Why is there no cure for male pattern baldness yet?

TNT2k_

It's the year 2013, we've beaten smallpox and we're working to eradicate diseases like TB permanently, we're able to prevent HIV from developing into AIDS, but we still don't have cure for baldness in men, and even in some cases, women.

Sure, all the above I would regard as a first priority when it comes to tackling them, but still, that hasn't stopped so many other aesthetic cures and solitons from being developed for things like skin conditions.

You'd think by now something substantial would have been done in this area that's not temporary like products such as Regaine, which do work, to be fair, but only as long as you keep using the product.

What has halted this progress, though?
Losing your hair is a worry for many men and I don't think it should be given our level of technology now, it seems needless. This would be a gold mine for companies if they managed to crack it, so there's an incentive, I just don't understand why it's taking so long to get there.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

because it's difficult?

Cody Pomeray

There is something of a cure. It's called propecia. It's available on prescription has has a higher success rate than regaine.

Also, I would consider using it because I've noticed (just recently) that some hair has been coming off from my fringe area area in the shower. I've always had a widow's peak type thing up there, but it has receded slightly. It';s only starting but trying not to think about it because worrying might make it worse!

TNT2k_

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

because it's difficult?

Many things are difficult, vaccines have been difficult to develop, but why still did it.

I've read about propecia, but that doesn't regenerate hair, only halts further loss, and can diminish your sex drive. To me, that doesn't seem like a huge progression.

Jake Rugby Walrus666

And what about rashers that don't come apart as you take them out of the packet?

Muise...

new patterns would be good too. A paisley or chevron would smarten up a tonsure.

Duckworth_Luas

Why go bald?

Links234

Supposedly hair cloning is where it's gonna be at

so like instead of getting hair transplants where they cut a strip of skin from the back of your head and harvest the follicles there, they clone new follicles. probably insanely costly

Elbaston

TNT2k_ wrote: »

It's the year 2013, we've beaten smallpox and we're working to eradicate diseases like TB permanently, we're able to prevent HIV from developing into AIDS, but we still don't have cure for baldness in men, and even in some cases, women.

Sure, all the above I would regard as a first priority when it comes to tackling them, but still, that hasn't stopped so many other aesthetic cures and solitons from being developed for things like skin conditions.

You'd think by now something substantial would have been done in this area that's not temporary like products such as Regaine, which do work, to be fair, but only as long as you keep using the product.

What has halted this progress, though?
Losing your hair is a worry for many men and I don't think it should be given our level of technology now, it seems needless. This would be a gold mine for companies if they managed to crack it, so there's an incentive, I just don't understand why it's taking so long to get there.

Crazy innit - they can make glow in the dark mice and disease resistant crops ... but not re-position hair from our holes to our heads.

Links234

Elbaston wrote: »

but not re-position hair from our holes to our heads.

they can, but I'd imagine you'd look like some ****head

Galwayguy35

Theres the Wayne Rooney option if you have the money, or keep it cut at a number 2 level if like me you don't.

I hate the fact that I'm going light on top as I always had good hair but at the same time I'm learning to accept it.

It doesn't help when people I haven't seen for a while make comments like "Jaysus you're losing the hair".

Tom M

There is actually a cure, but it takes time.

You have to stretch and massage the muscles around your head. Also there are exercises you can perform for the muscles of your head.

The proof of men growing back their hair is at the immortal hair forum.

stretchdoe

Cure?
It's not a disease/illness.

Wacker The Attacker

Once you have a big hairy lad.

Thats all that matters

Lenin Skynard

Losing your hair may be a worry for many men but I'd imagine the majority don't really give two shíts about it.

raycre

Jake Rugby Walrus666 wrote: »

And what about rashers that don't come apart as you take them out of the packet?

They have solved that.... Thick cut rashers are the rasher of the future. Never come apart.

I am pie

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

Losing your hair may be a worry for many men but I'd imagine the majority don't really give two shíts about it.

Most men don't give a flying fook, ....it's the wives and girlfriends that give them stick and drive them nuts!

It's better off happening to you when your younger, get it out of the way and it becomes your look...if it happens in your late 30s it just exaggerates the ageing process.

Widows peak has come for me!

El_Dangeroso

Cody Pomeray wrote: »

There is something of a cure. It's called propecia. It's available on prescription has has a higher success rate than regaine.

Also, I would consider using it because I've noticed (just recently) that some hair has been coming off from my fringe area area in the shower. I've always had a widow's peak type thing up there, but it has receded slightly. It';s only starting but trying not to think about it because worrying might make it worse!

Avoid it if you can, it's side effects include serious sexual dysfunction, in some cases completely irreversible. No point being gorgeous if you can't take advantage of the consequences.

wazky

Grow a beard if your bald, least you wont look like an egg then.

IvySlayer

Patrick Stewart is on his way to slap you

wazky

IvySlayer wrote: »

Patrick Stewart is on his way to slap you

I'm not scared of Humpty Dumpty's long lost cousin.

UCDVet

It's effectively cured.

If you have the money and inclination, they can take hair from other parts of your head and plant it into the bald spots.

Have to agree, most men don't care.. I'm 26 and my bald patch is commented on fairly regularly but I couldn't give a toss. In another year or two, I'll shave it all off and be done with it.

Teyla Emmagan

I am pie wrote: »

Most men don't give a flying fook, ....it's the wives and girlfriends that give them stick and drive them nuts!

a) Most men do give a flying fook.
b) I have never heard of a single woman giving their fella stick because he was losing his hair.

I think you might be from a different planet.

blaze1

There a few ways around it.

Clippers or razor blades work best for me.

As I was told when I was 17, you'll never see a bald man it doesn't suit. :-)

KungPao

wazky wrote: »

Grow a beard if your bald, least you wont look like an egg then.

...could look like you have your head on upside down though.

TNT2k_

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

Losing your hair may be a worry for many men but I'd imagine the majority don't really give two shíts about it.

I'd argue the opposite. Who wouldn't care if they were losing their hair? Even if they wanted to trim it down, wouldn't the option to have hair and get rid of it be better than not having the hair and option at all?

Of the lads I've met losing their hair, initially they really really hated it, but they grow to get over it. Still though, it's something that you'd think would be sorted out by now. Anyone who wants to be bald could be, but they could choose.

If you gave bald/balding men the option and told them they could grow back their hair I'd bet a large majority would choose to have it back.

rockbeast

Grow a goatee.

Wear a black pork pie hat.

Call yourself Hawking, or another scientist's name of your choice.

Rock it

Ihatecuddles-old

I love my boyfriends bald spot. It's so soft, I like to rub my face off it

Wibbs

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

because it's difficult?

This I'd imagine. Any guy, gal or company that figures out a sure way of reversing, even just halting male pattern baldness(can happen with women too) would be worth billions overnight. This suggests it's really really difficult, a multifactorial condition where just one "cure" won't cut it(not unlike the umbrella of diseases called "cancer". There'll never by one cure for that, but loads of little cures depending on the disease). Then they might find they have one that works for men of broadly Asian background say, but won't work on Europeans. Plus it doesn't seem to follow the same pattern in men. Some guys go on the crown, some at the temples, some go at both sides, some go thin all over. There may be a difference in what causes this. I do recall reading somewhere that crown thinning/general all over loss is more down to environmental factors with some genetic stuff whereas frontal loss in purely genetic.

stretchdoe wrote: »

Cure?
It's not a disease/illness.

Well one could argue it's a genetic condition of the hair producing follicles that renders them sensitive to testosterone and causes them to cease production. Given that some men never go bald(some entire groups never do EG Amazonian Indians. They don't even go grey), it's possible if you went back 60,000 years men never went bald, so it's a "fault" in our DNA. That would be an interesting area of research IMH, to see when and possibly where this gene of set of genes first arose in our species. For it to propagate it must have had selection pressure. This may have been sexual, or maybe there is an immuno response that is favoured? On that score I also recall reading that bald headed men have more inflammation in the scalp areas that are affected so maybe? Or we might find that although the propensity was there, the result comes about because of environmental changes over time. Kinda like type 2 diabetes. Yes there is a strong genetic component, yet hunter gatherers almost never suffer from the condition, so environment, especially over time and generations* causes more of the disease process. They seem to go bald at a much lesser rate and at greater ages too, whereas your average group of a hundred Irish blokes at 25 I'd reckon at least a third are thinning, by 40 I'd reckon nearer two thirds.

blaze1 wrote: »

As I was told when I was 17, you'll never see a bald man it doesn't suit. :-)

Oh that's soooo untrue. Some men have really silly looking bald pates, pointy lumpy heads and such. You can see this with different populations. IE Black African lad shaves head, 9 times outa 10 looks cool, White European does and it's toss a coin time on how it might look.






*I'm not going all Lamarckian here well... I would suspect that mothers(and possibly fathers) exposed to high sugar levels may pass on faults in the womb to the developing foetus.

**Vai**

Ihatecuddles wrote: »

I love my boyfriends bald spot. It's so soft, I like to rub my face off it

Ewwww. He must be very understanding! I would not be pleased. Luckily I have the thickest, most luscious hair possible.....ladies.