Dr. Jones deviated from Acell\'s instructions to try worst case scenario

» Dr. Jones and every other HT doc has a HUGE motivation not to obsolete
» themselves by proving that Acell works easily and well to regrow new hair
» w/o transplantation.
»
» The importance of this cannot be overstated IMHO. Even the docs that
» don’t lie to us are still liable to tilt the details of their experiments
» away from proving their profession obsolete (if such capability exists).

Yeah I agree. I wish Acell or someone not tied to hair transplantation would just test the product themselves.

If there is any good that comes from Hitzig’s claims, maybe it’s that it’ll get people other than just hair transplant docs interested in trying out Acell for more than just scar reduction.

Even on the Oprah show she said they should try to regrow hair with it.

If Acell doesn’t work it’s because it doesn’t work, not because a HT Doc is going to “obsolete themselves” with it.

Why should HT Docs fear it? If it grows hair in bald areas then great! They have a far simpler procedure that can be done several times a day. They might charge less per patient but they can see dozens a day instead of 1 or 2. They already have the rep and marketing etc and HT may still be needed for filling gaps or hairlines etc so they won’t go out of business - more $$$$ for less skilled work.

If it only regrows donor hair, then again - great news for the HT Docs. They’d have more business as people wouldn’t be worried about “What if I get to NW7 and end up looking like a freak?” That holds a hell of a lot of people back. Plus, with unlimited donor people wouldn’t have to make do with 5-8000 grafts. They could go for full restorations 10, 15, 20,000 grafts. That would mean 4, 5 even 6 procedures. For one patient. Ka-ching!

And even if all it does is reduce/eliminate scarring (with no new hair regrowth) then even that is a good thing for the HT Docs. Again, a lot of people don’t do HTs because of the scars. If they can say, “Look, I can do a 4000 graft strip megasession with no scar. At all. Buzz it down later if you want - no problem!” Then even THAT would be a MASSIVE selling point.

I don’t know why Dr Jones didn’t follow the instructions but to think HT Docs wouldn’t want this to work is just misguided. It would pile money into their pockets and do the rather sordid rep of the HT industry a world of good.

If I remember well:
Dr. Jones said that he followed Acell’s instructions, and after the failure, Acell didn’t provide him with any alternative protocol, so Jones decided to quit the experiment.

Who is lying here?

At least Dr. Jones provided crystal clear photographic evidence of the procedure, so I vouch for him. I think Jones is telling the truth.

» Spoke with Manning, the Acell rep, and learned that Dr. Jones was trying to
» see if the wound would heal under the worst case scenario conditions.
» Manning admitted that the wound should have been kept moist and under a
» bandaged for several weeks and that acell should have been reapplied
» several times. I suppose Dr. Jones deviated from Acell’s suggestions to see
» whether or not he could use acell on patients who are not able to return to
» him for frequent visits.
»
» Manning also said that there are several docs using acell but that he is
» not at liberty to reveal who they are at this time.

»
» Why should HT Docs fear it? If it grows hair in bald areas then great!
» They have a far simpler procedure that can be done several times a day.
» They might charge less per patient but they can see dozens a day instead of
» 1 or 2. They already have the rep and marketing etc and HT may still be
» needed for filling gaps or hairlines etc so they won’t go out of business -
» more $$$$ for less skilled work.
»

If it works then every dermatologist in the land can do it, and that will be the end of the HT industry for all intents and purposes. The existing HT docs could make money being a derm but they’re making more doing HTs right now.

Remember - From where they’re sitting, the current options we have for baldness don’t need improving. They’re getting rich and the top clinics are doing all the work they can fit into their schedules.

» If it only regrows donor hair, then again - great news for the HT Docs.
» They’d have more business as people wouldn’t be worried about “What if I
» get to NW7 and end up looking like a freak?” That holds a hell of a lot of
» people back. Plus, with unlimited donor people wouldn’t have to make do
» with 5-8000 grafts. They could go for full restorations 10, 15, 20,000
» grafts. That would mean 4, 5 even 6 procedures. For one patient.
» Ka-ching!

I see no way that Acell would grow hair in the donor but not the recipient. Biologically speaking it should work either place or neither place IMO.

The hair grown in the recipient area would not be androgen-resistant like the donor hair. But the ease, price, and density that could be achieved with a few sessions of Acell would still blow traditional HTs out of the water.

If you don’t believe the money & difficulty issue then believe the density one - Acell could restore REAL density, not just “illusion of density.” And as for the androgen issue with new hairs - it took decades to bald most of us, and that’s while the hairs endured teenage & 20s hormone levels. Even a re-creation of the same hairs would not bald anywhere near as easily the next round.

» And even if all it does is reduce/eliminate scarring (with no new hair
» regrowth) then even that is a good thing for the HT Docs. Again, a lot of
» people don’t do HTs because of the scars. If they can say, “Look, I can do
» a 4000 graft strip megasession with no scar. At all. Buzz it down later
» if you want - no problem!” Then even THAT would be a MASSIVE selling
» point.

I agree with you here. Acell as a scar-reduction method only, that has applications that would help the existing HT industry.

» I don’t know why Dr Jones didn’t follow the instructions but to think HT
» Docs wouldn’t want this to work is just misguided. It would pile money
» into their pockets and do the rather sordid rep of the HT industry a world
» of good.

Dr. Jones doesn’t have the greatest rep for competence among HT docs as it is.

I have consulted the archives, and it seems clear that:

  1. Dr. Jones followed Acell’s instructions carefully, and he was at any moment in contact with them.
  2. Jones was ready to try modifications of the procedure if the first attempt failed.
  3. Acell didn’t provide an alternative protocol, so Dr. Jones decided to quit.

I am going to copy here all the info that I have gathered form Hairsite and Dr. Jones’ blog.


http://www.hairsite.com/hair-loss/forum_entry-id-51220.html
posted by Dr. Jones Homepage, Toronto, Canada, 15.04.2009, 15:34
At this point, I am done with Acell. I didn’t see any results from the first patient and the company has not provided me with an alternative protocol so until I feel that I have a method that I think is viable I will not do another Acell procedure,
Dr Robert Jones


FROM JONES BLOG


Tuesday, April 14, 2009
5.5 months post-op
Sorry for delay in this post. I have requested that the patient send me another picture but he says that has been no change since the last picture. There is definitely no hair growth in the scar.
As I said before, I follow the instructions provided by the company exactly. I also spoke with the rep from Acell during the treatment to discuss treatment protocol and progress.
Dr. Robert Jones

Wednesday, January 28, 2009
12 weeks post-op
At this point I would expect to see some growth through the scar.
The acell was used following exact directions from the company.
If I see no growth over the next month, I will consult with representative from Acell again and consider trying another patient.
Next update in a few weeks,
Dr. Jones

Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Close up 10 weeks
Close up

0 comments - Close up 10 weeks

10 weeks post op
the company that supplies the Acell product.
These photos were just provided by the patient. They were taken yesterday.
At this point it is still difficult to see any growth in the scar, although it looks much better than it did pre op, New grow would not be expected until about 12 weeks post op.
The protocol for this procedure was provided by the company that supplies the Acell product. Hopefully we will see new growth over the next few weeks from the scar area.
Dr. Robert Jones

Thursday, December 11, 2008
Six Weeks Later
Hi Doc
Its six weeks today. I still have a large chunk of scab on the right side
but I think it should fall in the next week. Unfortunately what I originally
thought was new growth may not be. It’s becoming very hard to tell. When the
scab finally falls I may trim the area to get a closer look. I believe you
had mentioned that if anything was going to happen it would be within 6-8
weeks. Is that accurate?

Monday, November 24, 2008
New Photo
Here is the latest photo from my Acell patient. I am happy with the way things are healing, though it is still early to make conclusions. You can see hair growing at the edge of the wound, which is a great sign. Keep an eye on the blog for developments. Photo was taken today.


Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Nov. 18, two weeks post-op
There have been many questions sent to me on the methods used and the expected outcome of this patient.The protocol that I used followed the suggestions put forward by a representative of the Acell company. I followed their suggestions as closely as I could and have been in phone contact with them several times discussing this patients progress.The photo below is one taken today. The Acell product hopefully will allow normal hair bearing tissue on either side of the wound to grow across the wound. When this heals completely, we hope to have normal hair bearing tissue where there use to be scar. It will take a few more months to see the complete results of the experiment. If this is not successful, I plan to try another strategy along with the Acell company to try to make this work. I would ask that everyone be patient, since this is the first patient where Acell has been used in this application.
Dr. Robert Jones


Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Brief surgical history of patient, first post-op photos
So it`s been a few days since the surgery, Here is what my patient said about his past experience with hair transplants and about how the surgery went for him.

`All of the work I had done was in the early nineties, between 1991 and 1995. The first procedure was for 50 mini graphs with PAI Int in Ottawa. This was followed by 3 scalp reductions brokered by Regency Hair in Ottawa. The procedures were all performed in Montreal by various doctors. Again with Regency Hair, I had two strip
surgeries’s for a total of maybe 600 - 700 graphs. Well as one can imagine the back and top of my head look like a railway crossing. Lots of scarring. Gave up on everything about 4 years ago, no Rogaine, no propecia, no hair thickeners and no hats, but I still look into the boards every day, just hoping that the cure has been discovered.Hopefully this new procedure will work and we can rid ourselves of these ugly scars for good.

As for the procedure, it was fast, painless, and I drove home to Ottawa right after.`

Below are the first post-op photos taken by the patient.
Pictures were taken Saturday Night 2 days after the procedure. Click to enlarge.


Friday, October 31, 2008
Scar treatment with Acell
So this is my blog covering the surgery and following the recovery of a patient using Acell.

The patient is a 41 year old male who had numerous previous surgeries and bad scarring as a result.
The scar was excised, the wound was rinsed with saline, and acell powder was generously applied to the exposed tissue. Two layers of Acell Wound Sheets were applied over the powder and the sheets were held in place with 5-0 gut.
The patient will give me updates frequently and take photos as it heals.
I felt this was the ideal patient, a patient with lots of scaring from past surgeries. This will be the most amazing use for Acell in Hair Transplants if the healing goes as we hope - to regenerate the donor area and to eliminate scaring from past, poorly performed, hair transplants.

Keep an eye on the blog and watch as the Acell research unfolds

Dr. Robert Jones

» 3. Acell didn’t provide an alternative protocol, so Dr. Jones decided to
» quit.
As you can see, you have already posted the answer. The question is, WHY didn’t they provide him instructions?

But I have a much better question:
As some of you already know there have been pics with different animals at Acell’s homepage. Wounded animals, not only with excellent regenerated tissue, but ALSO with excellent regenrated hair/pelt.

So the question is:
Why did they remove those convincing pics?

Tell me something …

» » 3. Acell didn’t provide an alternative protocol, so Dr. Jones decided to
» » quit.
» As you can see, you have already posted the answer. The question is, WHY
» didn’t they provide him instructions?

Much more interesting question is WHY Acell is now blaming Dr. Jones for the failure!!! They say thet he deviated from their instructions, but Dr. Jones insisted all the time that he was following Acell instructions.
Either Jones is a psycho, or Acell is lying. And for what I have seen so far, I totally vouch for Jones. I think Jones is telling the truth.

»
» But I have a much better question:
» As some of you already know there have been pics with different
» animals at Acell’s homepage. Wounded animals, not only with excellent
» regenerated tissue, but ALSO with excellent regenrated hair/pelt.
»
» So the question is:
» Why did they remove those convincing pics?
»
» Tell me something …

I didn’t know they removed the animal pics.
I remember we discussed these photos before. I don’t remember the exact details (you can search the Hairsite archives if you are interested).
These animals, apparently regrew new skin with new hair.
But note that as wounds heal, they contract: the surrounding tissue (and surrounding hair on that tissue) comes in, closing the wound. The remaining area is closed by scar tissue that is created anew. Scar tissue has no follicles. This is the standard mechanism for wound healing.
So it is possible that these wounds contracted heavily, leaving just a small scar tissue. This scar tissue is new tissue, but devoided of follicles. If I remember well, there was a small scar tissue area without hair in those animals. It is possible that the rest of the wound dissapeared just by contraction. In this case, no new follicles would have been created. All the heir that you see in the wound site, would simply be the hair that was around the wound, that contracted inwards.
Of course, if this was the case, from the pictures, it seems that Acell did a good job, because contraction was heavy.

I discussed another aspect with forum member Ahab. We wondered how it is possible that Acell didn’t knew if the regenerated tissue contained new follicles. Acell claims that they have used this powder in humans thousands of times, (or was it millions?). But they say that they don’t know if the new skin has new follicles or is iit just the typical scar tissue. Of course I don’t believe them. I think they know the answer: Acell doesn’t produce new hair. But they don’t want to admit it.

» Dr. Jones doesn’t have the greatest rep for competence among HT docs as it
» is.

what makes you think this? Im looking into his as my possible doc for HT. please let me know why you you said this?

thx

D