|
How George Jetson would battle baldness |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by asap
|
|
Friday, 23 February 2007 |
|
|
|
|
Could a high-tech comb equipped with lasers help cure hair loss?
That’s the claim of the company that makes the HairMax LaserComb, which was cleared for sale last week for the promotion of hair growth in men by the Food and Drug Administration. When the comb is raked through the hair, a low-level laser strikes the scalp, stimulating hair follicles, says its manufacturer, Lexington International.
David Michaels, the company’s managing director, said the device -- which sells on the Web for $545 -- will regrow hair in bald spots and increase the fullness of hair in places where it’s thinning.
“It’s incredible the amount of feedback and positive user testimonials we have received about the LaserComb,” says Michaels. “We really believe there is new founded hope for the millions of people suffering from the misery of losing their hair.”
———
I’M LOSING MY HAIR
Losing your hair can be a devastating thing. Balding men are perceived as older, less attractive, less confident and duller than a man with a full head of hair. And let’s face it. Not everyone can sport a bald head like Michael Jordan, Vin Diesel and Bruce Willis.
Lexington expects the product to find a market among the 40 million men and 30 million women in the United States are losing their hair -- including many as young as their early 30s.
Considering only three to five percent of men and seven to 10 percent of women will take action to combat hair loss -- besides shaving their head, it’s going to be tough, according to Fraser Clarke, CEO of Hair Club.
Dr. Matt Leavitt, founder and medical director of Medical Hair Restoration, a national chain of surgical hair replacement practices, attributes the low number to the confusing messages about what products work -- the hair vitamins and oils promising longer thicker hair, Propecia and Rogaine, the negative connotations about hair transplants.
But he says people are less willing to live with baldness these days. He says an increasing number of men, besides black males, are shunning baldness and want to grow their hair longer. And while the shaved-head look may suit Britney Spears, don’t expect many women to follow her lead.
“I think out of frustration people were choosing to shave their head,” he says. “Now these people are coming in and saying, it’s an androgynous look because nothing is framing their face. When you take 3 percent of men, it’s still a significant number who want to have their hair back and want a good treatment option.”
————
LASERCOMB TO THE RESCUE?
Lexington claims the LaserComb helps grow and regrow hair for men and even women, though the FDA cleared it only for men.
The company conducted a study and found that 93 percent of men (ages 30 to 60) had an increase in the number of thick hairs, with an average of 19 per square centimeter over a six month period. That’s significant, says Leavitt, whose chain also uses the LaserComb.
But Fraser Clarke, CEO for Hair Club, isn’t so sure.
Like Rogaine and Propecia, the LaserComb is intended for lifetime use, and studies have shown that people only stick with hair loss products for eight months -- even if they are working. Clarke, who is considering selling the product, says LaserComb, along with Propecia and Rogaine, work better for early stages of hair loss. Most people who are losing their hair don’t seek treatment in the beginning.
“On average an individual will recognize they are losing their hair and wait seven years before they act on that hair loss,” he says. “The more hair you lose, the more you recognize it, the more concerned you get, the more likely you are going to act on it.”
———
GROWING HAIR
The LaserComb is not intended to replace Rogaine, Propecia or hair transplants, says Leavitt, whose company uses all three.
“If someone wants to create thick hair in a bald spot, a hair transplant is still going to be the most efficacious -- or a hair piece,” he says.
“We’re not trying to say this is the only option. We’re saying this is a brand-new option for someone who hasn’t been willing to try another treatment for their hair loss.”
Clarke remains skeptical about how much the LaserComb will help. He says 75 percent of people who are losing their hair and want treatment are in the moderate to severe range. His prediction: people will try Rogaine, then Propecia, then the laser comb, then call Hair Club for hair transplants or a hair replacement system.
“People who try a laser comb now, in five years they are going to end up getting a hair transplant because they are more willing to act on their hair loss,” says Clarke. “So this is creating a future market for Hair Club, and that’s very positive.”
———
Find it Online: www.hairmax.com
———
asap reporter Megan Scott has thick hair and wishes some of it would fall out. | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
