The Patent Race to Cure Hair Loss

Copperpod
7 days ago
8 min read

Who is Leading The (Patent) Fight against Hair Loss?

Hair loss is a typical issue that both men and women experience. Androgenetic alopecia is the most common aetiology, however there are other reasons for hair loss, including trauma, certain dermatological conditions, and systemic illnesses. Given how important appearance is in both the workplace and interpersonal interactions, losing one's hair can have a significant negative impact on one's self-esteem and emotional health. Therefore, it is obvious that methods to treat hair loss are frequently sought for. The popularity of hair transplant surgery is growing, and the results we can now get are pretty amazing, giving a natural appearance when the process is done effectively. Nevertheless, hair transplant surgery is not without flaws. It is imprecise as there are still difficulties that the hair transplant surgeon must overcome in order to attain the best outcomes. A few of these difficulties include the scarcity of donor hair, the survival of hair, and strategies for hiding any signs that surgery was performed.

Hair often experiences a predictable growth cycle. The hair develops throughout the anagen period, which can span two to six years or more. The hair rests for roughly three months during the telogen period. The hair falls out and is replaced by new hair at the conclusion of the telogen period.

Men typically lose hair on top of their heads as they get older, leaving a horseshoe-shaped ring of hair at the sides. Male-pattern baldness is the term for this type of hair loss. The concept that males take after their mother's father is a myth. It is also driven by the male hormone testosterone, which is inherited from both parents. The hair loss is distinct in female-pattern baldness; it thins throughout the top of the head, leaving the hair in front intact.

A variety of illnesses can make hair fall out. Alopecia areata is an autoimmune disorder that causes hair loss on the scalp and other regions of the body. Additional medical issues that may result in excessive hair loss are:

• Medications such as antidepressants, retinoids, NSAIDs, blood thinners, birth control pills and other hormonal treatments, high blood pressure medications, chemotherapy, and radiation

• Severe infections

• Major surgery

• Overactive or underactive thyroid

• Other hormonal problems

• Severe stress

• Autoimmune diseases, such as lupus

• Fungal infections of the scalp

• Pregnancy and childbirth

• Exposure to chemicals such as thallium, boron and arsenic

• Iron-deficiency or anemia

• Accident

Hair loss can also result from some hair care habits, such as wearing tight weaves or ponytails or frequently bleaching or perming the hair. Some people pluck their hair out compulsively and suffer from a disorder called Trichotillomania.

Also, when a medicine is the cause of hair loss, quitting the medication typically stops future hair loss and causes the hair to gradually regrow. After most illnesses, radiation treatment, or chemotherapy, hair usually regrows. Up until the hair regrows, the hair loss can be concealed by wearing a wig or cap. A more long-lasting hair replacement option is hair transplantation.

Now here are some typical causes of early hair loss-

1. Genetics

Your genetics greatly influence whether or not you will experience extensive hairloss. If you start hairfall or noticing hair loss at a young age, it's possible that your parents or grandparents did the same. Genes are unchangeable.

Stress

Everyone occasionally experiences stress. Chronic stress's negative effects can include:

issues with sleep

anxiety

alteration in appetite

blood pressure is high.

Autoimmune disorder

Premature white hair might also be brought on by an autoimmune condition. The immune system of the body assaults its own cells during this time. The immune system can assault hair and result in pigment loss in alopecia and vitiligo

Thyroid condition

Hair loss may also result from hormonal changes brought on by thyroid issues, such as hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. At the base of a person’s neck lies a butterfly-shaped gland called the thyroid. It aids in maintaining various biological processes, including metabolism. The person’s thyroid's condition might also affect the quality of your hair and the fallout rate of the hair.

Smoking

Smoking and early thinning of the hair and hair loss are related. It is well knowledge that smoking cigarettes raises the risk of heart disease and lung cancer. However, the long-term effects can harm the hair in addition to the heart and lungs. Smoking narrows the blood vessels, reducing the blood supply to the hair follicles and resulting in hair loss. In addition, the toxins in cigarettes can harm your body's tissues, including your hair follicles, which results in early thinning of your hair.

B-12 vitamin deficiency

Hair fall can also be a sign of vitamin B-12 insufficiency. This vitamin is crucial to your body's functioning. It also helps with healthy hair development. It offers you energy and vitality.

When your body can't absorb enough of this vitamin, it leads to a condition known as pernicious anaemia, which is linked to a vitamin B-12 shortage. For healthy red blood cells, which deliver oxygen to all of the cells in your body, including hair cells, your body requires vitamin B-12. A shortage may weaken hair cells and induce hair fall.

Diagnosis of Hair Loss

The doctor will likely conduct a physical examination, inquire about the patient’s medical and family histories, and question the patient about their food and hair care regimen before establishing a diagnosis. Additionally, the patient might undergo examinations like - a blood test. This could assist in identifying medical issues that can result in hair loss. Some of the common tests are:

Pulling test - To count the hairs that fall out, your doctor carefully removes a few dozen of them. This aids in identifying the process's stage of shedding.

The scalp biopsy - To study the hair roots under a microscope, your doctor scrapes samples from the skin or from a few hairs pulled from the scalp. This can assist in determining whether hair loss is being caused by an infection.

Optical microscopy - Your doctor examines hairs that have been clipped at their bases using a specialized tool.

Typical Hair loss therapies

Male- and female-pattern baldness cause hair loss that does not regrow on its own, but there are drugs that can decrease hair loss and even stimulate hair growth. Both men and women can be treated with the topical medication minoxidil (Rogaine), which is sold without a prescription. Men can also get the medication finasteride (Propecia) with a prescription. Cortisone injections may also aid in the regrowth of hair loss due to specific conditions.

Other hair loss therapies include nutraceuticals, home-use low-level lights, hormonal replacement therapy for perimenopausal individuals, and injections of platelet-rich plasma (pills or liquids taken by mouth such as prenatal vitamins).

Hair Transplant is the best option that can bring the appearance of an individual to normalcy.

FUT (Follicular Unit Transplantation) and FUE are the two basic hair transplant procedures that are frequently employed (Follicular Unit Extraction). Both of these techniques work well to restore fuller, more natural-looking hair. Each individual follicular unit is removed from the scalp during a FUE hair transplant. The doctor can collect hair from the donor region with less obvious thinning of the area since the hair follicles are plucked in a random pattern. Hair is extracted via Follicular Unit Extraction (FUE) through minute circular incisions made on the scalp. Follicular unit transplantation, sometimes referred to as the "strip procedure," involves removing a long, thin piece of tissue from the scalp's rear. Then, using stereo-microscopic dissection, individual follicular units are separated from the strip. Following the removal of the follicles, the wound is stitched up, leaving only a single, extremely small linear scar.

The technique that best meets the patient’s demands will ultimately be the finest strategy for hair regrowth. Both FUE and FUT can offer patients a thicker head of hair and an improved hairline, but the FUE technique has certain distinct advantages.

Patients get fantastic results and a more defined hairline or fuller head of hair since only healthy follicular grafts are implanted because the hair follicles are harvested and examined. Even for patients who want short hairstyles, FUE scars are small and dispersed across your scalp, making them impossible to see without careful inspection. This is in contrast to FUT transplants, which remove strips from the scalp.

Patients can resume their regular activities in a few days after having FUE because there are no skin grafts or stitches involved.

Side effects of Hair Transplant

When done by a trained, experienced surgeon, hair transplants are generally safe. However, some negative effects can occur even with successful hair transplants.

Bleeding or infection

Making cuts or incisions in the skin is necessary for hair transplants. A surgeon makes a small incision on the scalp to insert the donor follicles after removing the donor follicles with an incision. There is a chance of infection or excessive bleeding with every incision.

Scars

Scarring could potentially occur in the transplant area as well as the donor area. Before deciding to have the operation, a person should discuss these risks with their surgeon.

In some circumstances, the area around the transplanted hair may develop raised pimples. The regrowth of hair may conceal these pimples.

Ache and swelling

Following the treatment, some people may feel pain as their skin recovers. In order to help patients with this, their surgeon could give them painkillers. As the skin heals, they could also experience some swelling in the head and face.

Patent Analysis

The fact that Japan is one of the biggest marketplaces for cosmetic and personal care goods is fostering the expansion of the Japanese haircare industry. Japanese customers are highly educated and smart when it comes to the chemical formulations of hair products. The revenue in the Hair Care segment in Japan amounts to US $6.90 billion in 2022. The market is expected to grow annually by 2.89% (CAGR 2022-2027) and is seeing a growing demand for natural components and organic formulations, which is motivating major manufacturers to release haircare products with natural/clean product labels. Due to the existence of numerous domestic and regional companies, the Chinese haircare market is competitive and fragmented. Emphasis is placed on new product developments, partnerships, acquisitions, and mergers as strategic techniques used by top businesses to increase consumer awareness of their brands. Europe and US too have a considerable market owing to be the hot economic zones.

The discussion about parabens and sulphates being safe or hazardous in the recent times has led to the decline in the count of patents. Sulphates strip the hair of all their natural oils, which can leave them feeling extremely dry. They might irritate the scalp as well and eventually might result in hair loss. Long-term use may also affect the lungs negatively. Additionally, it should be emphasized that since sulphates are made from petroleum, using them harms the environment. On the other hand, parabens, particularly in youngsters, can exacerbate dermatitis or trigger allergic responses. As an endocrine disruptor, they can alter the body's hormonal balance. They may potentially result in breast cancer. In fact, particularly in aggressive breast tumors, considerable paraben concentrations have been discovered. As the graph depicts, the numbers were significantly high during the mid-years and then declined gradually after customers began making a conscious decision regarding their hair care regime.

The global hair care market is segmented by product types like Shampoo, Conditioner, Hair Loss Treatment Products, Hair Colorants, Hair Styling Products, Perms and Relaxants. Loreal has the widest range of products and is one of the most popular brands amongst the masses owing to its affordability and quality. Other players are far behind Loreal which is evident from the number of patents to their credit.

Conclusion

Lack of nutrition, a sedentary lifestyle, rapid weight loss, hormonal changes, sleep deprivation, physical and mental stress, genetic, and incorrect drug use are just a few of the factors that contribute to hair loss. Although inherited patterns are difficult to change, the majority of the time, hair issues can be avoided by strengthening the hair, improving hair nutrition, and maintaining good hair and scalp care, addressing the underlying causes with appropriate therapy, hormonal balance, and lifestyle adjustments.