Baldness Cure Is On The Way

[Gahars]

Baldness has been around for a very long time, and it's not anything people look forward to. It's a tough process, and the results can easily whittle away at a person's self esteem and confidence (the Patrick Stewarts and Ving Rhames' of the world being the exception, of course). Most of the supposed "miracle cures" on the market right now are little more than bald-faced lies, and the search for an actual cure has been plagued with red hairings.

That could all change in as little as two years, though: It looks like scientists have actually discovered a cure for baldness.

They are already talking with pharmaceutical firms about making the product, which would work by stopping the effects of a single guilty enzyme.


US-based dermatologists announced earlier this year that they had found that an enzyme, called prostaglandin D2 (PGD2), instructed follicles to stop producing hair.


They identified it by screening 250 genes implicated in hair loss.


George Cotsarelis, head of dermatology at Pennsylvania University, said the one responsible for levels of PGD2 played “the major role”.
He said he was now talking with several drugs firms about creating the anti-baldness product.

...When the original study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine in March, he said: “We really do think if you remove the inhibition [caused by PGD2}, you get longer hair.”

He said the finding raised the possibility of not only stopping hair loss, but of bald men also being able to regrow full heads of hair.

The Telegraph

To recap: a specific enzyme seems to be responsible for hair loss, and by inhibiting it, the damage could be entirely reversed. There are already other drugs on the market that attack this enzyme (for the purposes of asthma), so researchers are hopeful that this could be quickly produced and marketed.

Of course, there will have to be tests and trials on the eventual product to determine if it's actually safe and/or effective, so there are no guarantees. Here's hoping this hair product makes the final cut.

 

[Janthran]

I see what you did there.
I mean all over that post.

 

[CrimzonEyed]

Nice now I don't have to worry about going bald in 50 years ^^

 

[J-Machine]

I'm glad these guys were finally able to shed some light on this glaring issue plaguing mankind which I am sure was quite the buzz for some time in the medical world. wonder if my friend would be interested in this since he is 21 and bald.

 

[MelodieOctavia]

If you were to use this product when it's released, you would most likely need Toupée a pretty penny.

Then again, talking about price would just be splitting hairs to the people who really want it.

Spoiler

Eat it, Gahars!

 

[FAST6191]

Wonder if this will be like the time Viagra became a thing as far as getting it on the NHS goes.

Well given the last ones apparently did the bad kind of impotence I guess this is good for those that wish for such things. Presently I could probably go in for Cousin It stunt double and looking at grandparents, uncles and such I have a good twenty years yet.

the search for an actual cure has been plagued with red hairings

Are we not shunning gingers any more?

 

[SifJar]

Only came into this thread to read the puns.

 

[KingVamp]

I'm starting to get hairy eyeballs by all this punishment.

edit: More to the topic.

Honestly, that pretty cool. Now those "Get your hair back" commercials will be real.

 

[Gahars]

If you were to use this product when it's released, you would most likely need Toupée a pretty penny.

Then again, talking about price would just be splitting hairs to the people who really want it.

Spoiler

Eat it, Gahars!

So what does this make you, hair to the pun throne?

Why don't we just shave our time and stop with all this nonsense. It's starting to lose it's buzz anyway!

 

[Deleted member 194275]

So the most epic facepalm from all time will be lost forever?

Spoiler

 

[Gahars]

But think of the possibilities!

Spoiler

 

[Jamstruth]

Wonder if this will be like the time Viagra became a thing as far as getting it on the NHS goes.

Well given the last ones apparently did the bad kind of impotence I guess this is good for those that wish for such things. Presently I could probably go in for Cousin It stunt double and looking at grandparents, uncles and such I have a good twenty years yet.

Oh they did a bit more than that
The active ingredient inhibits testosterone so take too many and it has some other side effects.

 

[J-Machine]

wow I didn't notice him with the hair for a good while.

 

[CyborGamer]

Take that hairedity!

 

[omgpwn666]

Always seems hair is a solution for everthing. I'm just a braid they wont find a cure for cancer. Only time can tail.

 

[Deleted member 194275]

But think of the possibilities!

Spoiler

I'm in shock right now

 

[Dann Woolf]

If they can make something like this for facial hair, I'll be happy.

My facial hair growth is horrible.

 

[shakirmoledina]

what i wonder sometimes
if this is a problem ie. like lacking fertility then such a thing is great

is it so? or is it the natural way for a body to prepare the person for something or old age. it suits him better in the condition he is in? arent we forcing the body to do something it was not meant to do or we are telling it to do something that is less good for it?

and from gahar's intro, its all about esteem and looks... so if u are satisfied with urself, this would be a good discovery for the world but the same to u

 

[Tom Bombadildo]

inb4 thousands of 70 year old bald men now get all da bitches because of their sexy full head of hair.

 

[FAST6191]

is it the natural way for a body to prepare the person for something or old age. it suits him better in the condition he is in? arent we forcing the body to do something it was not meant to do or we are telling it to do something that is less good for it?

There is a not inconsiderable amount of people that would argue ageing itself should be treated like a disease. I could agree that in many cases a lack of hair on the head is not as pressing as joints, back, organs, eyes..... but if vanity wishes to fund a treatment to keep my eyes in perfect working order I am down with that. This said although I am always dubious when people claim mental anguish and lesser similar things I have seen the effects "pointless" cosmetic procedures have had on quality of life for various people.

Suprgamr232- 70 year olds rarely have a problem and it is the mid life crisis types you want to worry about as, in addition to all the other benefits of being slightly older, that tends to also mean fancier cars, fancier trips and fancier restaurants than you or I will reasonably be able/willing to spring for.