Dr. Gary Hitzig Responds To Dr. John Cole’s Recent Analysis of The Use of ACell MatriStem In Surgical Hair Restoration
December 17, 2010
Surgical hair restoration expert, Dr. John Cole, recently published a post on BaldTruthTalk.Com titled “ACell, a Current Review of Applications in Hair Transplant Surgery.” In his final summary, Dr. Cole writes:
1. There is evidence that ACell improves FUE healing and full thickness 4 mm punch graft healing in terms of skin color.
2. There is evidence that ACell can regenerate hair in FUE extraction sites, but more work is necessary to insure this is not an isolated anecdotal occurrence.
3. There is no evidence that ACell improves the growth of plucked hair.
4. There is no evidence that ACell makes the growth of transplanted hair more “Robust”.
5. There is no evidence that ACell improves strip scar appearance.
6. There is qualitative evidence that ACell improves the feel of a strip scar in some instances, but it is difficult to understand how Dr. Cooley arrived at this conclusion .
7. There is no evidence that ACell induces transected hairs to regrow, but it might.
8. There is no evidence that plucked hairs regrow in the donor area, but they might.
9. There is evidence that plucked hairs will grow finer and result is poorer coverage than transplanted hair.
10. There is no evidence to conclude that “autocloning” occurs.
This review has evoked several questions, concerns and criticisms about the use of ACell MatriStem in surgical hair restoration.
This week Spencer Kobren spoke with with Gary Hitzig, M.D. about his impressions concerning the recent questions and criticism expressed by CIT/FUE pioneer, Dr. John Cole.
Dr. Gary Hitzig Presents His Preliminary Findings Using ACell MatriStem For Hair Restoration
November 14, 2010
Since The Bald Truth first posted Spencer Kobren’s exclusive interviews with ACell MatriStem pioneers in hair restoration Gary Hitzig, M.D. and Jerry Cooley, M.D., the hair loss world has been buzzing with excitement. The number of emails being received by The Bald Truth, the IAHRS and The American Hair Loss Association have been overwhelming, illustrating just how hungry the world’s hair loss sufferers are for accurate information regarding this groundbreaking hair restoration technology.
As desperate as the hair loss community is to finally find a universally effective treatment for this devastating disease of the spirit, the hair loss industry recognizes this desperation and will likely find ways to exploit it. Our advice it to proceed with caution and realize that at this time, few physicians truly understand how to utilize ACell MatriStem in hair restoration correctly and that this process, even in the most capable hands, is still in its experimental stages.
Caveat Emptor “Let The Buyer Beware”
View Dr. Gary Hitzig’s Acell Matristem for Hair Restoration Presentation
Setting Hair Restoration Goals
May 7, 2009
Setting goals may be the most challenging aspect of planning hair restoration. Many of us can be emotionally devastated by our hair loss. We tend to want to fix what’s missing right now.
Until hair cloning, hair multiplication, gene therapy, or anything else becomes viable and affordable, we are left to work within the confines of our available donor supplies. And for the sake of our discussion, our references will be to scalp donor. Hair harvested from other regions of the body are methodology still in their infancy stages and because of the lack of consistent results (yields), we cannot and will not rely on it as a realistic or feasible donor source. Hopefully that will change in the near future.
Hair restoration is an all encompassing term and extends beyond the realm of surgery. First and foremost, patients have to decide if they will use the available medications approved by the FDA for treating MPB. Interestingly enough, the earlier an individual decides to begin treatment after formal diagnosis, the better overall results achieved including regrowth. These medications are Propecia (men only, finasteride 1mg daily), and Rogaine (minoxidil 3% & 5% strength). Why is this an important element in setting one’s goals? We know that MPB is a progressive disorder in its nature so without the effective use of hair loss medications, the loss will continue in its predestined course. [Read more]
Bad Economy Equals Strong Growth For Hair loss Biz
February 6, 2009
A South Florida non-surgical hair replacement salon is reporting a record number of calls from South Floridians heading back into the job market and needing a boost of self-esteem. It’s said that consumer spending is at an all time low, and according to The National Association of Insurance Commissioners many Americans are cutting back on everything including medical care, but The Business of Hair keeps growing stronger, giving a whole new meaning to “if you look good, you feel good.”
Jorge Estevez reports for local CBS News4 on this growing trend:
