Several studies aimed at fighting hair loss have been carried out. With advances in biology, scientists are studying the complex chemical structure of the body, including problems regarding baldness.
Hair loss cures are not ready for use in a formal clinical setting, but according to George Cotsarelis, director of the Hair and Scalp Clinic at University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, those breakthroughs are coming, as reported in WebMD.
Currently, management of hair loss is possible through finasteride (Propecia) and minoxidil (Rogaine), and both are safe and have been proven effective in some cases.
However, as reported in Medical Daily, these drugs must be applied on a daily basis for them to work. Furthermore, the use of these drugs do not lead to thicker and more luscious hair growth.
Still, those who suffer from hair loss or alopecia should not fret because a real cure could be on its way. But first, there's a need to understand the hair growth cycle in order to appreciate how hair loss treatments really work.
In a nutshell, hair continues to grow from a single follicle for four years. The follicle then goes through a "hibernation phase," with current hair strands being shed off before hair production resumes.
However, this growth cycle can be interrupted by several factors, including increased levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks hair follicles by mistake or exacts permanent damage on hair follicles.
In a study done last year, Yale scientists accidentally discovered that a drug intended for rheumatoid arthritis turned out to have the ability to regrow hair.
In that particular report, researchers gave tofacitinib citrate to Kyle Rhodes, 25, who was suffering from alopecia universalis, an autoimmune baldness disorder. In just eight months, the hair on the scalp and face had regrown, as reported in DailyMail.
Another study in the journal Nature Medicine also reported that a drug intended for bone marrow cancer has shown promise in the treatment of alopecia. The drug ruxolitinib was able to restore more than 50% of hair lost by patients following a five-month treatment.
According to the Medical Daily report, the drugs may have worked because of their immunosuppressive properties, but these would likely increase the risk of infection.
The numerous claims or discoveries of different hair loss cures only prove that science is on its way to coming up with a solution to a common problem.
Until then, hair loss victims can either consider existing treatments but not get the result they really wanted, or just wait out—observe a healthy lifestyle—until the ultimate cure arrives.
