Keep Hair

Are there any proven hair loss treatments? What are the latest advances for regrowing hair? 

To start, how much hair do you have? People have between 100,000 and 150,000 hairs on their head. The number of strands normally lost in a day varies but on average is 100. Young people regrow this hair quickly. However, by age 50, pattern hair loss affects about half of males and a quarter of females.

Keeping healthy hair may not be critical for your survival or physical health, but it is part of making you feel good each time you look in the mirror and contributes to your sense of wellbeing. 

Unfortunately, over the counter medications to keep your hair are mostly ineffective. Some have risky side-effects. Of the options, Consumer Reports Health only considers topical minoxidil (Rogaine and generic) probably worth trying. When minoxidil is applied to the scalp, it stimulates hair follicles and pushes more hair into the growing phase. A 2017 review in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology found that men using the topical twice daily had an average increase of nearly 15 hairs per square centimeter with 5 percent minoxidil. A 2018 study found that it reduced loss for about 50% of men, but only a small percentage achieved new  growth. Minoxidil usage must be continued indefinitely or the benefits are lost.

Biotin-based treatments are ineffective unless you have a rare biotin deficiency. 

Prescription medications have risky side-effects. Finasteride has warnings about birth defects, libido and erectile issues. Spironolactone (Aldactone and generic) caused tumors in lab animals.

Fortunately, there are companies competing to launch new solutions which have few or no side-effects. 

Hair Loss Treatment Topical Creams

Many companies have failed to create successful new topical creams for hair regrowth. Here are those a few examples:

1. Cosmo Pharma’s Breezula is a topical androgen receptor-blocking drug applied twice daily. It showed positive results for men for stopping hair loss and stimulating hair growth per April 2019 Phase 2 trial results. The Italian firm started Phase 3 trials in men which will conclude in 2025. They will seek market approval in 2026. If successful, the company may follow with further proof-of-concept trials in women. Side effects have been minimal.
2. Vegamour, a UK vegan hair-care company, claims their Gro Hair Serum provides considerable benefits above Minoxidil. They conducted a small unpublished independent trial. Customer reviews on their site are mostly positive, but they use YOTPO which allows Vegamour to choose which reviews they publish.
3. Follicum was a Swedish company providing a topical solution comparable in effectiveness to Minoxidil. They were acquired by Coegin Pharma. Follicum’s advantage is it only needs to be applied once per day to achieve similar results. Follicum conducted Phase 2 trials, however results were only a hair better than placebo. Yes, 7 to 6 hairs per square centimeter actually! Coegin is pursuing hair coloring treatments using Follicum technologies.

Here’s a comprehensive list of companies conducting clinical trials for hair loss treatment and the status of those trials.

Hair Loss Treatment Stem Cell Regeneration and Scalp Injections

Monthly platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections into the scalp are somewhat successful, but who wants to keep doing that regularly?

None of these other approaches led to successful treatments:

1. RIKEN and Dr. Takashi Tsuji pursued cyclical hair follicle stem cell regeneration treatments. You can find out more on this crazy video or this one which explains the crazy video in plain English. 
2. Shiseido sold Adenovital Scalp Essence containing adenosine, which is similar to minoxidil and popular in Asia. Shiseido’s Dr. Jiro Kishimoto worked on “Autologous cell-based therapy for hair loss using dermal sheath cup cells.”
3. In 2019, Columbia University researchers used 3D printing to create hair follicles and grow hair!

Laser and Light Hair Loss Treatments

Laser and red light treatments are being marketed heavily. These type of treatment seem to work best for people with thinning hair rather than complete baldness. Effects are generally modest and require consistent, long-term use. Only consider them if you know someone else who has used them with success. Most of the good online reviews appear fake or have not yet produced proven results.

Capillus — Laser therapy cap for 6 minutes per day of use. Minimal and questionable efficacy studies.

HairMax — FDA cleared medical grade laser headband for increasing hair growth. Available for home use on Amazon. Treatments are 90 seconds, 3 times per week. Claim 93% success rate and that you will see results in 4-6 months. Offer a money back guarantee within 6 months but make it really hard, if not impossible, to get it. No refunds possible if purchased on Amazon.

iGrow — Laser therapy cap. Even less published clinical research compared to the others mentioned.

iRestore — Home use helmet combines lasers and LEDs to energize hair follicles. Claim 500K satisfied customers from Amazon and a 43.2% increase in hair count observed with the Essential model in just 4 months. They recommend using it 25 minutes for three days per week plus using other hair growth products at same time. It is hard to tell if those or the helmet provide regrowth. They offer a 1 year money back guarantee, but that is not valid if you buy from Amazon.

LaserCap — Red laser and LED diode cap. Minimal studies on efficacy.

Lumenis Folix — FDA cleared for hair loss treatment for Fitzpatrick skin types 1-4. Trial results are unpublished. 3-6 treatments every 4 weeks. 10-18% increase in hair growth area coverage.

Theradome — FDA cleared helmet provides “cold” laser light to energize hair follicles. Clinically tested in a 2016 trial to stop hair loss and regrow hair. Claim 70 million individual treatments with 98% satisfaction rate. 20 minutes per week for treatment. Thicker hair in 6-8 weeks. New hair in 4-6 months.

Hairmax has published a competitor comparison chart.

Hair Loss Treatment Drugs and Other Approaches

1. Way316606 is an osteoporosis drug which also causes hair growth. It is sold in Italy. Customer reviews are negative.
2. Italian entrepreneur Giampaolo Floris has created an interesting End Hair Loss video about natural hair loss causes and treatment. He raises an interesting point about why men lose the hair on the top of their head and not the sides and back. 
3. Biohacker Brian Johnson is using a stack of many different approaches. Here’s his “I Should Be Bald” video on how he has had success.

Hair Loss Treatment Conclusion

Keep Health will continue to monitor the progress of interesting companies as they progress through clinical trials. There is excellent discussion and commentary on the following websites:

• FollicleThought  — Excellent coverage of potential hair loss treatments.
• HairLossCure2020 — Excellent coverage of potential hair loss treatments.
• Hair Science — Potential success ratings of hair loss treatment types. Doesn’t appear to be updated since 2022.

Before starting any treatment, it is a good idea to:

1. Consult with a dermatologist or trichologist to determine the cause of hair loss.
2. Discuss potential side effects and expectations for each treatment option.
3. Consider your budget and commitment level, as some treatments can be costly and require long-term use.

At the end of each Keep Health article, we recommend rewarding yourself for taking time to focus on your health. Here’s your opportunity to get the long rainbow wig and holographic disco leggings you’ve always wanted for your next Halloween, birthday or New Year’s Eve party. If not for you, then perhaps as a gift for someone else.