Could A Scalp-Zapping Cap Help Reverse Male Balding? (newscientist.com) 30
"An electric patch makes hairless mice grow fur and may reverse balding in men when fitted inside a specially designed baseball cap," reports New Scientist:
At the moment, men who don't want to go bald can treat hair loss using minoxidil lotion, finasteride pills or hair transplant surgery. But minoxidil doesn't work for everyone, finasteride can reduce sex drive and fertility, and surgery is painful and expensive. Stimulating the scalp with electric pulses has also been shown to restore hair growth. However, it isn't a very practical treatment because it involves being hooked up to a machine or battery pack for several hours a day.
To overcome this hurdle, Xudong Wang at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his colleagues have developed a wireless patch that sticks to the scalp and generates electric pulses by harnessing energy from random body movements. The 1-millimetre-thick plastic patch contains layers of differently-charged materials that produce electricity when they come into contact and separate again -- a phenomenon known as the triboelectric effect. When the flexible patch was attached to the backs of rats, their movements caused it to bend and stretch, activating the triboelectric effect. The resulting electric pulses stimulated faster hair re-growth in shaved rats compared with minoxidil lotion and inert saline solution...
Wang also tested the patch on his father, who has been going bald for the past few years. "It helped him to grow a lot of new hairs after one month," Wang says. His team has now designed a baseball cap that encases the whole scalp in the triboelectric materials to stimulate hair growth, and is seeking approval to test it in men in a clinical trial... However, the hat will only work in men who are currently losing their hair or have recently become bald, because the skin loses its ability to generate new hair follicles after many years of baldness, Wang says.
To overcome this hurdle, Xudong Wang at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and his colleagues have developed a wireless patch that sticks to the scalp and generates electric pulses by harnessing energy from random body movements. The 1-millimetre-thick plastic patch contains layers of differently-charged materials that produce electricity when they come into contact and separate again -- a phenomenon known as the triboelectric effect. When the flexible patch was attached to the backs of rats, their movements caused it to bend and stretch, activating the triboelectric effect. The resulting electric pulses stimulated faster hair re-growth in shaved rats compared with minoxidil lotion and inert saline solution...
Wang also tested the patch on his father, who has been going bald for the past few years. "It helped him to grow a lot of new hairs after one month," Wang says. His team has now designed a baseball cap that encases the whole scalp in the triboelectric materials to stimulate hair growth, and is seeking approval to test it in men in a clinical trial... However, the hat will only work in men who are currently losing their hair or have recently become bald, because the skin loses its ability to generate new hair follicles after many years of baldness, Wang says.
But I wanted to look like Jean Luc Picard/Join BAD (Score:2)
If you're wondering, "BAD" is "Bald American Dudes" from Married with Children (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0642388/plotsummary?ref_=tt_ov_pl).
Is this a ball cap you'll have to wear for the rest of your life? If so, what's to differentiate you from the bald guys who wear a ball cap that don't electro-stimulate their scalps?
If so, my cap is going to be for the Yankees.
Re: (Score:3)
bald guys should just be bald. heck shaving off all scalp hair is one fashionable look so just go with it
Re:But I wanted to look like Jean Luc Picard/Join (Score:4, Informative)
Re: (Score:2)
I'm betting this "solution" won't help too many people.
Lack of hair also is big part of one's looks. Don't be a Trump.
Re: (Score:2)
Men dont get to make the decision about whether it is ok for men to be bald. Women make that decision and they are overwhelmingly against baldness. Most consider it highly unattractive and will reject for that reason alone. I've seen it happen.
Re: (Score:3)
No, you are listening to Rogaine marketers or some other ad campaign.
Look up surveys, most women think baldness is fine and manly, if the man takes care of his appearance. Not an obstacle to dating or marriage.
Now you might wonder if I have my hair. Yes I do, but my bald brother always attracted more women so I'm jealous. He was body builder though.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Pro-tip for the ladies: if you see a 20-30 year old guy wearing a baseball cap with the bill facing backwards, he’s likely trying to hide a bald spot.
Stimulating the scalp? (Score:2)
I have a faint memory of that stimulating the scalp has some effect on hair growth and that it was a bit of a controversy when Regain came along as other creams claimed effect that was real (although small) , but not due to the cream itself but the instruction to massage it into the scalp.
Secondary effect. (Score:2)
it was a bit of a controversy when Regain came along as other creams claimed effect that was real (although small) , but not due to the cream itself but the instruction to massage it into the scalp.
In the case of minoxidil, it happens that hair regrowth was initially a serendipitous secondary effect discovered in a drug that was being studied for the cardiovascular system [wikipedia.org]. i.e.: the thing was discovered to cause hair growrth long before manufacturer started putting it inside Regain and asking people to massage the scalp.
That doesn't say that massage can't help. Just that the substance is proven to cause hair growth even without the massage.
Relevant Wikipedia Article (Score:2)
mic drop
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Where can I buy one? (Score:2)
I really don't care what the rest of you think I SHOULD do. I'll buy one as soon as they are available.
Re: (Score:2)
I really don't care what the rest of you think I SHOULD do. I'll buy one as soon as they are available.
Men in my family have thinning hair as they age. It never goes away completely, but it gets thin enough to be a royal PITA. The slightest breeze sends it all over the place. Since my wife is going to be bitchy about me shaving it - which I would do otherwise - I'd love anything that might thicken it up. So I'd try it.
Re: (Score:2)
It sounds like your real problem is that you're henpecked. Stop living in her world, it's time she lived in yours.
Re: (Score:2)
It sounds like your real problem is that you're henpecked. Stop living in her world, it's time she lived in yours.
Oh hell - I have conditions that she follows as well. An example is I like her with red hair. So she colors it red. It's like we get along, and respect each other's wishes.
Perhaps that means she's peckerpecked? 8^)
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Someone will get rich (Score:4, Insightful)
Who knows if this will work. Probably not. But NOTHING is too ridiculous to sell to men worried about balding. So this will likely be a money-maker for someone!
At least the proceed carefully (Score:2)
His team {...} is seeking approval to test it in men in a clinical trial... However, the hat will only work in men who are currently losing their hair or have recently become bald
At least they are proceeding carefully as necessary: making clinical trials, putting the correct disclaimers.
They aren't sending the baseball cap prototype straight to the marketing departement.
It's stupid (Score:2)
They test on shaved rats, has nothing to do with hair-loss whatsoever.
Using that thing will make you a heavily bearded bald guy with an idiotic patch on his head, nothing else.
Re: (Score:2)
No, even TFA at New Scientist says that that wasn't the case:
It's another thing whether the results are applicable to humans... Oh, a test was made:
TFA also notes that this device is not expected to work in men who ha
Re: (Score:3)
If that were true I could sell a vaginal and anal pore clogging cream so women wouldn't have to wax anymore. Even if you are correct about the massaging, the premise seems unlikely.
Re:Deep Scalp Massages With Aloe (Score:4, Informative)
will make for awkward conversations (Score:2)
"phenomenon known as the triboelectric effect"
Fred: "Hey Stan, what are you up to?"
Stan: "I'm tribbing"
Alkaline nutrition is the best answer ... (Score:2)
... for stopping or at least slowing balding. It's know to reverse balding too.
But a large part is genetics too. There is a correlation between baldness and libido though, so who am I to complain. (I've been going bald ever since my 21st birthday) :-)
Magic magnets (Score:2)
This sounds vaguely familiar... (Score:2)
Oh yeah, of course. Idiocracy.
Vanity (Score:2)
My own hair is getting pretty thin. So what? It's what a lot of guys look like.
For those who feel insecure about their loss of hair, there are always people who are ready to take their money in exchange for _hope_ of a "cure." It's probably just more snake oil.
All too often, men who get treated for hair loss just look worse when it's over. I say just let it do what it's going to do! It's a natural part of aging.