From dietary supplements to regenerative medicine treatments, in the last year, major progress has been made for the segment, with the research and development largely centered in the Asia Pacific region.
Japan-based multinational Shiseido is one brand which appears to be leading the push: recently, the company stated that it expects to have a ‘baldness cure’ by 2018.
Hormone havock
Some research has reportedly pinpointed the cause of hair loss as the excessive effect of a potent form of testosterone known as DHT.
As a result, treatments aimed at inhibiting the conversion of testosterone to DHT have been sought as a potential cure, and some are seeing success.
Mibelle Biochemistry, for example, claims its new RootBioTec HO product has the capacity to reduce hair loss by 26%.
Regenerative medicine
Posing an alternative treatment to this, Shiseido’s upcoming ‘cure’ lies in regenerative medicine, according to the brand.
Regenerative medicine is a method that stimulates cell repair by implanting other human origin tissues/cells into damaged sites.
Shiseido recently patented its RepliCel Hair-01 (RCH-01) technology, which isolates specific cells in hair follicles, takes them and cultures them externally from the body, and then implants them back into the balding area to stimulate residing hair follicles and promote new growth.
Supplements
Supplements aimed at suppressing androgen have also been promoted by medical institutions in recent years.
Female pattern hair loss (FPHL) is much less common than its male counterpart, but can be equally (if not more) distressing - this is a key area where supplements are being developed.
A recent study in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, which was carried out by a team of researchers from France, Italy and the US, found that a combination of specific omega 3&6 and antioxidants were beneficial in reducing this condition when taken as a dietary supplement.
The hunt for a definitive cure, though, continues.