I want to preface my post by saying that I think PRP, if it works, is a great addition to combat hair loss. I also appreciate the doctors who are taking the time to use and try it out. Having said that, the reality behind why doctors are trying PRP is because it’s a potentially valuable source that could help/aid the results of HT’s. It doesn’t put any HT doctor “out of business”. Amazing how quickly doctors are picking up on this PRP treatment. If HM would have benefitted some of these doctors (which it realistically can), I think many HT doctors would support funding/researching HM as well. Unfortunately, some feel that they have a lot to lose, so they choose to offer us things that will maintain and not grow new hair. Hope it doesn’t sound like I’m nagging or putting anyone down, because I’m not. I’m just stating the obvious. Eventually though, someone is going to make huge $$ coming out with a cure :).
I agree - a genuine treatment that actually works will be a multi-billion dollar industry. I believe hair loss is already a billion dollar industry and that’s with drugs that barely work and dead squirrels on our heads. When people literally start getting their hair back, I think “the mainstream” will be amazed at how many men who supposedly “don’t give a damn about hair loss” will suddenly start appearing with full heads of hair and thousands of dollars lighter.
That said, the “HT Drs are stalling HM” argument is a red herring and I think is the result of frustration that in an age where the first men on the moon are in their twilight years, complete organisms were cloned a decade ago, the genome has been mapped and people have been able to change sex for over three generations, we STILL do not know what makes a hair that was healthy 12 months ago fall out today. This HT Dr argument may have some merit if Big Pharma came up with a pill that literally grew all your hair back. But virtually everyone knows that HM will be used as a complement to HTs and even if it wasn’t, most of the HT Drs would simply retrain to offer HM. It would probably be less work, less time consuming and the demand would be far greater so they’d still get their yachts and Porsches. 
For every guy that has a HT there are probably several who hold off because they don’t know their donor situation, or they don’t like the unnatural look of sparse transplants. If donor wasn’t an issue it’s unlikely that the current crop of HT Drs would be able to keep up with demand. So if anything, I imagine most HT Drs are as keen for HM to come out as we are.
The simple fact is no-one has been able to get HM to work on a commercially acceptable level. Tough to accept, but true…
You do have a point there dastardly. HM would involve less work for the doctor and less unhappy patients. The good news is that there are some doctors working on stem cell research and hopefully with enough doctors putting enough cash into research, something feasible can come out of it. I think more doctors than ever before are actually researching HM, so that’s always a good thing.
Notice how PRP is starting to be embraced by the HT world already, a matter of months after feedback on the first attempts with it.
Contrast that with the sluggish response to the idea of using Acell for hair purposes, which is something that has already been used on thousands of humans for several years and has been legal for commerical sale at least a year now.
Methinks the HT industry doesn’t wanna risk finding out how capable Acell might really be.
We’ve gotta find a source for the powder and try this Acell stuff ourselves.
» Notice how PRP is starting to be embraced by the HT world already, a matter
» of months after feedback on the first attempts with it.
»
»
» Contrast that with the sluggish response to the idea of using Acell for
» hair purposes, which is something that has already been used on thousands
» of humans for several years and has been legal for commerical sale at least
» a year now.
»
»
»
»
» Methinks the HT industry doesn’t wanna risk finding out how capable Acell
» might really be.
»
» We’ve gotta find a source for the powder and try this Acell stuff
» ourselves.
There are ethical problems with using ACELL, though. It’s one thing to do a normal strip surgery then apply ACELL in the hope of reducing / eliminating the scar (I don’t know if they did it but H & W were talking about doing this at one time) but it’s quite another to use it in the way a lot of us would like, in determining if it regrew hair bearing donor skin. That would involve leaving the strip wound open. Great if it works! But if it doesn’t, that patient is going to be left with a 2 cm wide strip of hairless skin. I can’t see any HT Doc wiling to try that, let alone any patient willing to let it be done to them.
With PRP they know it’s safe and they know the only conceivable downside is that it doesn’t work. Most people are willing to lose 600 bucks if there is no lasting dmamge. I don’t think many people are willing to pay thousands for a HT and possibly end up with a 2cm strip of bare skin, just on the off-chance that ACELL may work.
»
» There are ethical problems with using ACELL, though. It’s one thing to do
» a normal strip surgery then apply ACELL in the hope of reducing /
» eliminating the scar (I don’t know if they did it but H & W were talking
» about doing this at one time) but it’s quite another to use it in the way a
» lot of us would like, in determining if it regrew hair bearing donor skin.
» That would involve leaving the strip wound open. Great if it works! But
» if it doesn’t, that patient is going to be left with a 2 cm wide strip of
» hairless skin. I can’t see any HT Doc wiling to try that, let alone any
» patient willing to let it be done to them.
»
The HT industry hasn’t tried abrading skin and treating it with Acell. that’s about as easy & low risk as it gets. I don’t see any indication that they ever will try this, either.
(I’m not arguing that simple abrasion necessarily has to work, I’m just saying I don’t wanna wait around another decade for HM while nobody has tried it.)
We have also not seen grafts soaked with Acell before being re-implanted. Nor have we seen the whole donor & recipient areas covered with Acell after a traditional HT. The list goes on.
Point is HT surgeons are avoiding Acell because it will not bring them $$$$. PRP makes the sound of “Cha-Ching” in their heads.
Cal, if you have ANY clue or idea as to how we can get our hands on ACELL… spit it out! I wonder if we can even write to a surgeon of all the benefits from Acell and persuading them of how it can really bring them $$$ if they tried it and it turned successful.
» »
» » There are ethical problems with using ACELL, though. It’s one thing to
» do
» » a normal strip surgery then apply ACELL in the hope of reducing /
» » eliminating the scar (I don’t know if they did it but H & W were
» talking
» » about doing this at one time) but it’s quite another to use it in the
» way a
» » lot of us would like, in determining if it regrew hair bearing donor
» skin.
» » That would involve leaving the strip wound open. Great if it works!
» But
» » if it doesn’t, that patient is going to be left with a 2 cm wide strip
» of
» » hairless skin. I can’t see any HT Doc wiling to try that, let alone
» any
» » patient willing to let it be done to them.
» »
»
»
» The HT industry hasn’t tried abrading skin and treating it with Acell.
» that’s about as easy & low risk as it gets. I don’t see any indication
» that they ever will try this, either.
»
» (I’m not arguing that simple abrasion necessarily has to work, I’m just
» saying I don’t wanna wait around another decade for HM while nobody has
» tried it.)
»
»
» We have also not seen grafts soaked with Acell before being re-implanted.
» Nor have we seen the whole donor & recipient areas covered with Acell after
» a traditional HT. The list goes on.
»
» Cal, if you have ANY clue or idea as to how we can get our hands on
» ACELL… spit it out! I wonder if we can even write to a surgeon of all the
» benefits from Acell and persuading them of how it can really bring them $$$
» if they tried it and it turned successful.
I wish I knew.
A month ago I actually sent a shot-in-the-dark email to a guy on a fitness message board after he mentioned that he had tried powedered Acell. No response yet. But the PM that I sent has also not been read yet, so I haven’t totally written off the idea that I might get a response at some point.
It’s probably gonna have to come through a doctor one way or another. I’d even try veterinary-grade stuff, honestly.
There might not be money in ACELL but the possibility of genuine “scar free” strip transplants would be a BIG selling point. Cheaper than FUE, generally bigger sessions, proven (in the right hands) graft survival.
Hell, I’d be down H & W tomorrow.
But I never will. Why? Because I don’t want the smiley.
There must be some reason for the lack of interest in ACELL other than $$$.
(Although I don’t know what it is )
There’s no reason other than inertia.
I keep saying it - we’re expecting them to spend money, and take medical risks, in an attempt to obsolete their entire profession.
Any messing with Acell is gonna risk demonstrating that something very simple will regrow hair. Even if it’s not exactly how they were testing the stuff, this could turn up at the edges of the wound or something.
For the HT industry it’s a bad risk to mess with Acell. At least until someone proves that none of the easiest & least invasive ways of using it will work.
I asked a doctor friend I know in the states (she wasn’t to informed about what acell was) but her response was “give me a legitimate reason as to why I would order it, and then we can talk”. I told her I wanted to try it on my self??? :lookaround:
I should have been prepared prior to speaking with her.
» »
» » Cal, if you have ANY clue or idea as to how we can get our hands on
» » ACELL… spit it out! I wonder if we can even write to a surgeon of all
» the
» » benefits from Acell and persuading them of how it can really bring them
» $$$
» » if they tried it and it turned successful.
»
» I wish I knew.
»
» A month ago I actually sent a shot-in-the-dark email to a guy on a fitness
» message board after he mentioned that he had tried powedered Acell. No
» response yet. But the PM that I sent has also not been read yet, so I
» haven’t totally written off the idea that I might get a response at some
» point.
»
»
» It’s probably gonna have to come through a doctor one way or another. I’d
» even try veterinary-grade stuff, honestly.
» I asked a doctor friend I know in the states (she wasn’t to informed about
» what acell was) but her response was “give me a legitimate reason as to why
» I would order it, and then we can talk”. I told her I wanted to try it on
» my self??? :lookaround:
Show her the pics on ACELL’s website and that US military experiment into regrowing finger.
» » I asked a doctor friend I know in the states (she wasn’t to informed
» about
» » what acell was) but her response was “give me a legitimate reason as to
» why
» » I would order it, and then we can talk”. I told her I wanted to try it
» on
» » my self??? :lookaround:
»
» Show her the pics on ACELL’s website and that US military experiment into
» regrowing finger.
I’m guessing that she needs a legit use for the product. Not every doc is in the business of regrowing fingers.
» I’m guessing that she needs a legit use for the product. Not every doc is
» in the business of regrowing fingers.
My point was to show her the regrowth potential of ACELL, not to convince her that it regrows fingers. And I’m assuming that mj2003 told her what he wanted it for?? If not, I don’t see what’s wrong in telling her about it i.e. that you need it to test for hair regrowth. It may not make sense to her, but ACELL is Safe and It has even been featured on Oprah. She even asked the guy if it can regrow hair and he said “yes you can”, so it’s worth a shot.
Also, a guy on an acne forum is trying ACELL (working with his doc) to treat acne scars. I think he started 2-3 weeks ago, I haven’t checked his latest entry yet but he is using the ACELL bandaid equivalent - Not the powder.
» I want to preface my post by saying that I think PRP, if it works, is a
» great addition to combat hair loss. I also appreciate the doctors who are
» taking the time to use and try it out. Having said that, the reality behind
» why doctors are trying PRP is because it’s a potentially valuable source
» that could help/aid the results of HT’s. It doesn’t put any HT doctor “out
» of business”. Amazing how quickly doctors are picking up on this PRP
» treatment. If HM would have benefitted some of these doctors (which it
» realistically can), I think many HT doctors would support
» funding/researching HM as well. Unfortunately, some feel that they have a
» lot to lose, so they choose to offer us things that will maintain and not
» grow new hair. Hope it doesn’t sound like I’m nagging or putting anyone
» down, because I’m not. I’m just stating the obvious. Eventually though,
» someone is going to make huge $$ coming out with a cure :).
I think the main reason PRP is taking off is because it is relatively easy to do, there is no barrier to entry, almost any doctor can do this without having to invest a large amount of money.
PRP is easy. And it still requires more investment in equipment & learning curve than you’d need to play around with Acell.
» Notice how PRP is starting to be embraced by the HT world already, a matter
» of months after feedback on the first attempts with it.
»
»
» Contrast that with the sluggish response to the idea of using Acell for
» hair purposes, which is something that has already been used on thousands
» of humans for several years and has been legal for commerical sale at least
» a year now.
»
»
»
»
» Methinks the HT industry doesn’t wanna risk finding out how capable Acell
» might really be.
»
» We’ve gotta find a source for the powder and try this Acell stuff
» ourselves.
Out of curiosity, if Acell is that widely available and indeed effective, shouldn’t there be conclusive evidence posted by now?
» Notice how PRP is starting to be embraced by the HT world already, a matter
» of months after feedback on the first attempts with it.
»
»
» Contrast that with the sluggish response to the idea of using Acell for
» hair purposes, which is something that has already been used on thousands
» of humans for several years and has been legal for commerical sale at least
» a year now.
»
»
»
»
» Methinks the HT industry doesn’t wanna risk finding out how capable Acell
» might really be.
»
» We’ve gotta find a source for the powder and try this Acell stuff
» ourselves.
Out of curiosity, if Acell is that widely available and indeed effective, shouldn’t there be conclusive evidence posted by now?
Because it’s only “widely available” to doctors, not the rest of us. And they are the ones with all the discretion over when & where & how the stuff gets used.
PRP is an increasingly popular way to treat hair loss. It involves taking plasma from your blood and injecting it into your scalp to stimulate hair growth. The procedure is relatively painless and requires zero recovery time. Some doctors recommend PRP treatment for hair loss because its safe and a non-surgical treatment and its works with blood cells and given perfect results in a short time.