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Just thinking about culturing human hair and re-implanting into
the scalp sets the scene for hair transplantation with an unlimited
capacity. This being the case, the donor area would be left with
very minor interference…….after all, that’s one
of the two main factors in attaining a good hair transplant.
But the truth is, almost 20 years of research has past and many
problems have surfaced. With inconsistencies in the culturing,
it brings to light the myriad of obstacles that must be overcome
in the future.
At present, research science is working hard to perfect hair cloning
but will it be aesthetically acceptable. Animal studies show tissue
culturing to be grossly dissimilar to the original hairs. So we
must ask, would human hair be greatly deformed as well? The growth
angle also comes into question as it must mimic the same angle
as your own hair would naturally be. Another important point for
consideration is, the tissue cultured cells showing any tendency
toward tumour formation? The transmission of infectious diseases
must also be carefully considered.
Cloned hair transplantation is a wonderful idea that, once perfected,
would overcome the donor supply problem. However, at this stage
there are inconsistencies and problems with reproducibility. For
example:
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Will it be economical to bring safe, effective cloned hair to the
market?
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Harvesting just the right cell type for cloning.
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Growing the new hair to mimic your own at the same angle, colour
and texture.
The prospect of having an unlimited supply of donor hair available
to treat hair loss will continue to spur research into overcoming
these hurdles in the future.
So when do we see successful hair cloning? Could be 5 years, could
be 10 years or it could blow out to another 20 years. In the meantime,
there is always the possibility of breakthroughs in oral medications
that may successfully regrow lost hair due to male pattern balding.
At present, follicular unit grafting is the most advanced technique
available and we, at Clinic Del Mondo, are at the leading edge
of this technology.
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