As doctors we have witnessed and contributed to the great strides that have been made over the past decade and more in the treatment of hair loss. One area in which we have been particularly active is the development and acceptance of the most advanced hair transplantation technique, FUE (follicular unit extraction), that eliminates the need for a linear donor site incision scar.
It is our firm belief that as research continues, there will be more effective medical treatments for hair loss. This includes not only the development of better medications, but we also recognize the potential of cell therapy in the prevention and treatment of hair loss and we are excited to explore this area more and remain as leaders in the field.
Maybe sometime in the future, we will be transplanting cells instead of transplanting hairs. Since some of the genes responsible for hair loss have been located, perhaps genetic engineering may play an important role in preventing hair loss. Hair cloning (properly called hair multiplication) is a hot topic, with recent papers demonstrating potential mechanisms for growing these important cells outside of the body for eventual reintroduction back into the individual with hair loss. Immunotherapy now plays an important role in treating some specific hair conditions such as alopecia areata and cicatricial alopecia. Modifications made to these immunotherapy agents will help reduce the adverse side effects, improving compliance. Although we now have excellent tools that assist in the diagnosis of the etiologies of hair loss, technology can always surprise us with new and improved ones. Hair transplantation techniques have recently improved with the development of FUE, and automation of this procedure has improved results and reduced operating time.