Ground Report

In late 2016, news of a new cure for baldness began to filter through the tabloids and the online news portals. Just like every new breakthrough, this “cure” promised the world. But if you read between the lines it was a little less promising and a little more disappointing.

Ruxolitinib: Miracle Cure?

The drug in question is: Ruxolitinib. And the trials that showed so many promising results were conducted by the Colombia University Medical Center.  The trial was conducted on patients with a form of alopecia, which is a hair loss disease that is caused when the body’s immune system attacks hair follicles.

As many as 75% of participants reported a “significant” increase in hair regrowth, with some form of regrowth being noted in as many as 92% of participants. These were the reports widely covered back in late 2016. These were the reports that gave hope to men and women with alopecia. But not everything was as it seemed.

Firstly, the study group was very small. Not anywhere near the amount needed to get a real idea of the effectiveness of this drug. In fact, just 12 people were involved, a tiny amount for a research group and one that doesn’t give us any real indication of what this drug can do.

Secondly, and perhaps most importantly, the drug was not trialed on the more common androgenic alopecia, but on alopecia areata. This has typically been considered to be less damaging and easier to treat.

This drug is currently on the market and is coming more widespread, but already people are realizing that all the hype just doesn’t match the reality. In other words, hopes were raised by promising tabloid stories and then dashed by a cruel blow from reality.

There are Ways to Stop Baldness, Kinda

Let’s get one thing straight before we disrespect this new research completely. It is possible to limit hair loss and even to regrow hair. We have known about the positive effects of saw palmetto for years, and drugs like Minoxidil have also proved to be very beneficial.

However, there are catches. Lots of them. Many drugs only work on a small percentage of patients. Others only work to limit hair loss, as opposed to regrow it. If you’re a man with thinning hair, there are some solutions. If you’re a woman with bald batches, and if those are not caused by hormonal changes, then your options are a little more limited.

In both cases, hair transplants are effective. But when people talk about “cures” they are not talking about surgery. You can cure your crushing migraines with a lobotomy, but its hardly a treatment you’ll be jumping at. And while that is an extreme example, it serves the point. Surgery is never a valid cure, because it’s expensive, it’s risky, and it’s a big step to take in the name of vanity.

There isn’t much you can do if baldness is creeping in. There are certainly some things you can try, but don’t get your hopes up, because most just will not work. And as far as a “baldness cure goes”, no matter what recent research might suggest, we’re still a long way away form that.