Novel modalities for hair growth & skin repair

Background/Objectives: Evaluate the efficacy and long-term results of established and novel treatment modalities on skin repair and hair growth. Examine the deleterious effects of inflammation in aging and disease. We present a thorough literature review on the reported and actual statistical significance of laser and radiofrequency studies that is often contradictory, on both skin repair and hair growth. Some RF and laser studies postulate short-term improvement on skin repair, and substantial results on hair health, but without following up to control for adverse side effects, effects reversal or reoccurrence or certain skin disorders such as pigmentation which generally reoccur following laser or RF treatments. A main issue pertaining to such technologies is the results of inflammation. Laser and RF companies claim reduction of inflammation. Yet, a large body of research demonstrates significant inflammation increase after trauma-based procedures. A diligent evaluation of other methods and techniques is also conducted based on research and clinical studies presented, with inflammation being the centrepiece. Methods: In our randomized, double-blind longitudinal clinical research, we followed 22 clinical cases treated with a novel resonance anti-inflammatory technology for up to 4 years. Results: All subjects evidenced irreversible skin repair and hair growth. Results on hair were slower to appear and ranged from two weeks to one month before observing the full effect. The number of treatments required for substantial repair depended on the chronicity and severity of skin condition, and the extent of hair loss, rather than age. More chronic, difficult cases required more treatments irrespective of whether the subject was younger or older. These results on age-independent skin repair and hair growth advocated for the importance of anti-inflammatory techniques to counterbalance immune insufficiency, age-accumulated oxidative stress, and disrupted cellular communications. Conclusions: Focus should be shifted from the immediacy of results to the long-term effects of the results with respect to evaluating different treatment modalities on skin repair and hair growth. Inflammation is one of the main reasons for both aging and disease. In assessing the efficacy of a technology, it is important to diligently look for evidence pertinent to the absence of inconspicuous, or insidiously forming inflammation following the procedure, a perspective that most published and unpublished clinical studies fail to consider, since they do not test for inflammatory interleukins or levels of the C-reactive protein that would evidence the presence of inflammation.