All Hope is Not Lost, After All

[TanCas]

Of course, there are far larger medical problems in existence than male pattern baldness (I hate when this is called a "disease"), but it would be great if a potent, safe, affordable treatment became available within five years (i.e., by 2015). If Histogen is what this treatment will be called, so be it. For those who're able to be comfortable being bald, fantastic; yet, there are a large number who're very uncomfortable, and, for them, Histogen's finally becoming the long-sought "magic bullet" would be wonderful (of course, there are few, if any, such devices, so let's say Histogen would be wonderful even if it benefited from a little help from what's already out there — though cutting out drugs would be terrific).

[Phatalis]

Of course, there are far larger medical problems in existence than male pattern baldness (I hate when this is called a "disease"), but it would be great if a potent, safe, affordable treatment became available within five years (i.e., by 2015). If Histogen is what this treatment will be called, so be it. For those who're able to be comfortable being bald, fantastic; yet, there are a large number who're very uncomfortable, and, for them, Histogen's finally becoming the long-sought "magic bullet" would be wonderful (of course, there are few, if any, such devices, so let's say Histogen would be wonderful even if it benefited from a little help from what's already out there — though cutting out drugs would be terrific).

What technically is it then if not a disease??

[gmonasco]

What technically is it then if not a disease??

Part of the natural aging process, like diminished hearing, gray hair and wrinkled skin.

[crashul]

Part of the natural aging process, like diminished hearing, gray hair and wrinkled skin.

Well it can't be all that "natural" if it happens at 16 now, can it? I mean at that age you are still in development.

[mlao]

lets see what happens.

[KeepTheHair]

There are a ton of diseases i would trade baldness for.

[gmonasco]

Well it can't be all that "natural" if it happens at 16 now, can it?

Sure it can. Everybody ages at different rates -- just as some men start losing their hair early in life, others keep full heads of hair into middle age and beyond.

[crashul]

Sure it can. Everybody ages at different rates -- just as some men start losing their hair early in life, others keep full heads of hair into middle age and beyond.

ok, gmonasco, it is natural as in "not chemically-drug induced" but it is not natural as in "normal"

Shall we agree?

[gmonasco]

it is natural as in "not chemically-drug induced" but it is not natural as in "normal" Shall we agree?

I agree that manifesting MPB relatively early in life (i.e., in one's teens or early 20s) isn't the norm, but that doesn't make MPB a "disease," as claimed earlier in this thread.

[TanCas]

What technically is it then if not a disease??

What "is" balding? It's something that happens. Call it a "condition," if you wish, but it's no more a disease than are, say, aging or experiencing an increase in height during adolescence. I understand it can have psychological implications, but hairloss is not a disease; no one would be right to say otherwise.

There are a ton of diseases i would trade baldness for.

That's either meaningless (the diseases for which you'd trade would have little or no limiting effect on your life), thoughtless (you're upset you're balding, and are just saying things, not considering what those things are), or terribly callous (a number of ill people, let alone those who're terminally sick, would be rightly appalled by such a comment). Losing one's hair sucks, and if the process can be reversed, great; balding isn't akin to a serious physical illness, though, and I feel we ought to be more intelligent about how we understand and discuss its occurrence.

[Fixed by 35]

Androgenetic alopecia is probably best described as a genetic defect, not a disease. All of us here have an idiot gene that tells our hair to stop growing despite the fact that we need it, for example as protection from the sun.

For the same reason, like any genetic defect, it is very hard to treat. You can fight the symptoms, but not the cause. That is why a cure has been difficult to find and why Histogen could be the one.

[Vanzzzz]

I have emailed histogen volunteering to be one of their trial subjects lol. Basically they told me the estimated introduction of their product will be 2013 in Asia,including where I live, and hopefully 2015 in US.

I really, really, really hope their product comes through. I am very eager to keep the hair I have...

[crashul]

some more hope

http://wcbstv.com/local/baldness.hair.follicles.2.1712842.html

[KeepTheHair]

Uhm, what?

[ohlife]

Wait.. how would this work? If it regrows new follicles, then do they grow back sporadically or in the same pattern as the original hair pattern? or do they simply resuscitate the old, dead ones? If the former is true, then how does this treatment propose to treat, ostensibly the greatest concern to hair loss sufferers, the hairline/temple region? If it merely restores say 25% of hair thickness around the area of injection, but the injection for practical purposes can only be done on the midscalp/crown regions, then how significant can this treatment possibly be?