Always at the forefront of the cosmetic industry, Shiseido may have out done themselves in the innovation stakes. The Japanese based brand who previously created and launched Japan’s first ever toothpaste, claim to have found a cure for thinning hair. Founded by chief pharmacist Arinobu Fukuhara, whose motivation for the brand came from his displeasure with the medicine available on the market, it is no surprise that Shiseido, whose ethos is ‘to create new things’ have discovered this innovative product.
The Background
The Tokyo-based company has worked on hair research since it was formed in 1872, producing a number of tonics and oils, using its origin in pharmacology as an advantage. A promoter of scalp and hair biology research, the brand have been at the forefront of genetic and cellular level research for many years, establishing an area of expertise in the field.
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Planning to be made commercially available by 2018, the company’s new RepliCel Hair-01 has been developed over 10 years of scientific research and uses “autologous cell transplantation technology” to combat both male and female pattern hair loss and promote healthy regrowth.
“We have a long history of conducting comprehensive research and working towards commercialisation of the regenerative medicine for hair.” – Shiseido
About The RepliCel Process
Testosterone byproduct, (DHT) is found in the bloodstream of both men and women. In those with a genetic predisposition to hereditary hair loss, DHT attacks hair located around the top of the scalp by binding itself to the hair follicles. This on-going DHT onslaught gradually weakens the targeted follicles causing thinning hair and potential baldness.
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Shiseido’s technique revolves around re-activating the existing hair follicles rather than targeting new ones. In order to do this, hairs are extracted from the scalp at root level – making it less invasive than a hair transplant – and specific cell populations are isolated from the person’s own healthy hair follicles. These cells are then replicated into the millions and injected back into affected areas of the scalp.
What have they found?
During the 10-year-long research programme, Shiseido have found that when injected into the scalp, the RCH-01 hair generation technology can potentially stimulate residing hair follicles and promote new healthy hair growth and prevent thinning hair. This ground-breaking claim has been approved on the back of extensive research and clinical trials, which also confirmed safe application in humans.
How have they found it?
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The treatment has been created by scientists at The Kobe Biomedical Innovation Cluster, a biomedical research centre located in Port Island. Designated by the Japanese government to promote development in advanced medicine, the research company aim to achieve a competitive advantage in the international market. The centre comes on the back of Shiseido’s acquisition of the exclusive geographical licence to use RepliCel’s RCH-01 regeneration technology across Asia.
But if you can’t wait for this ground-breaking treatment, don’t worry as Shiseido have plenty of innovative products…
