Two very interesting new hair loss related videos on YouTube this week yet again.
Top 20 Hair Loss Research Studies of 2023
Just like in 2021 and 2022, Dr. Jeff Donovan (Canada) has again come out with a list of his top 20 hair loss research studies of 2023. This doctor always has very interesting insights in his videos.
It is too bad that he devotes 6 of the 20 to alopecia areata (AA), a condition which afflicts just 2-3% of all hair loss sufferers. In contrast, androgenetic alopecia (AGA) accounts for 90-95% of all types of hair loss.
Of course I am not downplaying the much worse suffering of AA patients. Their patchy to total scalp hair loss and sometimes total body hair loss (including eyebrows) really stands out. However, luckily for many of them, new FDA-approved JAK inhibitors have really worked well and are almost a cure. Albeit with the potential for very serious side effects.
Dr. Donovan is also impressed with other 2023 published studies related to:
- The need for scalp biopsies in black women with hair loss.
- COVID-19 and telogen effluvium, and COVID-19 vaccination related hair loss.
- Tinea capitis fungal infection of the hair.
- Nonscarring alopecia.
- Folliculitis decalvans.
- Lichen planopilaris.
- Scarring alopecia.
- Centrifugal cicatricial alopecia.
- Acne keloidalis nuchae.
- Dissecting cellulitis of the scalp.
- Discoid lupus.
This leaves only 2 out of his top 20 studies of 2023 relevant to AGA. Very disappointing. One of these is two is about female pattern hair loss monotherapy with 5-alpha reductase inhibitors and minoxidil. The other from Spain examines the safety of low-dose oral Minoxidil in patients with hypertension and arrhythmia. A concern that has prevented many people from trying out the popular hair loss treatment.
Advancements in Regenerative Medicine for Hair Restoration
Of more relevance to us androgenetic alopecia sufferers is Dr. John Cole’s great new video on advancements in regenerative medicine for hair restoration.
Dr. Cole has given valuable feedback to me many different times over the past decade. In areas that include platelet-rich plasma (PRP), exosomes, adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs), stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and more.
In this video, he breaks out the key autologous, allogeneic and xenogeneic cell therapies for hair loss. This includes PRP, platelet lysate, platelet rich fibrin, SVF, mesenchymal stem cells, amnotic membrane, wharton’s jelly, cord blood, exosomes and extracellular matrix.
