Where do I start if I want to find a cure for hair loss?

[TimeToAct]

I've been researching hair loss and treatments for several years now, but purely as a hobby.

Now, I have grown older, became more confident, have a relatively good life, but feel like I really want to achieve something great.

One thing I have always been passionate is hair loss. Like most of you I wish there was a cure for androgenetic alopecia that didn't involve switching genders.

However, I don't even know where to start. I don't have any background in chemistry or medicine. Where do I start learning? Which are the fields to focus on? Genetic engineering?

I understand that I will have to learn basics of chemistry and regenerative medicine to even begin discussing potential solutions and cooperation with expert scientists, chemists and doctors.

Please share your idea of where to start. I know more or less how I will coordinate this project, but I need to educate myself in the basic technical aspects of any related fields.

I'm really serious about this, I am sick of just waiting for things to happen. I want to make them happen.

[Not giving up]

Okay, first of all, master time travel, go back in time and take high school science more seriously, then get a degree in chemistry and unleash yourself on the world of science!

... But no seriously dude I get your frustration, I really do, this sucks, it really does, but if you don't even have a background in science then I doubt there is much that you can do.

However, on a serious note, because I don't want to come across like an asshole, what are you talented in? Because it's a bit late to start trying to solve hairloss now without even a basic understanding of science, but if you can earn a lot of money out of something you're really good at then you could certainly fund someone who does have an idea about it.

Maybe start a business that favours your skill set and feel more accomplished that way, and if you happen to use that money to help someone more educated than us on this subject cure hairloss then you're a hero in my book

[BaldingEagle]

I laughed pretty hard at this.

I have a masters in molecular biology and trying to cure hair loss seems incredibly daunting. You have virtually no chance without some kind of scientific education or extreme dumb accidental luck.

[TimeToAct]

Okay, first of all, master time travel, go back in time and take high school science more seriously, then get a degree in chemistry and unleash yourself on the world of science!

I did well in high school, I just took a different route later in life. I am not planning on doing this myself, but I have a plan to get access to knowledgeable people and resources to accomplish this. I just want to educate myself on the basic technical stuff.

... But no seriously dude I get your frustration, I really do, this sucks, it really does, but if you don't even have a background in science then I doubt there is much that you can do.

Well, with this attitude, there really won't ever be a cure, will there?

Because it's a bit late to start trying to solve hairloss now without even a basic understanding of science, but if you can earn a lot of money out of something you're really good at then you could certainly fund someone who does have an idea about it.

That is why I asked where to start with "basic understanding of science". Is chemistry enough?

But if you can earn a lot of money out of something you're really good at then you could certainly fund someone who does have an idea about it.

That is kind of the idea, but I do have to have the general grasp still.

Maybe start a business that favours your skill set and feel more accomplished that way, and if you happen to use that money to help someone more educated than us on this subject cure hairloss then you're a hero in my book

Well, that is kind of what I'm trying to do here.

I have a masters in molecular biology and trying to cure hair loss seems incredibly daunting. You have virtually no chance without some kind of scientific education or extreme dumb accidental luck.

Ok, if you have masters in molecular biology, could you explain the main problems (maybe in bullet points) in terms of curing androgenetic alopecia? That would already help me. Please be very technical. I have to really understand the main problem. So far, it seems a much less daunting task than creating an anti-aging pill. People have already discovered finasteride and hair transplantation, so about 60% of the success is already there, we just need to push it to 100%, so there is a definite cure.

[jamesst11]

Also, masters in cell and molecular biology here...Even if I was still working in the lab, I wouldn't even want to attempt tackling AGA. Some of the most brilliant scientists who have been researching this for years upon years, like Christiano, still can't find a 100% cure. If you're into engineering, find a way to make a PERMANENT hair system, so we don't have to worry about curing it, haha... you seem ambitious, but it's a complete waste of time.

[TimeToAct]

Also, masters in cell and molecular biology here...Even if I was still working in the lab, I wouldn't even want to attempt tackling AGA. Some of the most brilliant scientists who have been researching this for years upon years, like Christiano, still can't find a 100% cure. If you're into engineering, find a way to make a PERMANENT hair system, so we don't have to worry about curing it, haha... you seem ambitious, but it's a complete waste of time.

Could you elaborate on the main technical aspects? Why is this task so complicated? I understand that the main culprit is follicular sensitivity to DHT. So one option is to lessen this sensitivity. Another method would be hair cloning. Third method would be genetic engineering. There are various angles to attack this issue from.

you seem ambitious, but it's a complete waste of time.

But people said this about electric cars as well.

jamesst11 and BaldingEagle, I would be very grateful if you gave me your contact details. E-mail would be good. I don't think private messages work here.

[Hicks]

You'll have better luck setting up a grand prize of a few million for someone to come up with a cure. $10 million to the first entity that can reverse hair loss at an affordable price.
Instead of one person you could have thousands working on it.
Or you can just see which diseased group being treated has the least amount of hair loss. Most likely a cure is out there and our eyes are not open to it. Minoxidil and fin was a "hey bob, these folks being treated grew hair" moment. Check out heart disease patients.

[burtandernie]

Yeah your not going to cure it like NW 7 to NW 1. It might not even possible no one knows you could be researching an impossible task and you need money/equipment to do that kind of research. Almost everyone doing real research is PHD minimum and you need huge amounts of money its not a 1 man show anymore.
Your cure right now is propecia/dutasteride and keep what you have, and in the next few years better ways to do that, and maybe regrow a little more. That is the best your going to do.

[jamesst11]

Could you elaborate on the main technical aspects? Why is this task so complicated? I understand that the main culprit is follicular sensitivity to DHT. So one option is to lessen this sensitivity. Another method would be hair cloning. Third method would be genetic engineering. There are various angles to attack this issue from.


But people said this about electric cars as well.

jamesst11 and BaldingEagle, I would be very grateful if you gave me your contact details. E-mail would be good. I don't think private messages work here.

Lets put it this way - In order to do some of the SIMPLEST molecular bio lab experiments out there, like PCR or cloning e-coli with a plasmid vector, you literally need hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Hair science in THEORY is ridiculously complicated. You can study it for the rest of your life and still not fully grasp it. Combine that theory with millions of dollars worth of research equipment, funding, grants... and you see that from your standpoint, I hate to say it, but it's nearly impossible. One thing you can do is educate yourself and try to derive theories, it can't hurt and it's good for your mind. I don't know much about hair biology at all, I never studied it. When people talk about smRNA and gene transcription and hedgehog genes and such, I understand the language, that's about it. I have been in real estate for the past 7 years however, haha. The best thing you can do is google search about it and look up papers at NCBI and such...

[jamesst11]

or go to school and get your masters in biology and find a research lab that specializes in hair! you would be doing more than any of us for the cause.