A: The main problem is that the cultured cells may lose their phenotype with multiple passages, i.e. lose their ability to differentiate into hair follicles after they have been multiplied.

Another problem of hair cloning is that the orientation of hair direction must be controlled. With mouse experiments, the hairs grow at all different directions. Scientists need to find a way to align the hair so that it grows in the right direction. Hair, of course, must also be of a quality that is cosmetically acceptable and matches the patient existing hair. And the hair should grow in follicular units. Individual hairs will not give the fullness or natural look of follicular units.

Another problem is the issue of safety. Are we sure that cultured cells may not turn into something else – such as malignancy cells with uncontrolled growth?

Finally, FDA approval would be required and this takes time. It is true that you do not need FDA approval for using your own hair, such as a hair transplant; however, when you take cells from the body and manipulate it in the lab, this requires FDA approval.

I am concerned by your remarks that there is no biologic model to show the long-term safety of Dutasteride (as opposed to Finasteride). Would you suggest that he goes back to taking Finasteride? We would be grateful for your advice.

A: It is a tough call as I have never met or examined your son, so I can only offer an opinion based on limited information.

If you feel your son will be emotionally or socially debilitated by the hair loss, then I think that it may be worth the risk (if there is any) of taking the medication; otherwise, I would use Finasteride.

Please keep in mind that you don’t need to make the final decision now. You may want to defer the decision until he is 28 or so, at time when he is more mature. It is a tough call. Please let me know what you decide.

A: Avodart (dutasteride 0.5mg) was approved by the FDA for the treatment of prostate enlargement in men in 2002. Avodart has not been approved for the treatment of androgenetic hair loss, although physicians can use an approved medication in ways other than for which it was specifically approved. That said, the use of dutasteride certainly requires a doctor’s supervision.

Like finasteride (the active ingredient in Proscar and Propecia), dutasteride blocks the enzyme 5-alpha reductase that converts testosterone to DHT (DHT is a key hormone that causes hair loss). However, unlike finasteride, which only inhibits the Type I form of the enzyme, dutasteride inhibits both the Type I and Type II forms. This combined effect lowers circulating DHT more with dutasteride than with finasteride, but also increases the incidence of its side effects.

The Type II form of the enzyme (blocked by finasteride) is found predominantly in the hair follicle. The Type I form of the enzyme has been found in the scalp and sebaceous glands, and many other parts of the body, but its exact role in hair growth has not been determined. It is felt that dutasteride’s ability to dramatically lower serum levels of DHT is what makes it a more potent medication in hair loss.

When considering the safety of dutasteride, one should consider the following:

• It acts on other parts of the body besides the hair follicle.
• Unlike finasteride, where families that had a deficiency of the Type II 5-alpha reductase enzyme were followed for years without any adverse effects, there is no natural biologic model to show the safety of dutasteride.
• Dutasteride has been approved for prostate enlargement in an older male population. It is not approved for hair loss and, in fact, the clinical trials for hair loss were discontinued, so there is no safety data for its use in younger patients. There is a greater incidence of sexual side effects with dutasteride compared to finasteride.
• The 1/2 life of dutasteride is 5 weeks compared to 6-8 hours for finasteride. Serum concentrations of dutasteride are detectable up to 4-6 months after discontinuation of treatment.

A: Women can’t take Propecia during the child-bearing years because, if ingested, it can cause birth defects in male offspring.

In post-menopausal women, where we see the greatest frequency of hair loss, it doesn’t seem to be effective.

In pre-menopausal women who do not plan to become pregnant or who already have children, we are still cautious about using the medication, since there effectiveness has not been proven and it’s long-term safety in this population has not been tested.

A: All of the surgical hair restoration procedures at Bernstein Medical are performed under local anesthesia. The fact that general anesthesia is not needed is what makes hair transplant procedures – even though they are long – very safe.

Patients are given a sedative to help them relax, but they are not put to sleep. Most patients watch TV, see movies or just chat during the procedure.