Article on piloscopy...

[Carlos Wesley, MD]

To those requesting an update on Pilofocus, here is an article recently published in "The Verge". While both informative and somewhat provocative, the story contains a few points that require clarification:

1) The patient quoted with a large, red donor scar is not actually a surgical patient of mine, but rather a patient with whom I had a consultation as he sought treatment for his cosmetically-unacceptable surgical scar that he received after having undergone surgery with a different surgeon at a different location.

2) Amongst the many interviews I granted to the journalist, one took place immediately following a very in-depth consultation during which I counseled a severely-depressed teenager. Although his hair loss was his stated source of depression, I also worked to find him a psychiatrist that has helped him through his clinical depression. This is a rare instance and certainly does not reflect the majority of the healthy and confident patients with whom I meet. I was, therefore, disappointed in the otherwise well-written article when I felt that this unique psychiatric referral was presented as my preferred treatment for many. It falsely portrays our medical issue of hair loss as frivolous when, in reality, I feel so strongly about its importance that I have dedicated my professional career to treating it.

[joachim]

thank you for the additional information, dr. wesley.

if you don't mind i would like to ask you about an important point about piloscopy.
it was discussed many times here without real facts or detailed information, but people always mention that mysterious presentation you shared with spencer and one or the other member of this forum. it seems that what those people saw was very impressive and could be a game changer in the hairloss world. especially there are rumours about donor regeneration possibilities with acell. the verge article also mentions it (big bladder powder).

when do you think you will be able to share this mysterious presentation and further details with us?
we're all dying to here more facts about it, and you probably have your stuff protected by patents anyway. so we would really appreciate if you can provide us with more information on that a.s.a.p. as many of us are considering to wait with a HT until piloscopy is released for the public.

many thanks in advance.

[ShookOnes]

thank you for the additional information, dr. wesley.

if you don't mind i would like to ask you about an important point about piloscopy.
it was discussed many times here without real facts or detailed information, but people always mention that mysterious presentation you shared with spencer and one or the other member of this forum. it seems that what those people saw was very impressive and could be a game changer in the hairloss world. especially there are rumours about donor regeneration possibilities with acell. the verge article also mentions it (big bladder powder).

when do you think you will be able to share this mysterious presentation and further details with us?
we're all dying to here more facts about it, and you probably have your stuff protected by patents anyway. so we would really appreciate if you can provide us with more information on that a.s.a.p. as many of us are considering to wait with a HT until piloscopy is released for the public.

many thanks in advance.

Here's what you need to know about acell http://baldingblog.com/2014/07/02/acell-update-for-nhi/
piloscopy is scarless, whereas scars have been unavoidable with any transplant. Not sure if I would call it a game changer, but it is definitely a step in the right direction after so many decades.

[Canuck]

This is my first post but I had to comment - upwards of $20,000?! I was really excited about this procedure but not so much now. I'm willing to spend thousands but not upwards of $20k. Hopefully, after a while the price will come down. I'm glad for the update, though - Pilofocus is still a brilliant idea and a great advancement IMO.

[ShookOnes]

This is my first post but I had to comment - upwards of $20,000?! I was really excited about this procedure but not so much now. I'm willing to spend thousands but not upwards of $20k. Hopefully, after a while the price will come down. I'm glad for the update, though - Pilofocus is still a brilliant idea and a great advancement IMO.

do keep in mind it doesn't mention how many grafts 20k can get. UPWARDS of 20k could be possibly the maximum grafts a person can get. And i believe not everyone can get NW6/7 because of donor density... so it might be (hopefully) 20k for a NW5?

one can only hope arista provides us his clinical results

[FearTheLoss]

so not much more talk about any regeneration

[534623]

so not much more talk about any regeneration

I think lots of guys (especially those with "bloodshot eyes from sleepless nights scrolling through online forums like Hair Loss Help and Bald Truth Talk") still 'muse' about any regeneration ...

http://www.theverge.com/2014/7/8/5825206/sultan-of-scalp-one-doctor-peels-back-the-skin-to-find-a-better-cure

[…] Within days, online hair-loss forums lit up with people seeking more information. "I heard from credible sources that Dr. Wesley’s technique is ‘amazing’ BUT there are still some barriers," wrote a user named "didi." "I think if this was something really interesting, we would have heard something by now," replied "Arashi." "Be patient guys," advised "Javert." "Maybe something will leak soon!"
Shortly after his presentation, Wesley was a guest on a popular podcast, The Bald Truth, where host Spencer Kobren mused that piloscopy — what Wesley calls the technique — may become the "new gold standard" in hair-transplant surgery. […]

I really enjoyed reading this article ...

[Kiwi]

I'd spend $10K on a partial pilofocus treatment if it gave me some decent coverage and filled up my FUT ACELL scar.

[hellouser]

The delays on Pilofocus are embarrassing. This should have been a commercially available treatment a long time ago. Whatever else is going on with this is basically a slap to the face of the hair loss community; announced last year only to be released god knows when.

[Artista]

I can understand the frustration that so many here have been experiencing.
Just wanted to say that there has not been any definite timeline for a release date made by Dr Wesley as yet.
What Spencer had mentioned about that in early 2013 on his Live Show was entirely speculative.
Of course I can understand why in 2013 that timeline seemed to be possible.
You must keep in mind that Dr Wesley has a whole lot on his plate..flying out to Utah (instrumentation lab)
and then back in NY he has plenty of patients to take care of as well.

Being that I am also in contact with Dr Wesley, I know that he has not been able as yet to give a definitive timeline.
(at least back then)
I believe the next phase in testing ,regarding the updated Pilofocus instrumentation, will begin this month.
Once Dr Wesley has included me for that phase test I WILL let you all know. Thats a promise.
Cheers!

[ss1980]

It is July 2014 and still nothing to show for it, just big words, promises and disappointments

I remember Spencer saying how Dr Carlos showed him powerpoint presentation which was amazing that he cant even talk about it, soo huge and revolutionary..that was last year.

Artista saw the same thing but can't talk about it

[sascha]

It is July 2014 and still nothing to show for it, just big words, promises and disappointments

I remember Spencer saying how Dr Carlos showed him powerpoint presentation which was amazing that he cant even talk about it, soo huge and revolutionary..that was last year.

Artista saw the same thing but can't talk about it

I understand you man. This is the only thing I donīt like either. If there is something out there, why canīt people just tell it. Its not like I am going into my laboratory and try to copy that stuff... I wouldnt even go in for a new treatment immediately, but how cool would it be to know for sure there is something when you really need it....

[joachim]

yes, both of them saw this mysterious presentation... which i think wasn't spectactular at all. ok, you enter the scalp from beneath and pluck the grafts, so that no scar from outside is visible (except the hole to insert the instrument). a nice idea and the fact that you can get better graft survival and pluck maybe 2000 donor grafts more than usual because of no scarring, is all good and nice. but we're stil moving hairs from A to B. probably no multiplication at all. the talk about acell is all just hokus pokus malokus. if only 10 of 1000 hairs regenerates itself with acell then it's still crap.
however, it was extremely hyped up by spencer and artista. perhaps they were highly fascinated about the idea to insert an instrument and come from under the skin. that's all.

pilofocus will not be a gamechanger but it will bring FUE a small step forward.

[Artista]

Yes its called 'confidentiality' ss1980 ..
Both Spencer and myself had personally been shown that initial PowerPoint presentation via Skype by Dr Wesley himself. (since then he has updated me once again via Skype)
He has entrusted both of us not to speak too much of his methods specifics.
Dr Wesley did not show the same thing at the ISHRS conference last year and I can understand why.
His instrumentation technology has really PROGRESSED now guys.
He isnt playing any games ,,he is VERY SINCERE at what he is doing.

ss1980 (and everyone else) hang in there bro...we will experience much more POSITIVE times for our hair in the future.

[joachim]

can dr. wesley at least give us a timeline when he will reveal all the secrets? will it be this year, or next year? or even 2016?

hasn't he already patented all stuff? why not talk about it?

at least he can tell us one word regarding donor regeneration. is it reality or not? if yes, to what degree? is it even part of the goal he wants to achieve or is it only about the instruments to provide a scarless procedure?

it's so frustrating being in the dark. it makes us all angry.