Why is there no fix for Male Pattern Baldness?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jamin2112
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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges and perceptions surrounding male pattern baldness (MPB), including its causes, societal implications, and potential treatments. Participants explore both the emotional impact of hair loss and the medical community's focus on this condition compared to other health issues.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Technical explanation
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express frustration over the lack of effective treatments for MPB, suggesting it is a complex issue related to hormonal changes.
  • Others highlight that while surgical interventions like hair transplants exist, their effectiveness can vary significantly.
  • There are differing opinions on the attractiveness of baldness, with some arguing that shaved heads can be appealing while others believe hair loss detracts from attractiveness.
  • A participant mentions that MPB may have evolutionary significance, possibly serving to reduce competition among younger males for mates.
  • Several participants discuss medications like Finasteride, noting its potential effectiveness for hair growth and the conditions under which it is prescribed.
  • Some express a sense of acceptance regarding baldness, suggesting practical solutions like wearing hats to manage sun exposure.
  • There is a humorous suggestion that the medical community should prioritize MPB awareness and treatment as a serious issue, akin to other health conditions.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the attractiveness of baldness or the effectiveness of current treatments. The discussion reflects a range of personal experiences and opinions regarding hair loss and its implications.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the effectiveness of treatments like Finasteride and Minoxidil are based on personal experiences and may not reflect broader medical consensus. The discussion includes various assumptions about societal perceptions of baldness and attractiveness.

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  • #32
SteamKing said:
I don't know why the medical community is wasting time and resources on trivial problems like curing cancer or fighting infectious disease or birth defects when they should be confronting some really superficial issues like MPB.

Maybe that's what's lacking: people refer to the condition as 'male pattern baldness' when they should be referring to 'MPB'. That makes it sound like something which could strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. There could be an MPB Campaign, Walk for an MPB Cure, Raising MPB Awareness campaigns, the wearing of the Steel Gray Ribbon to show your Support to Find a Cure for MPB.

First time I ever lol'd on PF
 
  • #33
Jamin2112 said:
...

Is MPB just one of those natural aging processes for which there will never be a real fix?

Apparently a "real" medical "fix" is upon the hairline challenged. Expect another 5-10 years of development.

In PNAS:
Claire A. Higgins, James C. Chen, Jane E. Cerise, Colin A. B. Jahoda, and Angela M. Christiano
Feature Article: Microenvironmental reprogramming by three-dimensional culture enables dermal papilla cells to induce de novo human hair-follicle growth
PNAS 2013 ; published ahead of print October 21, 2013

Abstract said:
Growth of de novo hair follicles in adult skin occurs by a process known as hair neogenesis. One way of initiating neogenesis is to place dermal papillae isolated from the hair follicle in contact with an overlying epidermis where they reprogram the epidermis to adopt a follicular fate. This approach, however, has not been successful using cultured human dermal papilla cells in human skin because the cells lose their ability to induce hair growth after expansion in vitro. In this paper, we demonstrate that by manipulating cell culture conditions to establish three-dimensional papilla spheroids, we restore dermal papilla inductivity. We also use several systems biology approaches to gain a comprehensive understanding of the molecular mechanisms that underlie this regenerative process.

One of the researchers has a hair loss condition called alopecia areata:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfLLkmY_t9k
 
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  • #34
I have a potential project for this forum. It's based on the fact that zinc and copper ions block the effects of DHT on the follicles.

See this study
http://www.researchgate.net/publication/15461544_Cations_inhibit_specifically_type_I_5_alpha-reductase_found_in_human_skin

finasteride and similar drugs prevent the conversion of testosterone into dht. The problem with fin is it goes systemic. The holy grail of hairloss prevention is to block dht locally at the follicle and allow it elsewhere in the body. There is a drug in development which does this but it is years away from release.

last year a couple of nuclear physicists from a top Israel university released a patent in which they talked about blocking dht using ions of copper and zinc. Some photos where leaked of the results and they are impressive. Not full regrowth but results similar to using fin and minox.

using some copper and zinc discs and a bench top power supply it may be possible to deposit ions of zinc and copper into the scalp.
 
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  • #35
A couple thoughts about Baldness:

Why can't they harvest hair Follicles from the face?
 
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