post on natural DHT blockers.
However, in 2014, forum member “bverotti” who is a hair transplant clinic representative in Belgium posted a stunning now deleted before and after image of one of the clinic’s patients on Finasteride. While it shows blonde hair turning brown, I think of that as the same as grey hair turning brown or black. Also, see this hair darkening on finasteride post on Reddit.
I think that DHT, besides making many people go bald, also makes some of them go grey much sooner. I do not know if this has ever been shown to be true in any kind of study, and I could be wrong in my observation.
Using similar logic as in the above paragraph regarding Finasteride, I think that the much stronger Dutasteride can also reverse grey hair. Moreover, a few of the commentators in my post on Dutasteride Testimonials mention that the drug darkened their hair.
Could Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) Darken Hair?
I have covered PRP to treat hair loss many times on this blog. While the results are never guaranteed and PRP will not bring back hair in totally bald areas of the scalp, there are now numerous doctors who believe in the product. I am skeptical, but willing to listen to them.
More relevant to this blog post’s subject matter, in November 2015, Dr. Carlos Wesley started an interesting thread on the BTT forums with a photo showing PRP and ACell mesotherapy darkening some previously transparent scalp hair. This was very surprising to me. Moreover, he states that “An additional finding that has also been observed by other practices throughout the world is that PRP can help return some of the original hair color to follicles.” It seems like PRP could be stimulating melanocytes in hair follicles.
Update: A number of other doctors have confirmed this phenomenon of PRP darkening hair color in rare instances.
Stem Cell Transplants to Cure Grey Hair
I have discussed Dr. Takashi Tsuji on this blog numerous times in the past. Several of his old videos have shown black pigmented hair growing on a mouse after stem cell transplantation. Moreover, this article on his work has the following sentence in it: “He combined a number of stem cells to adjust the density and color of the hair, raising the possibility of a cure to graying strands.”
Will Telomerase Activation Therapy Reverse Grey Hair?
There are a number of online testimonials regarding telomarase therapy via the ingestion of the TA-65 supplement reversing grey hair and/or growing new hair. There are also many opinions to the contrary. I cover all this and more in my post titled “TA-65. telomerase activation and hair regrowth“.
Cancer Treatments that lead to Hair Repigmentation
There have been various reports of people reversing their grey hair while being on drugs to treat cancer. For example:
- Brentuximab darkens 73 year old man’s hair color from blonde to salt and pepper.
- Lenalidomide causes repigmentation of elderly man’s hair.
- Erlotinib-induced hair repigmentation.
- Hair repigmentation induced by Nilotinib in a 51 year old man being treated for chronic myeloid leukemia.
Supplements and Vitamins
Natural treatments and remedies for hair loss can sometimes also benefit hair color and pigmentation modestly. However, popular vitamin supplements such as melatonin, B-12, biotin, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, manganese, vitamin D, cysteine and selenium will rarely change hair color significantly.
Fo-Ti Root
Several studies as sell as numerous online anecdotal success story reports suggest that Fo-Ti root can darken grey hair. Fo-Ti is also knows as Fallopia multiflora, He Shou Wu and Polygonum multiflorum. Dr. Jerry Cooley told me that some of his patients have seen grey hair reduction when on a shake product containing Fo-Ti.
Make sure to read reviews and search for user experiences in relation to hair color changes before purchasing Fo-Ti root. Also of note, a new popular supplement pill product called Not Today Grey contains Fo-Ti Root as a key ingredient.
Warning: Please note that excessive consumption of Fo-Ti root can damage your liver. See details in the bottom part of this article.
Alpha-Ketoglutarate
Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate (Ca-AKG) is though to have anti-aging properties. At least in aged mice. Some reviewers of an AKG acid supplement on Amazon (scroll down) mention that their hair darkened while on the product. Dr. Arvind Poswal of India told me that his Ca-AKG product has darkened hair color in multiple people. Also note this study that found α-ketoglutarate (α-KG) stimulated quiescent (telogen) hair follicles to anagen phase hair growth.
Iodine
Some patients have iodine deficiency, often due to underactive thyroid gland or hormone disorders. Supplementing with iodine can darken grey hair or prevent further graying.
B Vitamins
Vitamin B12, Biotin and other B-complex supplements can help with your hair color in rare instances. However, make sure to get tested first to make sure that you are really deficient in B-12, folate or other B vitamins.
N-Acetyl Cysteine
N-Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) is sometimes touted on sites such as Reddit as benefitting hair color. Not much evidence on this, but its key benefit is proclaimed to come via an increase in glutathione levels.
Iron Deficiency
One of the most common reasons for premature hair loss is iron deficiency. This is especially true for pregnant women, vegans and people on extreme diets. In rare instances, a lack of iron can cause premature grey hair.
Mucuna Puriens
A 1989 report found that treating an 85-year old woman with Mucuna pruriens extract powder for her Parkinson’s disease resulted in drastic darkening of white hair.
Fluoxetine (SSRI)
Antidepressants such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) have been known to cause hair loss. However, in 2017, a report from Germany discussed how Fluoxetine promoted hair follicle pigmentation. However, the work was done in dissected sample hair from two females and not on actual scalps.
Grey Hair Cure Scams
While not as proliferate as in the hair loss cure industry, the grey hair reversal market is still full of scams. Moreover, while some products have been FDA approved and proven to reverse hair loss in numerous patients, nothing of that sort can be said for products that are touted to reverse grey hair to pigmented hair. Most of these products are natural supplements that will do nothing for your hair color.
In 2015, the US government went after various companies that were making fraudulent claims about their products being able to treat grey hair successfully. Prior to that, in 2013, a nutritional supplement company called “Rise-N-Shine” promised a pill that would permanent cure grey hair. Wonder if that pill ever came into stores, and if so, how many gullible people purchased it?
Proctor & Gamble’s ME+ Molecule Hair Dye
Until a cure for gray hair does come out, people will have to accept their graying locks, or continue to use hair dyes. In 2013, Proctor & Gamble came out with a supposed permanent hair dye based on a new proprietary ME+ molecule. The new molecule (chemical name 2-Methoxymethyl-p-Phenylenediamine) was apparently a result of 20 years of research.
Proctor & Gamble’s website also raved about ME+ in early 2014, but it does not seem like all this early optimism has led to any kind of new blockbuster permanent dye product.
Stress and Plucking will not Cause Grey Hair
Most of the articles I have read on this subject seem to indicate that for the vast majority of people, stress will not cause early premature graying of hair. Plucking hair will definitely not cause it to go grey. Both of these myths are old wives’ tales.
Some articles suggest that US presidents have grayed a lot while in office. However, in my opinion, these presidents’ parents were also usually fully grey haired in their old age. So it is not surprising to see more white hairs appearing on presidents’ heads when they are in office in their 50s and 60s. In all likelihood, it is grey hair genes rather than stress that causes middle-age greying.
Update: A new 2021 study found that grey hair could possibly be reversed by relaxation and taking vacations. Small sample size, limited results, and only in those below age 40.
A 2020 study found that hair turned grey and white more rapidly in mice when exposed to major stress. The effects were via the sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response).
Grey Hair is not Always a Sign of Ageing
Since grey hair usually only affects people in their mid-30s and aftermath (and a full head of white hair is almost never seen in those below the age of 50), most people assume that it is a sign of ageing. However, this is not always the case. There is no shortage of celebrities on TV that have grayed at a very early age.
Perhaps the two most famous examples here in the US are Anderson Cooper and Jay Leno, who both look very young for their age in that video despite graying in their 20s. Cooper started to go grey at just 20 and Leno at 29 according to his statement in that video. Neither of them seem to have any health issues despite now having been grey for decades. If anything, both seem to be aging at slower pace then the average human.
Grey Hair in Men versus in Women
Grey hair is a far greater concern for women than for men. For the former, it represents a sign of aging and an almost certain end to careers in acting and modeling unless the hair is dyed all the time. For the latter, this is not true, and some men are even purposely buying grey hair dye in order to look like George Clooney. However, some famous men such as Mr. Giuliani prefer to darken their hair even in old age.
New Research
Update: In April 2020, a new synthetic melanin nanoparticle coating method was deemed as a safer, nontoxic and longer lasting way to dye hair.
Update: In March 2020, Eirion Therapeutics had its patent for a grey hair treatment published. It entails using plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (pai-1) inhibitors to prevent hair graying. Eirion’s pre-clinical product candidates for hair loss and grey hair prevention are ET-02 and ET-03.
Update: In January 2020, scientists from the US and Brazil found that excess stress can turn pigmented hair white. Moreover, when cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) protein was suppressed in mice, their fur did not change color.
Update: A September 2019 case report from India found premature hair graying reversal after the use of Melitane 5% lotion and oral hair supplements. Melitane ™ from Redenhair is a biomimetic peptide agonist of an important melanocyte-stimulating hormone.
Update: In May 2018, researchers from the NIH and the University of Alabama discovered a connection between hair color and immune system activity. Lead researcher Dr. Melissa Harris runs a lab that researches melanocyte stem cells.
Update: In August 2017, a study concluded that forced epilation in mice resulted in melanocyte cell and hair color regeneration. i.e., a potential grey hair cure in humans.
Update: In June 2017, a very unique experiment on one South Korean patient showed significant hair darkening. This success was achieved after treatment with a 1,927-nm fractionated Thulium laser and Polydeoxyribonucleotide injections.
Update: In April 2016, a Forbes magazine cover story on Samumed suggested that the company’s SM04554 hair regrowth product that targets the Wnt pathway could also cure grey hair.
Update: In March 2016, researchers in the UK discovered key genes for grey hair and more. The IRF4 gene’s presence seems to correlate with an earlier loss of hair color.
Oh come on, Admin..
I had my first grey hairs at 18 and now, at 51, I am probably completely grey. But I was interested in your observation that there are people who go grey prematurely but who seem to age more slowly. I look at my peer group and I look a lot younger than most of them and I’m not the only one to notice it. It is something that is becoming more obvious as I get older. Maybe there is something in this. Maybe L’Oreal need to extend their research.
Dear Admin, first, thanks for running that amazingly informative site. Compared to hair loss, the cure/reversal of grey hair doesn’t get the same attention obviously but what are your prospects on this issue? For regular people it seems pretty hard to figure out, what all the researches, announcements, patents and so on with more than a decade back might be worth for the future
I suspect that a cell based cure for hair loss and grey hair reversal will come around the same time. But hard to tell when anymore :-(
Thank you very much for that great article. I would be happy to hear more often about.
Around 2015 I spend some years on hair loss forums. Was very desperate because I started to lose hair and going gray very young. Because I was scared about trying fin, I hoped for replicel and some other projects. At the same time I found your blog, but I realized that it will take at least few years and that I can’t wait for so long. I tried fin, and it was the best decision I made. My hair loss stopped, I only regret that I didn’t try it earlier. After I realized that, i almost completely stopped to read about that topic and I see that I was right. it’s 2022 and there is still no cure. The graying is progressing very slowly, but I hope for a cure for that too. I definitely saw some gray hair reversing after I had some relaxing episodes in my life. We still know very little about graying. I’m very happy that we have you. Thank you very much bro!
I wish I had hair even if their colour been green.
Great post admin. Gray hair made you look older than bald at any age.
For man It is not only scalp, but beard, chest, even arms… In my opinion the market is bigger than hair loss.
If you cant assume being bald at 30, 40, 50, why you would assume being gray or white?
under “procter & gamble” you should put Until a cure for gray hair does come out” instead of cure for hair loss
Thanks ggg!
“… the graying making the balding look even worse. ”
Totally correct Admin!
I disagree with all of this. I see dudes all the time that are Norwood 3 and you can’t even notice it because their hair is so silver and distinguished looking. It is not a bad look now.
I actually wouldn’t mind having grey hair, so long as I age gracefully with a full head of hair.
Hair cloing pleas kurva:(
Give me a full head of hair and let it be gray. I would just dye it every month at a top salon. Would end up being cheaper than spending money on propecia Rogaine hsur oils, vitamins and all the other hassle of keeping out hair
True dude.
Great post admin, personally I don’t mind having gray hair but I do believe the more scientists learn about hair the closer we get to have a solution.
Hey Admin, could you talk about Hair For Sure in a future post? It’s been floating around the internet and ”suppositly” has great results and some even say it’s the cure, which I have my doubts of. Thanks for the great work!
Posted this in the last article so forgive the double post but Ito has another patent with Cots just released at the very end of last month:
http://patents.justia.com/inventor/george-cotsarelis
Not just working to fix grey hair!
Thanks Mike! It also says “hair pigmentation” in there so I need to add it to this post. Will acknowledge you here rather than in the post.
That’s cool! Never sure what to make of patents so I temper my expectations but I get encouraged when I skim the patent and see this as one of the sub-headings:
EDIHN Hair Follicles Retain the Ability to Enter into Cyclical Hair Growth
Still, best to stay cautiously optimistic!
every f_g day i wake up and read this blog.
after all i am depressed.
I THING I WILL TAKE MY GUN 7.65 MM AND PUT HIM IN MY MOUTH AND PULL THE TRIGGER!!!!!
I AM ON THE EDGE.
BALDNESS CURE MAYBE IN 2016, NO NO NO MAYBE FOR FIVE YEARS. SOME SAY: YES, I THINK WE WILL HAVE CURE CERTAINLY IN NEXT 5 YEARS.
F_K YOU HAIR TRANSPLANT DOCTORS.
I AM APOLOGIZE PEOPLE ON THIS SITE.
SORRY.
Don’t do anything crazy jere. Not worth dying over. I saw a kid with no legs and one arm the other day and was in a wheel chair. Probably no older than 12. It can be much worse. We have 100x better chance of getting our hair back to a non balding look than this kid has of ever walking or growing his limbs back. So stop talking about putting a gun in your mouth. Our situation sucks ass but don’t make us more depressed by posting suicide shit on here.
True bro…talking like this makes us more sad…
Think Positive, and ONLY Positive Thoughts.
For the first time in history they have a treatment for hair loss where people go from bald to a complete full set of hair but its for AA type hair loss. They did it. They proved they can turn a bald person into someone who has a full set of hair even after decades of being bald and that was suppose to be impossible just 5 years ago. Look at this way we are next.
We are very close to getting our hair back. I do not know if its going to be JAK, TsZui, or Follica, I just know that we are getting very, very close. Know that.
I think that AA has nothing to do with AGA and unfortunately we are not that close to a cure for this curse. My forehead gets bigger everyday, I hate this science.
Nasa_rs, you are so boooorrrrrriiiinnngggg!
Jere you are right millions of people think like you…Hair loss industry is deplorable…We are so tired of this situation 30 years without a nee treatment…
Kurva hair cloing katastrofe 30 year ?kurva
kurva shqip
Good find mike ! The king of hair loss research continues working on the cure.
Great!! now that NASA has stopped repeating himself Khourii is approaching to take his place by keep feeding us with that king of hair loss crap!!
lol….:P
Honestly… who cares about this article, none of us has hair……….
Shut up already, peter. Your constant stupid whining is just annoying and adds nothing of value.
jesus its like talking about honeymoon without a wife…we need hair first so that it can turn grey…and whats the big deal with grey hair…freakin color it…
Yes. Coloring hair is not a big deal.. They already have cured that problem. Wish there were an easy solution like that for hair loss.
f–k grey hair!
haha :)
Hey guys totally off topic but would like to know what the dht serum level should be for someone on propecia 1mg daily dose. I know the normal range for a man is 25 to 80. Propecia obviously puts you below 25. I have heard any where from 17 to 23 being a good level to stop hair loss? Anybody on here test their levels?
I have never tried propecia and never will….
What do you use Farhan? Nothing else will stop hair loss like propecia
Yes but.. I don’t want the sides.. For me my junior is more important.. What’s the point of having bit of hair with no libido
Propecia worked for you, Mjones. It doesn’t work for everyone. I am one of those. I work out everyday, have a girlfriend, and good job. Besides slowly losing my hair, not much to complain about. I took propecia because I thought that is what modern guys do to stop hair loss… Within 5 days, I started having problems. The craziest thing is that I was always the one saying that people who have side effects on the drug probably had issues before hand, or were unhealthy… Life taught me a lesson. Things are good now, but I went through the scariest 12 days of my life when I kicked it. After that, you have to worry about having a post-finasteride relapse for the first 30 days… I would rather just be healthy. Also, Dutasteride is more effective that Propecia, but probably more dangerous.
Hi ddog yeah propecia cured me from acne, stopped my hsir loss for 12 yrs and I had forgotten my hsir loss for that time. I was happy. Now shit hit the fan and losing ground each month. My dht serum level is 22. Normal range is 25 to 80. So propecia is still working but I guess my hair loss gene is just over powering the meds. My vitamin d levels are on the low end which is 35. Normal range is 30 to 90. So maybe my hair is losing ground to low vitanin d? All I can say is that I heard more stories of propecia not working as well for more people once the drug lost its parent a few years back. Merk started manufacturing propecia in Italy before it was in new jersey. Who knows if they are making it the same anymore. We need something much better starring this year!
Awesome! Really nice! Propecia isn’t good for our body, metabolism and organic homeostasis. mjones You should learn from farhan. Nobody likes Propecia man…lol
Have a great day.
The least knowledgable person here
You don’t know what is homeostasis… who always speaks more has to be silent…
Hey KHOURII LOL…
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26133534
Persistent Sexual Dysfunction and Suicidal Ideation in Young Men Treated with Low-Dose Finasteride: A Pharmacovigilance Study.
i’m the least knowleadgable person here? hahaha
You know that’s not true…read the paper. Times are changing. Propecia is a shit.
“The methods comprise epidermal disruption or administration of wnt, and administration of a fibroblast growth factor-9 polypeptide or another compound that upregulates sonic hedgehog gene signaling.”
well, well, well.. when will we see it for real Mr. Cotsarelis?
Prob in July 2016 Cots will release the cure haha sorry had to make a joke before going to sleep. I would guess in a couple years. Who knows man, the good thing he is trying to do something and has some interesting protocols that were mentioned on nbc nightly news and on today show. Some credibility I guess
Thanks for posting this admin! I currently have a LOT of white/gray hair not just in what’s left of my scalp hair but also my beard and chest. What esp sucks about gray/white hair is that the texture of it is often wiry/dry/thin which looks really unnatural when dyed. It’s funny, with the exception of my hair I could pass for early 20s and im 32.
I really like that Cosaraelis is working on hairloss/gray hair/hair removal as I suffer from the trifecta. Jak inhibitors would be great if they worked but im still not 100% sold on taking a drug that strong for the rest of my life. If Cotsaraelis’ idea works for all 3; to say it would be a game changer for me and many others would be a serious understatement.
Does anyone have the answer to my question or am I just going to get replies from Phoenix saying how bad propecia is evert 5 mins. We get it dude!
Im taking propecia since jan 2014. I think I have not any regrowth, and I dont know if its work or not for maintenance. Perhaps without propecia I would be balder now or not, Im not sure… And I have a lot or more gray hair. Sexual sides I dont know, it depends some day I think yes and some day no. I think this things are more psichologically, if you feel depressed or confident, than effect of fin.
when can we expect some news from SHISEIDO?
can we expect cure 2016 ?
they say yes.
No not in 2016 bro. It will take till 2018 if not longer and may not be a cure but a treatment
I actually hope they pass that health care act thing by Congress so samumed can skip phase 3. Maybe that is why they are doing biomaker trial :) Plus they may be tied to that army research follicle neogenisis trial at wake forest. If they are they may have inside knowledge on congress passing the ACT. That’s why at thr hair losd cobgress the ceo of samumed didn’t answer anything about time lines and was so vague. What do you think guys?
Yeah!
“Hi
I would like to post something interested :
the meeting of north american hair research society will take place on
Friday, March 4, 2016 • 12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Washington DC, USA
Registration is required. $25 for Members; $50 for Non-Members
Perhaps, we will have some informations about the phase 2 of SM.
And the last but not least this : the last phase 2 of SM will finish on March 2016 “A Study of SM04554 Applied Topically to the Scalp of Male Subjects With Androgenetic Alopecia Analyzed by Biopsy of the Scalp Prior To and Post Dosing”
“And as you can see, Samumed was a corporate supporter of this event on 2015”
We might get good news within 2 months, Samumed hopefully shows reliable pictures with great results and not only statistics!
Will they be able to skip phase 3, after that 21st Century Cures Act … we will see.
Thanks for the information!
Hey guys I live in Washington DC I will attend this hair society convention in March! This should be exciting especially since samumed is corporate sponsor
90 days is a short trial…would be nice if was like 6-8 months but I guess if they see no changes in 3 months or formation/ revival of follicles, it likely wont be that effective anyways.
Hey admin, any update on Polichem’s phase III topical finasteride?
This article once again underlines the first 2 questions MD’s get when they are treating female patients with chemotherapy to defeat their devastating disease cancer.
1st question of the female patient:
Will I finally recover from cancer?
2nd question of the female patient: Will I lose my hair?
It’s proven that if the patients save their hair as much as possible, for instance by using the DigniCap, they will recover much faster and better.
Once again, the psychological impact of cancer, is tremendous. The psychological impact of subsequently losing hair, might be even more devastating.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/life/the-hardest-part-of-breast-cancer-was-losing-my-hair/
Therefore, stay positive, most of us here are healthy!
Thanks for that interesting link Netshed.
I think women should go bald…then only the world will take this issue seriously…
Grey hair won’t be an issue when the jak inhibitors stop my hair loss. 2016 is when I put it on my head and stop hair loss forever. I will dye my hair and will have full head of hair. All that needs to happen is prove it works for male pattern baldness and then i shall wait for an expert on the internet to make a topical and then i shall get it. 2016 is the cure.
yeahh… keep repeating and it will become true! That’s the secret!
Lol… you are like a boss dude. Keep repeating. It entertain us.
Not me. Some imposter using my screen name.
The real nasa_rs
Admin, out of curiosity, are you British? Just noticed you spelled it ‘grey’ instead of ‘gray’
No I am American. Just googled the spelling and “grey” is far more popular. However, spellcheck did not allow me to use the word’s “greying”, “greyed” etc… so those are spelled with an “a” in there:-)
Lol nasa. …
Starting to think Nasa is a troll. The comments are amazing, not sure if he is serious anymore.
NASA is a jak inhibitor.
I don’t think that’s him
Real = nasa_rs
This one = Nasa_RS
Nasa, please check this one out:
http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-132139-page-0-category-1-order-last_answer.html
Christiano uses a formulation with JAKs specifically made for the scalp… I wish novices would quit trying to just rub a JAK on their head. It’s not going to work, and it has already been shown to be a waste of time, orally. Nothing new here. Christiano and King may have a breakthrough, but it will not be replicated by people who are just using straight up JAK on their heads…
For the second time. Someone is using my screen name. I dislike people who are idiots.
The real nasa_rs.
Dear friends I am 30 yo and i am start balding when i was 22.
I am very afraid because i have not girlfriend and my hair falling.
Every day my parents tell me : you must found girlfriend and marriage.
I want to ask u am I old with my 30 yo , because many of my friends have wife and family?
My hair is the cause for this situation.
Do you have any advice for me?
thank you
JAK INHIBITORS ARE THE CURE! Do not worry jere. 2016 This year is the time we put it on our heads, we will have full head of hair for christmas. All we need to do is wait for it to be tested on mpb and then we will have bon jovi hair again!
The real nasa_RS
Not the imposter!
We got your joke — we know you’re not the real nasa_rs, get over it. Thanks.
Dear Nasa, I hope you are right.
But they did not yet start with trials.
doesn’t matter! It has already been approved for areata almost finished phases! All you have to do is get the drug when its been shown to work for male pattern baldness. Least then we will know and then we can get it from the doctors!
All is my own opinion
Yes, but when can we buy jak inh?
Can it be on the market in 2016?
Admin I think u need to do something about this new NASA guy spam.
nasa_RS is fake…please admin. It should be blocked.
The real nasa is: nasa_rs.
Looks like swiss temples posted an update about a month back.
http://swisstemples.com/my-progress/
Admin/ general public, your thoughts?
It looks to me that he has gotten some very minor growth but the photos make it difficult to tell… definitely some strands there that weren’t there before though. It looks like he has been going on 6 months now.
Nasa do you work for NASA? just curious
yes.
How can you block. That which is unblockable
*Gets blocked*
Shit.
Me and nasa_RS are 2 sides of the same coin. I am him, and he is me. Together by constantly bringing up jam inhibitors we will materialise it into existence. The illuminati use this trick to bring their sinister inventions into existence! mjones knows this, he’s an insider.
BUT! This is just my own opinion.
Ok please no more or I will block this account:-)
I think i made some spell errors there…Jak is the cure.
These are my own opinions
All hail the nasas.
I read that last comment and immediately imagined the dark empire, but seriously I don’t think u even believe in JAKs, u are only posting those comments to mock the real nasa and he doesn’t deserve that. We all have our opinions and support the sides which we think can end this nightmare but no one should be bantered cause of his opinion.
+1. You are right Nima…
Dr.christiano go go go .AKO ?AGA
ok guys i was just kidding with nasa thing. don’t get upset over it. and tbh i actually believe in jak!! I always read the comments and love nasas optimism. If anyones mocking him its most people on here! trying to drown his dreams about it working. anyway i was having a laugh and now I’ve noticed nasa got offended then ill back off. Gawwd. also considering i have male pattern baldness your not the only one in the “nightmare”
Please don’t ruin the only remaining helpful hairloss platform on the WHOLE web.
Balding is bad enough. And having to put up with balding adults’ childish trolling isn’t helping at all.
I apologise and then get attacked again. Like anyone on here hasn’t had a laugh now and then sanctus. You’re right balding is bad. This is by far the best forum. I fail to see how I’ve ruined anything. Also don’t know why you had to add the balding in to insulting me, like that isn’t childish. You’re talking to a guy who knows how bad balding sucks. started to me at 16. Which is shit when the only hair you wanted at the time was long styled. I didn’t once mean any offence. I just thought mindless fun amongst people that had already gone through shitty balding would be more tougher. Guess I was wrong.
I hope we all have good sources of entertainment in our lives. This website is for facts not fun.
I’m checking the comments section to see some intelligence not stupidity. I can’t waste my dearly precious time reading your bullshit, dude.
I would expect a balding adult to be more mature. It is not an insult.
Agree! Its a disgrace that some ppl feel a need to act like this. Shitting all over the hard work that the owner of this site is doing. Please stop this! Some of us actually come here to read comments and paticipate in a constructive manner.
@admin, thank you for another awesome post!
Now lets all look forward to Samumed news..I personally got a good feeling about their product.
If there was to be a cure guys would you prefer topical. It seems every time theres a pill it ignites danger. So they try to give us a topical. As much as i want hair i don’t fancy what i went through with minoxidil. You have to have hair short to get it to your scalp and not waste it causing you to not try and have a style to it. I;d rather a pill or a shampoo tbh :/
Obviously everyone would “prefer” a topical, but these kinds of questions always astound me.
It treating something like this, you don’t get to just “choose your cure”: It’s about what CAN be done.
Doesn’t look like a topical by itself is going to ever cure hairloss.
I don’t think any tropical treatment will cure hair loss and bring us hair back, it should be targeted from the inside, that is the only thing that makes sense.
Very Bad News. Christopher1 reported on his results of trying Tofacitib lotion plus orally taking it and he had no hair growth. I think he could still get hair in another month or two even though he is not longer applying the lotion. This is from his posting:
http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-131995-page-0-category-1-order-last_answer.html
“Gentlemen, I hate to inform you that the trial is over and I have had zero results. Keep in mind not only was I applying the medication topically, but I had 5mg/day systemically in my system for the entire trial period. From the onset I felt Christiano’s reasoning was specious as it related to the drug being applicable to MPB. Maybe I was on too low of a dose. However, that a drug, on its own, can grow an ample amount of hair on say a Norwood 3 seems a little far-fetched to me given what we now know about MPB.
Btw I am going to try Kerastem soon. If all of this stuff doesn’t give me cancer I will report back on that in the future.
Best of luck.”
@nasa,
Does this mean you’ll give up and move on with your life as promised?
It’s not a big deal. As I stated above…
Christiano uses a formulation with JAKs specifically made for the scalp… I wish novices would quit trying to just rub a JAK on their head. It’s not going to work, and it has already been shown to be a waste of time, orally. Nothing new here. Christiano and King may have a breakthrough, but it will not be replicated by people who are just using straight up JAK on their heads…
It was wrong of you NASA to place any kind of hope on that experiment.
This christopher is suicidal/reckless. Think hairloss is bad? Maybe you should see someone you know go through and die from cancer. Experimenting with drugs you don’t truly understand…smart.
Like we didn’t already knew it wouldn’t work….
We cannot know if jak will work or not and under which conditions, so we have to wait to a clinical trial of aga patients, until then we cannot be sure if it will work or not.
Admin: in what year you say that the cure for gray hair would be discovered? 2020 or later?
NASA you should copyright your name buddy.. People are using it
Are there any updates on this? Does it look like there will be a solution for those that are going gray early?
The problem with most hair restorers is that they do not really show you how to fix grey hair.
http://trkur4.com/109193/25131 not only shows you that it works they show it right in front of you –
the secret is the natural vitamins used.
Stress causes oxidative stress so yes it causes grey hair.
Shen min tablets 60 per bottle actually works, it’s not great, but it will help reduce some balding. I’m attaching a link, but it’s cheaper to get them on eBay or Amazon. I have taken it for two years and slowly but surely new hair has grown in. Again it’s not great and it may not even work on every one. My nephew tried it and had no improvement. But at least it provides some hope. Now if I could find a real pills the reverses graying. I am almost completely gray and I’m only 48.
Greyverse is an intriguing ingredient that just won an award recently. I’ve yet to see a consumer product come of it though. If anyone has come across a product with this included please post.
Phyto re30 is the new Product based on Greyverse formula
Interesting but no reviews or photos of results on the web, as far as I can see. Yoda might’ve given this a whirl in days gone by but I think I wait and see if any further evidence presents itself before taking a gamble.
I only clicked on a few links but I don’t see where Phyto Re30 contains Greyverse? I’m skeptical of something touting *another* plant extract without proof. At least Greyverse has been vetted Internationally. I’ll keep an open mind about Phyto and do more research though when I get time. Thanks Saeed
Thank you for these updates admin. As the global population ages there will no doubt be high demand for the hair trifecta: reversing hairloss, unwanted body hair removal, and repigmentation of gray/white hair. I think researchers realize this and are trying to capitalize on this. I know I want the trifecta too!
Thanks Daniel. All three markets have boomed in the past several decades for sure. Especially laser hair removal and hair transplantation.
I used PC-KUS/PSEUDOCATALASE from Murray Ave RX (same place that compounds Minox) for a year with zero results. Have been on fin for over 20 years and minox for over 30 years, both before I started to gray. I can say with all certainty that while they helped keep my hair they did nothing to stem the tide of my presently 75% gray hair. Hoping that something legit pops up soon so I can keep living in denial about my age! :-)
@Admin,
The below linked news is proof that a fast track is always possible whenever a dermatological company can prove that a treatment/cure is possible.
For a change it has to be Aclaris to break the record….although this relates to AA.
https://aclaristherapeuticsinc.gcs-web.com/news-releases/news-release-details/fda-grants-fast-track-designation-aclaris-therapeutics
Yup. Wish they sent those out with the acronym AGA in them each time lol
Does this mean that AGA will be treated quickly?
If it does work for AGA but we can only get it for AA I suspect a lot of people including will be diagnosed with AA (inflammation) and treated for it;)
http://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/serovital-hair-regeneres-releases-results-of-consumer-experience-test-that-shows-gray-hair-reversal-and-hair-growth-1027338545
A randomized, double‐blind controlled study of the efficacy and safety of topical solution of 0.25% finasteride admixed with 3% minoxidil versus 3% minoxidil solution in the treatment of male androgenetic alopecia
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jdv.15171
About 90% of patients treated with the combined solution experienced moderate to marked improvement. The combined solution also had minimal effect on plasma dihydrotestosterone levels, approximately 5% reduction. There were also no systemic adverse events reported by patients in both groups.
What was a real disappointment was the Polichem topical fin
They finished a Phase 3 a few months ago and then said release slated for about 2 years!!
@ Admin Why are you not writing your Monthly Items of Interest anymore? There is so much going on in Hair Loss Science and Industry! Mostly not enough to write a whole text but still nice to read and sometimes make up our own opinion.
When will the Messiah of hair will come and help us…jesus just give us our hair back … please …aah ahha haaaa (its me crying)
We have not heard anything from Aclaris might be a good thing. It might mean that the trial has not been stopped due to lack of results. Its been 2 1/2 months. It takes about 6 weeks to show the first sign of hair growth and it takes 5 months for a full set of hair. Thus they MUST now know if it works or does not work.
It would be nice to see the AA hair results as that might come out first maybe end of this year. Those trials started first and thus the results should be out before AGA results.
I would expect in 2-3 months we get an official public notice that the clinical trials worked, and not anything more than that until 2019. We could get word if it works on conference call in the 2nd week of August. That’s a maybe.
Time for a 100% treatment to become available no more wasted time waiting. If it works for AGA I strongly say within 2 years it will be available. And I do not care what people think if this is ALREADY FDA approved drug for 5 plus years it will not take long to get it through the system for hair growth.
I am Extremely Optimistic that Aclaris clinical trial will work. I am not going to accept no for an answer This Is It. You have to be like Schwarzenegger You Push Until You Succeed And ONLY SUCCEED.
Nasa_rs, seriously blood! Get a grip on reality. Do you think it is funny constantly falsely bigging up JAK’s? It is childish and immature glhow you constantly repeat your unfounded tittle-tattle! #JAK’sDon’tWork
Stay optimistic. Better than being negative. The problem eill definitely be solved. The question is just when?
I really appreciate nasas optimism. If you are not as optimistic as he is then let him. Where exactly is the problem? We like to be positive. Guess who is happier? Nasa or all the pesimistic guys?
@nasa_rs – your reaction to the impending bad news from them will be interesting to observe. I think you have become so blindly optimistic by them that if we hear just one participant grew back 1 hair follicle, visible only by microscope, you will still stand by them. This is PRP and ACell all over again.
@NETSHED nice link to the article. Very intriguing however it does not say what carrier vehicle they used to transport the topical fin.
It amuses me how many people want a topical solution. A cure is a cure. There are people in Africa queueing up to get a malaria shot and a lot of the time they die from it while on the waiting list. It kills more people than any other disease, even though there is a cure for it.
When the lucky Africans who finally reach the front of the queue are told to roll up their sleeve, how many do you think ask “Have you got a shampoo version?”
When matters more than how. Enough said.
Stop saying nonsense. You are comparing apples and oranges. It does not make sense what you say. They are definitely different times. Never in history have we had treatments so close attacking different angles of hair loss. We will have new treatments before 2020.
Greetings.
It does not make sense to you, that is.
I share your optimism and I have a vested interest in a cure. But unlike most picky people that insist the cure needs to be a lotion, if it turns out to be a painful injection up the ass I will still take it.
Never before in history we had so many treatments in the pipeline attacking different angles of hair loss: Breezula (DHT), Samumed (WNT), Setipiprant / Fevipiprant (PGD2), “Histogen / kerastem”, Replicel, JAK inhibitors….and others.
Good times are coming. Thank you @admin.
Im with nasa, I like the optimism. It cheers me up. I get that there is the other side of things. The “realistic” side. But you gotta remember that almost everything is unrealistic before it happens. Curing this thing is unrealistic to start with. But we try until it happens, and then one day… Our world is not the same anymore. Its unrealistic to think that you can take a piece of metal and bend it and make it fly across the sky. Thankfully the wright brothers disagreed. I’m rooting for you nasa.
nasa’s blind optimism is more akin to the scientists of old that tried to turn copper into gold.
Im with Nasa in believing JAK works to some degree. I differ from him though on how well it will work and the saftey of it. I dont think it would go as far as it has in trials with no word if it didn’t work somewhat! Personally I’m hoping it can get us at least to 30% of our hair back, safley.
I get grays after I start used Finasteride.
Very good readin’ tough I am grey already :<
Hello, any news about gray hair? Any real solution?
Thanks, great job with a lot of information
Any updates on this grey hair cure research? Seems as if everything has gone quiet again. Would really like an update!
There company PHYTO invents PHYTO RE30, the first anti-grey hair treatment* that brings back color to your hair without using coloring pigments. The RE30 peptide,
Does it work I don’t know
No, PHYTO RE30 does not work it’s a waste of money.
I was interested in your observation that there are people who go grey prematurely but who seem to age more slowly. This happens to me. I started to hv grey hair at the age of 11 and my hair turns to grey completely at the age of 30 +. However I do look 10 years younger than my peers ( after I hv dyed my hair of course)
Am looking forward to a remedy for grey hair.
I had my first grey hair pointed out to me at age 25 by a girlfriend at college. In my experience, many girls seem to like them on a guy, but freak if they get one themselves! Ha. I personally don’t care about getting “granny hair”. It’s the losing of them that gives me the sh*ts.
If free radicals are responsible for lowering some of those enzymes like catalase and creating hydrogen peroxide wouldnt just antioxidants from foods and stuff help with slowing down or stopping grey hair?
Like partly just a diet thing? I am sure part of it is genetics you cant change or stop though.
Are there any grey hair reversal treatments in the works that will be available in the near future?
I’m approaching my late 40’s and the beard hair is a salt & pepper mix, the remaining hair on my head is 90% brown, 10% white. I’m hoping for a cure ASAP. I’d be down to volunteer for a CRISPR cure if it comes around.
Minoxidil reverses grey hair? Total BS. I’ve been on minoxidil since 1988 – never missed a week. My hair is now about 80% grey. But I still get comic relief laughing at L’oreal’s grey hair pill. What was that about 15 years ago now that it was going to be out in a few years (from then)?
Agree with Meko, I’ve been on minox since the mid-80’s as an off label before Upjohn released 2% as an RX product. I started to go grey in my mid-30’s and subsequently dyed my hair. Stopped dying about a year ago, my hair is as white as Larry Tate’s from Bewitched. Also, don’t try that PSEUDOCATALASE bullshit for grey hair from Medical Wellness Center/Murray Ave RX. I tried that crap for a year and it did absolutely nothing. Another reason why I’m suspect of their hair loss treatments as well
Hi Yoda, you have been using minoxidil for many years, have you also used finasteride through all these years? If yes, how much hair were you able to maintain?
Yes Lorence, I’ve used fin, now dut, since the mid-90’s. Oral fin was great until about 10 years ago so I switched to dut. Now mainly topical dut with oral only once a week. Everyone is different, I found that oral fin and topical minox loose their effectiveness as our baldness genes continue to ramp up. Why I’ve always seeked new versions of anti-androgens and compounded minox topicals (as well as oral). My hair today is far from that of my 17 year old self, however nobody ever comments that I have thinning hair, which I do at the front.
Congratulations on the success of your long-term pro-active approach Yoda.
Thanks Admin, I appreciate that. Hair loss at an early age is traumatic, want to offer my experience to anyone who cares to hear or ask for it. I’m greedy and still want more hair, although it’s not as unsettling at soon to be 60 years old as it was in my early 20’s. When I started at this game all that was available was pluggy transplants, hair pieces (like my dad wore) and snake oil. I understand those who bitch about only having fin/min available after all these years, I’m still grateful that we at least have that. However, there’s a lot more variations of the same old off the shelf fin/min that can yield better results, for me and most probably others.
Hi Yoda, thanks for the reply. I too started losing my hair when I was 20, unfortunately I know exactly what you’re talking about. Now I am 50 years old, I have been using minoxidil for 25 years and finasteride for 20, luckily without side effects.As you wrote, I don’t have the hair I had when I was 18, but when I put it in place ” I also use a touch of concealer ” they still look fine.
Its rough topicals are a royal pain in the a@@ to apply so whew man those are not fun, and usually they are expensive so half of it just get stuck on hair and whatever and you waste half of it. yuck
On the other hand pills always carry way more sides, and I had lots of sides on propecia some not even mentioned. Tried 3 times, and it sucks because without that what else is there? Its all there is its do or die.
So pill or topical or shampoo? IDK its a tough one. Pills are so convenient though. We need a better delivery system IMO and a topical maybe
Cotsarelis and Follica are still in my high hopes; even tho they’re taking soooooo long. I need the works; more and better quality hair AND a return of pigment, over my entire body. Age 38 now; I won’t ever look better than I do now without dramatic results.
New article about Stemson, but unfortunately not really new information. Still years away but that’s old news.
https://www.genengnews.com/on-your-radar/hair-loss-treatment-uses-stem-cells-to-generate-healthy-new-follicles/
I found it quite surprising that there are now 21 people working there.
Good news for people that are born today, or at least I hope so …
I like Stemson and its concept-at least it has a card in the game. I’ll probably be a corpse by the time it ever hits the shelves tho. Anyway, weren’t we talking about grey hair? Richard Gere pulls it off well. (According to his gerbil anyway.) Mine tho is starting to look like Betty White’s that’s been attacked by magpies.
I’m certain I’ll be inducted into the ancient “Men Who Look Like Old Lesbians” blog. (Warning: not for delicate snowflakes and the perennially offended.)
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Olumiant (baricitinib) oral tablets to treat adult patients with severe alopecia areata
https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-approves-first-systemic-treatment-alopecia-areata.
Anything coming to market soon that will cure grey hair?
I’ve got maybe 20% grey hairs at this point. Started at 27, i’m about to turn 36. I really hate it and it’s annoying that nobody takes it seriously as a cosmetic concern.
That might be starting to change… I’m hoping one of these pans out. The first one is based on the cancer drug from a few years ago that amazingly darkened the patient’s hair completely to their original color.
The other is a new company called Eirion therapeutics which is working on a grey hair treatment.
I’m hoping this is the beginning of an influx of potential grey hair treatments on the horizon.
It’s about time this issue is treated as serious as other cosmetic concerns are.
https://uab.flintbox.com/technologies/a4a3763b-6bac-4317-ac0a-222986aea441
http://eirionthera.com/
I did cover Erion in the post FYI. The study you posted does not seem to show up on Google or Pubmed. Strange.
It’s on the University of Alabama website under their technologies. It’s from Melissa Harris who has been in the news quite a bit for her studies on melanocytes and melanocyte stem cells.
It says she developed a topical approach so I’m guessing she’s maybe working with biotech companies to test it out?
And yes, I saw your post about Eirion. Any thoughts on their potential?
I am never optimistic about any of these companies till they reach Stage 2 trials. RiverTown Therapeutics RT1640 was supposed to regrow pigmented hair, but the company folded. L’Oreal promised a grey hair pill a while back, but no cigar. Probably several such cases mentioned in this post :-(
Understood. Hopefully we have some luck here.
It is encouraging that Eirion received a 40 million investment from a big Chinese cosmetic medicine company though. And that they have several other products for other conditions in phase 2 trials.
I’m not too familiar with Rivertown but it seems that Eirion may have a tad more legitimacy behind them, no? Did Rivertown even submit a patent?
I’m optimistic that more and more companies will dive into this space going forward.
Would be nice to get at least something that’s partially affective like Finastride and other hair loss options.
Hi Admin, this study might be of interest, thought you might like to post it —
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/3/599/htm
Reading through this thread, I appreciate its existence but I just take issue with this framing—
“I kept delaying writing this post because a permanent reversal of grey hair is obviously far less important than a cure for hair loss. Moreover, whenever we get back a full head of hair, the vast majority of us will no doubt prefer that the new hair is pigmented. At that point, grey hair will be deemed to be a significant problem unless one prefers the salt and pepper distinguished look”
Admin, hair greying will only be deemed a significant problem when those with hair loss start suffering from it?
What about people that are suffering from premature greying right now? Their pain is not significant or important yet even though they are literally dealing with premature aging?
As someone who suffers from premature greying, it gets frustrating when these two things are always compared and one is swatted aside as not a serious problem.
Both are significant problems and no, covering up premature grey hair with dye is no more of a solution than covering a bald head with a wig.
There’s no reason to minimize one over the other. Both should be solved.
Thanks for the comment. Probably bad phrasing on my part. I assumed that most balding people who come here would probably be delighted with a thick head of greying hair. However, when balding is solved, perhaps most formerly bald people will then want a cure for grey hair much more.
Admin, I appreciate the reply. I’m sure they will because as someone who has not lost my hair but has it greying prematurely, I definitely want a cure.
That’s why I think both should be treated with importance. Especially because the two are probably related… no reason why people who are greying prematurely shouldn’t be helped alongside people who lose their hair.
But I do understand that this blog is mostly for a specific audience. And I do appreciate your effort in establishing this section for the greying issue.
As someone who started to thin at an early age (17) and also prematurely go grey…or white actually (late 20’s), not even close. Grey hair is far less traumatic than losing one’s hair. Plus coloring one’s hair is a pretty simple solution as opposed to hair systems, transplants or hopefully treatments (big 3) that may or may not be effective. For me, the big three (and variations of same) kept most of my hair and coloring was a quick fix…until I let it go full blown white during CV19.
Coloring hair not simple when it looks fake and a week the roots show and everyone knows your color it.
Coloring is not better than a wig or a hair transplant.
It’s covering up a hair dysfunction and the cover up is obvious.
At least for hair loss, there’s products that will slow it down like Finasteride, etc.
Greying at 20 years old? Tough luck. Just accept that you’re aging 20 years earlier and use obvious color dyes that show in a week.
On top of that, someone who has all grey hair at age 40 looks a lot older than someone who is balding and shaves their head/grows a beard.
It’s terrible that the #1 sign of aging– greying of hair– is brushed aside and not taken seriously. While literally every other sign of aging has at least some options.
As someone who’s prematurely greyed and had thinning hair, my direct experience with both disagrees whole heartedly with you. Coloring my hair was a pain but not near the same level as hair loss and what needs to be done to cover it or treat it. If you really feel this way Manu then your solution is simple…just shave your freakin head!
Manu, if you offered me a strict choice between: 1) Norwood 3 with 100 percent dark hair; versus 2) Norwood 1 with Jay Leno level all white hair; I would pick the latter :-) Even if I were in my 20s.
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0005143/mediaviewer/rm2172553472?ref_=nm_ov_ph
Admin, respectfully, I think it’s hard to make that choice until you’ve experienced it.
Keep in mind, I’m not saying grey is worse than balding… simply saying that both are a problem (especially at a young age) and it’s not fair to swat one aside and scream “just dye it” at a person who’s experiencing the pain of going grey early and when dye is no more of a real solution than an obvious wig.
Yoda, the same solution you offered me– shave your head bald– you can offer to yourself as well.
Manu, I have diffused thinning right now and probably 98 percent black hair. I would swap for Jay Leno and his thick 100 percent white hair right away, no second guessing. I would also be relieved to then get off of Dutasteride. The medications give you some hair thickening and regrowth, but almost never bring back your hair from 10-20 years ago.
Admin, I don’t think you’re seeing my point… why does it have to be competition of swapping one for one?
I can take your point and also say that I’d rather put up with some hair loss and just shave my head rather than look 10-20 years old with white hair.
The point is both suck and we should be able to talk about grey hair and push for solutions without immediately doing the comparison game and downplaying the emotional destress people with a different condition are going through just because we think ours is worse.
IUn-freakin-believable, you’ve been comparing the two and making assumptions about thinning hair vs greying hair. Greying is an issue, that’s why I colored my hair for 30 years, I wouldn’t call it traumatic but to each his/her own. This guy (or chick) is why I try not to post as much, sometime old Yoda can’t help himself.
Also, regarding the medications like Dutasteride…. my point was that even if they don’t offer regrowth, they at least stop if for most people.
Would be an amazing thing if something like that existed for greying. Would’ve taken it 8 years ago and I would have barely any greys :(
That makes zero sense Manu, why would I shave my head if I already said being bald is much worse than going grey? If you shaved your head you would no longer be grey. Also, you could have your perceived easy fix for people who are bald and buy a a dark colored wig, case closed! Man up Manu!
You could have your perceived fix for greying and just color in hair on your head using Toppix or whatever and it will look like you have hair. You don’t like that though because it’s fake and not a real fix….. for you that’s not acceptable but for people that are grey, you want them to accept that. See how that works? At least you’re able to stop your hair loss somewhat with drugs… nothing like that for greys.
I’m not the one saying one is worse than the other… YOU are. You wanna downplay other people’s concerns and wag your finger at them because you don’t feel the same way.
The fact is hair dye is a cover up just like a wig and hair transplant is. Case closed.
Stop playing the comparison game all the time… it’s old and tired and does nobody any good. Plus it’s bad karma for you
Manooooo, please review…I have both thinning hair and prematurely grey (white actually) hair. Have used oral and topical treatments for one and dye for the other. The dye sometimes turned orange or yellow from topical hair loss treatments, which was not fun. Therefore, I can play the “comparison game” with my own head, you can’t. I wish you good day sir, life is too short to debate the undebatable. Sorry to the admin and fellow hair loss sufferer’s for my bloviating, Yoda Out!
Yoda, I really don’t wanna argue with you and I don’t want to have the two issues be part of a “what’s worse?” Game.
Let’s just agree that both suck…. ESPECIALLY at a young age…. and let’s focus on pushing towards a treatment not just for one but for both.
Cheers Yoda
Fair enough Manu, neither is something we’d choose given the choice. Here’s a Pro tip, you might try Control GX shampoo from Just for Men. It’s not perfect but I found it much more convenient than regular dyes and you can keep up on it. Good Luck!
Thanks Yoda, I appreciate it. I tried GX but it wasn’t for me for a number of reasons. I may try again in the future.
My grey is about 30% right now so not terrible yet. I use a product called Simpler Hair color, comes with a brush so it’s a bit easier to keep up with. And it’s all natural.
I see some people my age with grey in the beard but not the hair.. I’d much prefer that look.
Psychologically, it feels like your youth is being robbed from you… as I’m sure you can relate with hair loss.
It’s a damn shame that pharmaceutical companies don’t seem to care about the psychological issues these things can bring.
On the grey front, we’ve seen countless evidence of hair repigmentation as a side effect of variety of drugs. They can develop something for this. SMH.
https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMicm2119953 so repigmentation is possible it’s just a matter of figuring out how to do it safely side effects free
Thanks. Also see the post for three other similar cases involving various ‘tinib drugs for cancer treatment causing hair repigmentation.
That’s amazing if accurate. Not sure why pharmaceutical companies aren’t all over this… it’s a goldmine for them.