Two Decades of Quotes from Dr. George Cotsarelis

University of Pennsylvania’s Dr. George Cotsarelis is a legend in the hair loss world. He has been among the three most quoted hair loss researchers in the world over the past two decades (with the other two being Dr. Angela Christiano and Dr. Ken Washenik). I have covered all three of these US-based researchers numerous times on this blog in the past.

Dr. Cotsarelis’ first hair related study that I could find is dated all the way back from 1990. Since then, the doctor and his lab (sometimes in collaborative efforts) have been responsible for a number of groundbreaking discoveries in relation to androgenetic alopecia. These include crucial findings related to progenitor cells, prostaglandin D2, skin regeneration, Wnt signaling, wounding and more.

Dr. Cotsarelis is a co-founder of Follica, a company of paramount importance to us. I therefore thought it would be of interest to find some important quotes and thoughts that Dr. Cotsarelis has given in interviews over the past two decades to major newspapers and scientific publications.

George Cotsarelis Quotes

The quotes below give a good indication about the overall progression of hair loss research in the US during the past several decades. They also suggest major revisions in Dr. Cortsarelis’ prognostications about when a hair loss cure will finally arrive.

1998

Science News (need subscription)

“Ideally, you would like to turn on beta-catenin just in an adult and see if you have the same effect: production of hair follicles.”

1999

CNN

“If someone thinks this is going to lead to a baldness cure in a year or two, that’s completely unrealistic. I think seven to 10 years is more realistic.” 

2000

BioScience (need subscription)

“The discovery of the human homologue of the mouse hairless gene defect beautifully shows that the hair follicle in the mouse is very similar to the human, and that’s heartening because a lot of people are working on mouse and assuming that it’s going to be relevant to humans.”

“It’s not crazy by any means. At some point in the future, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were some type of gene therapy for hair loss.”

2004

The Guardian

“I think this or something like it will be available in the next five to 10 years” said George Cotsarelis, a dermatologist at the University of Pennsylvania school of medicine who led the research.”

2007

Reuters

“Dr. George Cotsarelis, a dermatology professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia who led the study, said the findings dispel the dogma that hair loss is permanent in people and other mammals, and that once they are lost new hair follicles cannot grow. Cotsarelis said the findings could pave the way for remedies for male-pattern baldness and other types of hair-loss. He said the idea would be to apply compounds to get epidermal cells to turn into hair follicles. Cotsarelis is involved with Follica Inc., a privately held start-up company that has licensed the patent on the process from the University of Pennsylvania. He said it probably would be more than five years before a treatment was possible.”

2007

Scientific American

“For this to become therapeutic, you’d probably have to find ways to activate the Wnt pathways with a topical agent,” Cotsarelis says. He notes that he and his colleagues have founded a small start-up company called Follica to create a product that could be applied to injured skin as it heals to “activate the right pathways … [that trigger] follicle formation.” Cotsarelis says the for-profit venture is now only doing preclinical experiments, but if all goes perfectly, there could be a product on the market in two to three years.” 

2008

Penn Medicine

A great overview of Dr. Cotsarelis’ work through 2008 can be found in the above publication and is worth a complete read. Key quote:

“When cells move in to close a wound, they are trying to make a decision: Should I make epidermis or should I make a hair? If there is a lot of Wnt around, they choose to become hair follicles.”

My Note: Besides an instructive summary of how the lab’s hair research has developed and progressed every few years, I was very surprised to read about how important Dr. Mayumi Ito’s work has been in some of the key findings, especially wounding. Dr. Ito now works at her own lab in New York and has been covered on this blog a number of times in the past.

2011

BBC

“This implies that there is a problem in the activation of stem cells converting progenitor cells in bald scalp. The fact that there are normal numbers of stem cells in bald scalp gives us hope for reactivating those stem cells.”

2011

Daily Mail

“Dr Cotsarelis, a dermatologist, whose work was part-funded by the US government and by L’Oreal, believes a treatment could be on the market within a decade.”

2012

NY Times

“Dr. Cotsarelis, who describes himself as enamored with the hair follicle, has been hard at work on balding scalps since he identified hair follicle stem cells in mice in 1990, when he was a postdoctoral fellow. We were able to show that when we isolated the cells and injected them into another mouse, he said, the mouse made new hair follicles.”

2013

WSJ

“George Cotsarelis, professor and chair of dermatology at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, in Philadelphia, is skeptical of product claims. Topical products can change the hair’s appearance but not the follicle itself, he cautions. It’s like throwing gasoline on your car and expecting it to go.”

My Note: Maybe he forgot about topical Minoxidil and topical Finasteride?

2014

CNN

“Cotsarelis was adamant about it because male pattern baldness isn’t related to the immune system.”

My Note: It is therefore a bit strange that Follica (Puretech) classifies androgenetic alopecia to be an immune system related problem per recent presentations.

2016

CNN

“In the end, I think there are going to be multiple ways to treat male pattern baldness, and some will work fabulously well in some people and not so well in others.”

2017

The Telegraph

“Essentially, we can manipulate wound healing so that it leads to skin regeneration rather than scarring.”

2019

In June 2019, Dr. George Cotsarelis made an interesting presentation titled “Two Decades of Riding the Hair Wave”:

2023

In 2023, Dr. Cotsarelis was interviewed by the ISHRS and said that despite advances in hair regeneration, he does not thing that hair transplant surgeons “need to be worried about going out of business”.

79 thoughts on “Two Decades of Quotes from Dr. George Cotsarelis”

  1. Hi admin! Great summary of quotes from Cots. Based on all of this it looks we still have a way to go. Lots of delays and postponements. Seems like that is the common message from him and all other researchers in the hair loss industry. I’ve been in this game since 2001. Almost 20 years….I think you have been in it this long as well if I’m not mistaken. Do you think we will have something that will really grow back 3 to 4 Norwoods of thick hair by 2020?

    1. Thanks MJones. Now please tell me why you picked the name MJones? I am still trying to figure that one out since you said that you were of Greek origin a number of times and Cotsarelis was your fellow comrade in arms :-) Also, are you ever planning on meeting him again…I think that you had an appointment with him in the past and postponed it? And then finally cancelled it right?

  2. Haha yeah I just picked mjones because when I first responded to this forum I was listening to mime Jones the rapper on the radio haha. I really should change it to mjonopoulos Haha. Yeah the university doesn’t set appointments with him anymore. I am assuming he just does research now. Sucks…

  3. I am really considering an fue. Looks like it’s the only thing at the moment. I’m a diffuse thinner on top back and sides are coarse thick hair. Temples and hairline diffuse all the way to crown. Not see through yet but you can see the uneven density when my hair is blow dried up. If it’s wet then it’s game over and looks like crap. I just need some filling in around hair like and right side. But my hair is just thinninh more each month. Started minox,fin,tretinoid mix again 6 weeks ago. Shedding completely stopped but I’m worse off now with more loss all over.

  4. “It’s like throwing gasoline on your car and expecting it to go” – that is so funny, I am saving that one for my lazy friends at the gym! :-)

    Anyway, back to business. I think this guy is more of a Prof Hawking than a Elon Musk. Lots of credibility minus any actual inventions. I hope I am wrong and his Follica venture cracks it.

    1. I, too, enjoyed that quote. Reminded me how complex the human body really is and how much more effective treatments of any kind (current ones included) could be if they could be better localized and targeted.

  5. There should have been a new hair loss breakthrough treatment released each decade. 90s Propecia, 2000s should have been aderans or intercytex with hair immunization, 2010s histogen with tons of hair growth with injections, now it should be the real deal like full regrowth and or cloning. It’s a market worth billions yet nobody seems to want to gain the profits from it…rigsine and Propecia work great for many but it’s not long term effective…at most 5 to 12 years…once that’s up then what do you do?

  6. This sums up what we all feel. But also shows research and science issnt a straight line. I am very confident that the 2 decades of research and more or less try and error made a huge Progress and we are now at the beginning of actual Treatments.

  7. Ultimately, it’s impossible to make any sort of prediction on when something might be available when it’s still in the lab and pre-clinical; and that’s what this timeline shows.

    IMO, you can’t really make any accurate guess as to when something might hit the market until Phase II.

    1. That guy…very true..however, we have many treatments in phase 2 and just end up staying their for so long…histogen, samumed, sisheido, follica…the only positive thing about follica and sisheido is that they did mention some sort of time release of 2018/19.

      1. Yes, the pure number of Treatments currently in Phase 1 and 2 is incredible. Worldwide. Two decades ago there was like nothing in the pipeline because the many different mechanism how hair Growth works was just unknown. We now live in a totally different time.

    1. He is not loosing hope but he always picks on follica and says why they are taking too long. No company did invent anything for hairloss for decades but at least he did is working hard and he is almost there, am I wrong?

    2. That zinc treatment had poor results..no difference in the before or after picture. Not worth discussing. I find it funny how these companies grow 30 hairs all over and consider it a success lol. I’m sorry a success is total stop in hair loss and thick normal hair growth where you can’t see scalp anymore..playing comb over tricks or growing 5 random new hairs after 6 months is a joke. Good responders to minoxidil grow back almost all their hair.

  8. Ok, so guys, pardon for my “off thread” comment, but to be honest, I will no longer follow this blog regardless as good and informative as it is (fantastic job admin) for the simple reason that I am in the procces of curing (yes you read right, cure/curing) my hairloss/baldness issue, and this is happening without using any lotion or any med, but just my powerfull mind, self controll and will power.

    Im not here to troll. I do know pretty well how baldness affects us emotionally, our own perception and selfsteem.

    I am.here to give people hope, specially the young guys who still have a lot of hair but are seeing many hair falling during every shower taken andin every combing (pardon my engliah if I mispelled something).

    Im.not selling anything, I dont want anything from anyone. I just want to help everyone who suffers from this madness and give thekna new hope by just.sharing what is working for me, and its literally a miracle.

    So guys, to be straight to the point, what I am doing is abstinance, wich is an antient practice as you know and its now more known on this new digital era as nofap.

    Unfortunelty, whenever nofap/abstinance is mentioned on hairloss forums as a potential game changing factor on this fight against hairloss, there are always a group of people trying to deliscred it, making fun of it, many of them feel somehow very offended, and they start to demand proof from pics, wich is fair.

    The huge problem with the lack of more significant proofs to back up the theory of how much hairloss and ejaculation are conected is the fact that VERY FEW MEN have enough strenght mentality and will power to hold their semen to long period enough to see any result. All of these who feel so offended by this theroy and try to discredit and making fun of it cant hold their urge/temptations for more than 3 days, or a week, let alone months. And yes, it takes MONTHS to see a clear evidence to how much it contributes to fight against our hairloss issue.

    The other problem that it cobtributes for the lack of clear evidences (lack of pics) is the fact that this very few men in our western society who succeds on holding their semen for a long period enouh to see their hair growing back so thick, dense, shiny ARE TAKEN BY TOTALLY SURPRISE, so there aren t “the before pic” to make the case.

    I dear to say it is the cure, the cure is in us, it is in our body, wich has a complex of many autohealing mechanism (we have utohealing for skin, why not for hair ?).

    The problem ia that this autohealing and recovery proccess deals with our strongest humans intincts (sexual desires, sexual thoughts) and its extemely challenging, specially on this hypersexualized western society.

    I can not estimate accuratly how much time it took me to see clear results, but if I gave you a safe bet, I would say 4 months, 4 months without ejaculation. During this procces I had sexual intercourse three times with my girlfriend who happens to live far from me (i have to go on a flight to see her), but that somehow didnt scew the positive hair results that happened later (almost a month later).

    I can tell you my hair has never been this thick, dark, shiny as it is bow in YEARS. Its pretty much a miracle for me. Its like I delayed some years of this madness after some months of abistinanceI. Its like I went back to 2013 or something, and I think it can only improve if I stick with it and adds some other stuff like inversion technic to improve blood circulation on the scalpe, massage and a supplement for hair like pillfood.

    I know this sounds bold, but I am being as honest as I can be. Please, trust me. For the love of God, give it try, be strong, cut all the access you have on the internet that makes you horny. Clean your heart and yoir mind. Masturbation is not good for our body, wich definetly reflects on our hair DRASTICALLY (my own experience). Be strong, hold your semen for months, dont even simulate masturbation, avoid getting eractions. Clean your heart and your mind. Amazing results will come with time. Be patient.

    God bless you all.

    1. This is the weirdest and longest post I’ve seen on here. And completely wrong.
      I practiced celibacy without masturbating in my youth and still had hairloss.
      Not to mention, ask every guy in here who couldn’t get a hard on even if they tried from Fin sides.

    2. I appreciate the effort you took to making that detailed comment:-) Even if controversial, your thoughts sound genuine and you do not seem to be promoting any products or sites.

    3. and what happens with female hair loss?
      honestly…if my boyfriend tell me tonight that no sex because
      he´s trying to cure his baldness… I will run far away.
      Don’t do that guys… enjoy your life and pray for shiseido. Thanks admin.

  9. Oh, I didnt realise today is Aprill fools day lol. But I am being 100% honest. Please, I beg you, read my post above. Thank you.

    1. Post pictures before and after of your no fap results. The science behind is legit but proof is needed from you.

    2. 1. Please share before / after pics
      2. If this is true men lying in coma for months should wake up with full head of hair … are there Reports of such Events?

      1. Lol there is no legit science behind that claim. Also Why don’t men in the Catholic Church who practice Clerical Celibacy all have full heads of hair? I mean if they did you’d think it would be big news …. These thousands of men who practice celibacy all have great hair!!!! There is a pastor from my local church who was bald in college and went to a college where he practiced celibacy the whole time, yet he was balding. Science claims that it is genetics and DHT that causes hair loss. not jerking off.

    3. A good trick to use to call out con artists, be it for hair loss, weight loss, whatever, is to look on YouTube at what people were claiming to be miracle cures back in say 2010-2012 and look at where they are now. There were people doing nofap in 2012 and claiming results. Six years later they are still almost bald :-)

  10. There’s more money in research than in the cure for researchers. And once the cure is found, some large company with competing interests will buy the rights to it and sit on it.

    1. This is incorrect. First, there is not much money in trials for researchers or their orgs unless it’s federal funds and there’s not much federal funds in hair loss.

  11. Copied from the other forum:

    American Hair Research Summit In May 2018 All The Players Will Be There

    there will be an american hair loss summit this may 14-16 in orlando, florida. i did not look up if there are any fees to attend but if a member or two live locally i think it would be of high interest to attend as all major players will be there. looking at the program at a glance

    cassiopea presenting breezula
    gail naughton presenting histogen
    kevin mcelwee (replicel) presenting
    samumed presenting sm04554
    george cotsarellis will be there moderating (nothing directly related to follica though :/)
    aclaris on topical jaks
    christiano on topical jaks

    1. It seems like George Cotsarelis has tried for so long he has had enough. “Let the others get on with it, I’ll just jump in if the projector stops working :-) “

  12. Is Follica so secretive that they don’t even give interviews to Admin for instance? They all know that a lot of people watch these blogs and fora worldwide, so you would expect that at a certain point in time, they will like to talk to their future clients/customers, especially when their product will be marketed in 2018, as Follica has ‘claimed’ before.

    I don’t have any idea what to think about Histogen after the interview Gail had with Hellouser years ago. Back then Histogen seemed to be Iegit, now I don’t trust them anymore.

    1. Men of integrity lead by their results, therefore you trust their word.
      If any of these companies are not producing…..then it’s simple. Their word can’t even be taken. I mean you see replicel more on business news than anything. So, I think the only true potential winner is Sheisedo in that Histogen/Replicel/Sheisedo bunch…. I mean why do they even need replicel in the first place now? They are doing their own testing. Replicel has failed on deadlines.

      Tbh from a business sense, if one of these companies came bashing out with a superior hair treatment this year, don’t you think others would stop to not lose money? Example, if you had 3 dates to go on….and you pre-knew which girl was going to be your future wife….would you waste money taking the other two on a date? So, if investors have a heads up that a company in 2018 is going to be the future big superior treatment( wife ) to hairloss, don’t you think they would take a step back?

      Look I even want the Cleveland Browns to win more than 2 games( not even a fan of them ). However, in the past two seasons they are 1-31 football team. So, they are what they are…..a crappy below average football team, who holds 2 out of the 4 top draft choices. In other words, you are what you are, until otherwise is proven via results. I can even make one heck of a powerpoint presentation. Now if that power point has before and afters, and many of them….not just 1….but many. Also, where people can peer review it for critique or praise. I don’t know, however in college, for me to make a speech at a university…..I had to write a paper, it had to be reviewed, then the power point had to be reviewed. Then I went in front of a panel, among PH.Ds…..and my speech was open for questions, some critical, some noteworthy of praise. Either way, opinion backed by facts. Also there was a moderator. I feel if some of these companies were just held to a standard I was….they fail. So if they couldn’t even make a good scholar speech at a university….and they can only do it in the confines of their own environment without open critique, what are I or you to think? No results, No good before or afters….all opinion and speculation…..and nothing really to peer review as a result. Far as I am concerned it makes it more philosophical than scientific. If one were to rebuke my last sentence and say, ” Well the science is in their reasearch.” Ok, great…..show me the research, in particular if marketing to release, show my research with results. Otherwise I digress to what I already wrote.

      Anyway, here it is to April for Brotzu Lol. Also hopefully superior treatments in 2018! If not, you know where( most ) these companies probably walk( they don’t, probably just all talk ).

  13. @ Admin Few days ago I asked you about china. I just had a quick look whats the Story and found quite nothing concerning hair loss research in China. Thats really strange and I start to think they are hiding something or just protect their science and research. I mean its not logical. China has the biggest science and research in the world and also have the biggest and fastest Supercomputers (USA fastest Computer is rank 5) BUT show not a single Pharma Company in the top 50 Pharma companies. I mean its China! Even Switzerland is huge in the list. Also Israel and Japan. And of Course European Union and USA. Would be very intersting to investigate whats going on in China.

    http://www.pharmexec.com/pharm-execs-top-50-companies-2017
    https://www.top500.org/lists/2017/11/

    1. Yes very strange…Chinese science is one big secret. I posted several links recently about how they have overtaken the US in patents, number of Phds etc… yet nothing about hair loss or pharma companies.

      I guess the Chinese government is the world’s largest pharmaceutical company :-)

    1. What they say about themselves:

      MediCell Technologies, LLC (MCT) aims to become a top tier manufacturer of stem-cell based and non-stem cell based products for hair, skin care and medical applications. Our goal is to influence the aesthetic medical community with our products via Luminaries who will conduct studies, present at conferences, and promote MCT.
      We believe that stem cells can bring unique and exceptional value into body health care. We are establishing the foundation for the next generation of hair restoration, cosmeceutical products and medical products that utilize advanced scientific findings, based on a novel “Mechanism Of Action.” Our products aim to provide customers with exceptional effectiveness and safety that at reasonable prices. In addition, with MCT’s unique consulting and contracting capabilities, MCT will be unique in the Biotech industry.

    2. Their news page was last updated in 2015….and their site quality and media coverage are both well below those of PolarityTE. But thanks for bringing it to attention…especially their clinical trials link.

    1. Tomorrow (April 5) is the completion date for the Phase 2 safety study of the topical (ATI-50002) for Universalis and Totalis Alopecias.

      1. The only info I have, is related to previous pressers conducted by Aclaris. CEO Neil Walker has reviously stated that trials for AGA were set to start in Q1 2018, and to their praise, Aclaris always sticks to the established time frames.

        In all honesty, I am not expecting any news about AGA trials for the time being, since it seems that trials are going to involve a multi dosage approach.

    1. good find! Thats exactly me. Have bad combo of seb derm and atopic dermatitis and my hair only sheds when the itchiness is out of control

    2. Actually there are already several companies working on such JAK Treatments and I expect them to market soon. They will sure improve health of Skin and support Hair Growth through less inflamation on scalp …

      AbbVie already has two such Drugs in Phase 2:
      Upadacitinib (ABT-494) against atop. Derm, Psoriasis and rheum. Arthr.
      Risankizumab against Psoriasis and Psoriasis Arthr.

      Asana Bioscience has ASN002 dual inhibitor of Janus kinase (JAK) and spleen tyrosine kinase (SYK) against Atopic dermatitis and Psoriasis finished Phase 1

      Pfizer has JAK3 inhibitor PF- 06651600 and TYK2/JAK1 inhibitor PF-06700841 against Alopecia Areata and Psoriasis in Phase 2

      Astra Zenica has Tralokinumab against Alopecia Areata and Atopic Dermatitis in Phase 2

      Vertex has Decernotinib highly selective JAK 3 inhibitor in Phase 3

  14. So i was thinking about adding one or more of these ingredients to make my minox stronger:
    Adenosine powder
    Finasteride powder
    Ru58841 powder
    Bimatoprost powder
    Tretinoin powder
    Rhodanide powder (no idea where to get this or at what %)

    There is 3 options,
    Option 1: use generic minoxidil
    Pros: its cheap, does not crystalize
    Cons: it is oily and i have not had much luck
    Option 2: pharmacy compounded minoxidil with tretinoin
    Pros: its less oily, i have had some success
    Cons: it can crystalize easily, i dont trust the ingredients are 100% pure and or fresh
    Option 3: make my own minoxidil formula with minoxxidil powder
    Pros: i can make every ingredient the exact strength i would like
    Cons: not sure how to get minox powder through cuatoms, it is hard to find ester alcohol or another type of pure alcohol.

    I would really like someones opinion that has made something similar to this.

  15. With all of this research leading us to the amazing, and uhhh a great final ummm. Well it was some great research and nice discoveries over those decades! I am sure its leading us somewhere eventually if im still alive to see where that is.

  16. I’m pretty sure it won’t come from cots… It will be some one else… Maybe Christiano… Or some one else

  17. What was the big news Nasa was waiting for regarding Jak? I expected to hear something on here this week based in his anticipation.

    1. NASA likes to get way over excited. They could possibly be STARTING trials any day now. Except to hear something in six or more months.

  18. Christiano has a service agreement grant for ATI-502-AA-202 / lab work from Dec 2017 until Dec 2022 (Yup. Five Years! SMH). It reads like she’ll be in the lab working on ATI-502 until 2022, almost 2023… or with it being a service agreement, will she be expected to “have” something within that timeframe? Anyone know how those grants work?

    (to note: AA-202 is for Alopecia Areata. For those of us with MPB, we’re counting on AGA-201; same ATI-502 topical. I expect a more-or-less concomitant release—if it works.)

    Link: https://www.dermatology.columbia.edu/profile/angela-christiano-phd

  19. I just wanted to say I tried an egg white hair mask another poster made and i literally went from having the oiliest scalp on earth to a healthy one. i had tried everything else (baking soda, shampoos, apple cider vinegar, you name it) so i thought id share my experience and maybe help someone else

    1. Hmm i wonder if that is the rhodanide that does that. Look up activance. Ir contains rhodanide and so does egg whites

      1. simple, just take an egg and separate the yolk, then take the egg white and rub all over your head. Leave on for 30 min and then shower like normal. I did it about 4-5 days ago and my hair is still a normal amount of moisturized and i dont have that wild oily sheen like i used to. they recommend doing it once a week. The link shows different variations but I just did the egg white by itself and it worked wonders. I believe with a healthier scalp the effects of my 1.5 dermarolling will be stronger

        https://bellatory.com/hair/DIY-Egg-White-Hair-Mask-Solutions

  20. It’s like I’m hanging on edge of the cliff with a rope and the rope has few strands left… waiting for some one like Indiana Jones to come and save me…. Any one brotzu, Jak, tsuji some one please

  21. I’m reading this blog almost everyday. In a way interesting discussions but it’s very hard for to know who really knows something and who think they know something. Who is a professional and who isn’t. The discussion goes in cirkles: Jak, shiseido, Brotzu, phase 2, pipelines, no they don’t update their pipelines, Ronaldo, Christiano, Korea, Pennsylvania….
    Hopefully the discussion is one day just about one thing: “The solution”

    1. Stay away from those that would not even consider a hair system, but would not hesitate to try the next homemade chemistry combo based on hearsay of someone they have never met and proof photos they have never seen.
      You only get one body. Screw up one major organ and that’s it if no matching donor is found. The worst a hair system can do is fall off.

  22. Here is a poll question…lol. Cleveland Browns go to the playoffs and win one game or a superb hairloss treatment comes out? Which one first? C’mon the Browns have 19 years of failure. Ok, so does hairloss…roughly.

  23. The cure will be a mix of treatments…follica for regrowth. Susheido for maintenance then the full one stop shop cure would be a hair cloning type of thing for unlimited hairs or some hair kick start growth enzyme stimulator like what that Koreans are doing that will regrow all dormant hairs again. Our current treatments fin min niz were good for their time in the 80s and 90s but they don’t last for longer than 10 to 15 years for good responders. We should have about 5 to 10 alternatives now that work better than current treatments. There is no excuse. I still think big Pharma is blocking better innovative treatments. Aderans proved their treatment stopped further loss. But they scraped their trials and shut down…why? Maintenance is huge!

    1. Forgive my ignorance. You say Shiseido would be for maintenance, but if it works do those hair follicles not become permanent? And if so, would repeat injections months or years after not make more permanent ones to fill remaining gaps? Or am I missing something?

      1. They claim to charge 800 dollars for this sisheido treatment. Something tells me that’s it’s way too cheap for something that involves cell culture and injections. They claim permanent maintenance but I find that hard to believe for that cheap price. How do all those cells no where to go on the scalp once injected? What if they multiply and turn to tumors? I don’t know maybe im over thinking it. Maybe it’s as easy as they claim which would be great. I see kerastem and prp where they charge in the thousands for full treatment and it gives minor regrowth to nothing. I guess we will have to wait and see. You would think once the scalp is immune to dht with sisheido then all the dormant hairs should all grow back….

  24. Second week on topical FIN gel 1% every evening, MIN 5% every morning, saw palmetto pills daily. Shedding a lot in crown where it was thin before, now to a point that it is almost shiny bald in those areas.

    As Farhan said, the rope (my hope) has a few strands left … I have never seen maintenance or regrowth in those years I fought this fight … just carrying on with this topical, this is my last chance guys

  25. Sometimes I wanna cry. I am balding for 5 years now. I’m 21 and almost bald, visiting university while having no self-esteem. I tried everything to accept it. I just want to see some development, but sometimes- for weeks- nothing. It feels like the whole world is racing so fast except for this s…. I just need something to wait for, but it feels like nothing happening. What’s going on, Follica? What’s going on Brotzu? I mean, we don’t even know anything about Brotzu and whether it is worth waiting for. man..

  26. We have Brotzu possibly speaking on April 14th. However, I wrote Hasson and Wong on their Topical Finasteride. I can say, they never wrote back and this was over a month ago. I also checked out Fidia website and it has not been updated since 2017. An abstract was leaked of Dr. Brotzu presentation( presumably ). It is on Reddit.

    If brotzu turns out to be a joke, what else is in 2018? Anyone know Sheisedo?

    If nothing emerges, I have talked to my Endo and Dermatologist. My derm will prescribe me topical finasteride. My endo HIGHLY dislikes finasteride. He indicated he had a few patients who tried that while trying to block their estrogen…..and he just looked at me and said, ” It really messed up a few guys…..don’t do it.” He knew I was thinking testosterone and then blocking DHT and then an anti-aromitase inhibitor for estrogen.

    I pointed him to Hasson and Wong Topical Finasteride…..he was not high on it either. This is an endo who is regarded in the U.S as a young , so about 7 years endo with focus on research. So he actually only practices medicine 2 days a week and every other week has meetings on research. He works for a clinic you all would know.

    My hair loss has stayed the same for the last two years without any type of treatment besides one month a oral proscar( broken up of course ). I stopped because my focus in class( med student here ) was getting bad and the only other new variable in my life was Proscar. I never read about the brain fog sides, so it was not psychologically induced. After being off, it took two months to get back to normal. I did not have a notable decrease in libido, if I did maybe 10-15%. However, who cares IMO. The side was my concentration. Which is not like me.

    So here is the mountain I face. I am a NW 2.5 ish. No further hairloss while not trying anything( besides 1 month proscar…but that is not noteworthy, as it was one month ). No rogaine, no chemical treatments. Hair has not improved or worsened in two years. So, if brotzu fails, what you guys think on topical fin? Also I would toss in Litanaprost at the study concentration level. My concern is orbital edema. Correct me if I am wrong, but a study was a 0.1% solution if litan?

    Anyway….my derm thinks hair follicles are still alive in the receding area, no scar tissue. So I think while I am young, I need to go after it, or am I licking the gift horse in the mouth because in two years my hair hasn’t gotten worse.

    Again check reddit on possible leak on Brotzu. You can check hasson and wong topical fin.

    I posted here so the new topic of the week wouldn’t be saturated with Brotzu.

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