Anyone tried Nanogen's [sh-VEGF] formula?

[UK_]

http://www.nanogen.co.uk/serum-vegf-hair-growth-factor.html

I appologise in advance if this has already been covered in another thread, has anyone tried this product?

[UK_]

Oh great, answered my own question, they sell a product to "halt hair loss"... all hyped up as some kind of scientific breakthrough drug that costs £79... key ingredient?... Saw Palmetto and B Vitamins

Love it.

I also love how Follica said they would be at market in 3 years time, that was in 2008, now they have an interview with a guy from xeconomy stating they are still looking at ways to grow new hair.

I just love this industry.

[David99]

Hi UK_

I am new to this so don't want to be rude, but on the page you linked to it gives the ingredients as:

Nanogen sh-VEGF Complex™
The safe, plant derived growth factors in Nanogen sh-VEGF Complex support any treatment regime.
The growth factors act to help reduce hair loss, and maintain healthy hair and scalp condition.

Superoxide Dismutase
Provides broad spectrum antioxidant protection and may help to maintain levels of nitric oxide signals. This prevents damage to the hair follicle and maintains blood flow.

Hydrolysed Lupine Extract
Protects the hair from damage that may cause it to fall, reducing hair loss. Maintains cell metabolic rates in the growing hair follicle.

So I don't think it even contains Saw Palmetto or B vitamins!

I actually signed on to this forum in hope of finding some opinion on the product because VEGF looks pretty impressive for maintaining hair. I don't know what your science was like at school - I wasn't exactly A+ material but have a look at this, even I can see that that says "doesn't regrow hair, but could be pretty damn good anyway":

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11181640

Of course, it may be absolute cr*p when outside a testube, I've got evidence and from what I can tell hair loss "cures" come and go faster than my hair!
But I wouldn't be quite so quick to write this one off. Someone was also telling me that minoxidil increases VEGF levels (again no proof for you at the moment, sorry) so there is a pretty good argument for this one?

If you've got any more info or are considering using this I'd really like to know what you think, I'm not really into the drugs myself and looking for something that isn't Saw Palmetto & B vitamins (which I agree with you, isn't going to grow hair).

[UK_]

I wasnt on about their Vegf formula when I mentioned Saw P.

Their Vegf formula is garbage, read up on some of the other forums, I should know - common sense tells me if anythin good comes out it will be on Spencer Kobrens BTT first - everything else is the usual snake oil marketed as a sophisticated scientific approach, they only need a certain percentage to fall for it.

Nobody really knows how minox works, they have tried and tested VEGF as a standalone treatment for hair loss, it didnt work, now they are looking at mixing it with forms of gene therapy, so if you know a company selling a product similar to the one Histogen is working on, with actual evidence through clinical trials of efficacy and safety - let me know, but this just isnt it.

[David99]

Oh I see, sorry I kinda got lost on your thread. Where has anyone tested VEGF for hair loss? I've had a look round but can't find the study (apart from the mouse one I posted) Would you mind sharing it?

I'm willing to be pretty cynical about products - god knows there's enough of them out there! But I wouldn't just write off one as "garbage" I mean it must have VEGF in it, or they wouldn't be allowed to say so, and there is plenty of evidence that says VEGF might help hair growth.

My problems with the product are that there might not be enough VEGF in it (who knows how much you need?) and that it might not work applied topically becuase VEGF is pretty big to go through the skin. If they can prove it works then that'll be a serious step forward, and I don't think the fact that they haven't proved it works yet means it's necessarily crap - just potentially crap

I'd love to get my hands on a histagen type product, but it might not be available for years yet, I'll probably be completely bald by then! So you can't really blame me for holding out hope that something may come of this, the idea is good, just need to see whether the product delviers.