Hair cloning is a revolutionary new approach to treating thinning hair and male pattern baldness. It offers the possibility of a more natural-looking result than transplantation and is less invasive than current surgical procedures.
Using technology, older follicles can be frozen and banked to slow aging, like a woman freezing her eggs or embryos.
Restore Hair Growth
Cloning is multiplying cells, organs, and even entire organisms from a single parent to produce offspring with identical genetic characteristics. This is an alternative to the more common method of sexual reproduction that involves mixing DNA from two parents. Cloning has the potential to make surgical hair restoration treatments much less invasive.
In addition, hair follicle cloning aims to create an endless supply of DHT-resistant grafts that can be used for hair transplants to restore thinning and balding areas of the scalp. While this technology has yet to be perfected for clinical use, it is very promising. It will eventually allow Bosley and our parent company, Aderans, to offer less invasive procedures with superior results.
Scientists have already made great strides in developing the right conditions for cloning hair follicles. While the germinative cells needed for cloning have not been successfully multiplied outside the body, researchers can grow mature dermal papillae cells that develop into follicles. These can then be injected into the scalp to promote new hair growth.
Until recently, however, cloned follicles tended to differentiate into other structures. Scientists have discovered that the cloned cells must be kept together in a teardrop shape to overcome this. Doing so encourages them to grow in the direction of natural hair follicles instead of in other laws. This discovery may be the key to success with cloning hair follicles for regenerative hair loss treatments.
Stop Hair Loss
While cloning whole hair follicles in a test tube has not become a reality, researchers have made significant headway with other aspects of follicle development. While it isn’t precisely cloning, researchers have discovered that dermal sheath cells (found in the lower part of the follicle) can be multiplied and injected into the skin to promote the formation of new, intact hair follicles.
This is a very promising finding as it could be used to replace the need for hair transplants altogether. Hair transplants are expensive and require a lengthy recovery period. While they provide permanent solutions to baldness, many prefer a less invasive treatment.
Doctors have been trying to grow hair follicle stem cell clones to stimulate them into becoming full-grown hair follicles again. They have found that if these cells are produced with certain chemicals, such as tetradecanoyl phorbol acetate, they will grow and develop like normal hair follicles.
The biggest problem with this approach is that cloned stem cells tend to differentiate into other structures in the body, such as bone tissue. Scientists have been working hard to try and figure out how to stop this from happening in the hopes that we can use cloned stem cells to produce new hair follicles free of testosterone.
Enhance Appearance
Hair follicle cloning can help enhance your appearance by growing fuller, thicker hair. Surgical hair restoration solutions today involve rearranging existing DHT-resistant follicles for a fuller head of hair, but they do not produce any new hair. Cloning and regenerating hair follicles will allow a limitless supply of transplantable grafts to create a unique, thicker hair head.
There are currently some firms that are researching and attempting to perfect a hair cloning process. One firm, Intercytex, has already achieved some success in the cloning of human hair. Their approach involves removing a small strip of scalp and separating the follicular stem cells from it. These stem cells are then cultured and multiplied in a lab setting before being re-implanted into the scalp, where they can grow into full-size hair.
This approach differs from the DNA manipulation type of cloning, as only unspecialized cells are used in this form of cloning. The results from this method have been mixed so far, but it is an exciting approach to the hair cloning problem.
Another approach, which is closer to the actual hair cloning that will eventually be available, involves the manipulation of mature follicular cells. These follicular cells are extracted from a donor’s hair, manipulated in the lab to generate additional stem cells, and then re-implanted into the scalp, similar to a transplant. This technique has been more successful than previous efforts in this area, but it still needs improvement and refinement for commercial use.
Reduce Stress
Hair follicle cloning gives you a fresh supply of DHT-resistant healthy hair. This means that you can have full head coverage without the need for any invasive surgical procedures. Many people experience a lot of stress, especially as they age. This stress can lead to the production of hormones that block hair growth. Luckily, hair follicle cloning can help you reduce stress levels by keeping your hair in good condition.
Scientists are currently working on tissue culturing to clone hair follicle stem cells. This method involves extracting dermal papillae cells from the scalp and multiplying them in a lab. These cloned cells can then be inserted back into the scalp to create new hair follicles. While this technology is still in its early stages, it could be a huge game changer for the hair restoration industry.
The problem with cloning is that it requires DNA manipulation to produce offspring, which can be complex with delicate cells like those found in the hair follicles. Scientists have tried several methods to clone hair follicles, but most have failed due to the complexity of these cells. Recent breakthroughs may make cloning hair follicles much easier in the future. For example, some claim to have developed a technology that can clone the germinative stem cells at the base of a hair follicle.