The presently available treatments of hair loss mainly consists of the taking of hormonal drugs to prevent more hair loss, and hair transplanting methods, like Follicular unit Transplants, which in most cases can  restore the look of natural hair.

Hair cloning is a promising new advanced technique under development to counter hair loss. Huge amount of money going into millions of dollars were put into research on the subject. Most experts previously wrongly assumed that in the case of complete baldness, the follicles are absolutely absent from the scalp, thus no chance of regeneration. However, in recent years it was discovered that the follicles are not entirely absent, as there happens to be the existence of stem cells in the bald affected scalp from which the follicles naturally arise. Unnatural behavior of these follicles is said to be the result of progenitor cell deficiency in the affected areas.

The crux of the idea of hair cloning is that the healthy follicle cellscan be extracted from the patient from areas that are not suffering from hair loss, which can then be multiplied (cloned) by different culturing methods and the newly produced cells can be injected back into the bald scalp, where they would have a healthy effect leading to the and production of hair.

Kolkata is one of the largest cities of India having a very hot and humid climate during the summers which causes a lot of scalp infections which ultimately result in hair loss. Recent trends have also shown people as young as 25 years suffering from hair loss.

A sizeable number of youngsters have started opting for the transplant treatment in Kolkata. A large number of men and women alike have started to avail the unthinkable benefits of hair transplant in Kolkata. The is cost is also on the cheaper side and offers the best  value for money as the best possible results are given at a reasonable and cost-effective price.

A few years back, hair transplant treatments were usually done by foreign doctors making it reasonably expensive. But, as gradual advancements have been made in the field of science and technology on hair transplantation in India as well as all over the world, quite a number of clinics have started using the new technology; which, in turn, has substantially reduced the hair transplant procedure cost in Kolkata and India as a whole.

However, it is advised that a person go for online medical counselling before going for any procedure or doctor.

 Hair Cloning

Hair cloning is an upcoming and encouraging treatment for androgenetic alopecia, or rather common genetic hair loss that is being actively researched by physicians who are pioneers

In hair cloning, a sample of a person’s germinative hair follicle cells are cultured and multiplied outside the body (in vitro), and they are then re-implanted into the scalp hoping that they will grow into new hair follicles and subsequently into new permanent hair.

This field is fascinating not only because  of the fact that it is interesting, and there is rapid development in the  science of cloning hair, but, more because of the fact that hair cloning methods have the potential to serve as a treatment that effectively “cures” common hair loss.

The Model for Hair Cloning

Some scientists who have been researching on this subject have shown in their research paper that the dermal sheath cells, found in the lower part of the human follicle, can be isolated from a person and then injected into the skin of another to facilitate the formation of new hair. The implanted cells interact in situ to stimulate the creation of full terminal (i.e. normal) hair follicles.

 

Models for Cloning Hair

Hair cloning is actually positioned on the capability of the dermal papilla (DP) cells, which are found at the bottom of hair follicles, to inspire the formation of new hairs to form.

The DP cells (fibroblasts) can be grown and amplifiedin culture such that a small number can yield enough hair follicles to cover the unified bald scalp.

The Main Experimental Techniques

1. Implant Dermal Papillae Cells Alone

• Implant the DP cells into the dermis.
• Make the predominantskin cells (keratinocytes) remodel into hair follicles

2. Implant the Cloned Dermal Papillae Cells beside the Miniaturized Follicles

• The DP cells coax the keratinocytes of the diminished follicles to grow into terminal hairs
• The existing diminished follicles already have the proper structure and orientation to be able to produce a natural look

3. Implant Dermal Papillae Cells with Keratinocytes (“Proto-Hairs”)

 

• Keratinocytes and DP cells are grown together until there is partial hair formation
• The hairs that are grown in culture (“proto-hairs”) are then drafted in the skin

 

4. Implant Cells Using a Matrix

• DP cells in isolation or in combination with keratinocytes are positioned in a matrix of collagen or synthetic substances.
• The Matrix performs like a scaffold which provides as a support to help cells organize to form a follicle and growth direction.

 

Challenges

There are a quite a few challenges that still face us in cloning hair.

• Firstly, there happens to be a need to determine the most appropriate follicular components to be.
• Secondly, the extracted cells must be successfully cultured outside the body.
• Thirdly, a cell matrix might be needed to keep them properly aligned while they are growing.
• Finally, the cells must be strongly injected into the scalp of the recipient so that they will consistently induce the hair to grow.

A major technical challenge of cloning hair is that cells in culture begin to continuously differentiate as they multiply and turn to imitating fibroblasts and not hair.