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View Full Version : "Cell therapy' hair products that claim to actually thicken the hair.



Thumper
December 2nd, 2014, 05:11 PM
Hair science peeps! Please chime in!
I wasn't sure if I should ask this in the products section, but I think this is more of a 'hair' question because the product is claiming to thicken hair.
I don't want to sound naive, but honestly, this does sound interesting.
There is one article here http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2839631/Can-shampoo-really-longer-thicker-hair-just-THREE-months-Beauty-brand-say-boost-barnet-thanks-stem-cell-technology.html
(I don't know if this is a paid advertisement)
At any rate, the article seems to break down what the product is claiming.
Is any of this actually possible??

tigereye
December 2nd, 2014, 05:32 PM
The people that tried it did so for 3 months. The average person would grow 1.5 inches in that time (maybe a couple more if the growth rate was already high, or increased by the shampoo) and likely not be able to detect many changes in the hair in that time. In order to improve the look of the hair and cause hair to be less breakable in that period of time, it's doing something to the hair that's already grown - it can't do that in three months from affecting the anagen phase. Breakable hair is that way due to the hair already out of the head, and most often occurs at the ends. For regrowth - it's possible, if people were actually keeping an eye out for new baby hairs.
If I could see the papers backing this up, I might have a look, but just now I'm calling BS. The timescale is all wrong to be scientifically justifiable, and it doesn't show whether the effect, if any, is long-term or temporary.

PS. It's british. There have been no new ingredients brought into cosmetics in the EU since last year, and close to none since 2009. Because of the way the laws work, this cannot be a new ingredient, meaning this stuff has been sitting around for years in products before anyone decided to make money out of it in haircare.

spidermom
December 2nd, 2014, 06:47 PM
There's something around here called "ovation cell therapy" that is heavily advertised to give you "longer, stronger hair". I was tempted, but when I did an Internet search, I found out there's nothing really special about it other than its high price and heavy marketing campaign.

kganihanova
December 2nd, 2014, 06:53 PM
I doubt it works....I don't believe any of these things normally.

meteor
December 2nd, 2014, 07:14 PM
My position is that the burden of proof is still on the company. The study they provided wasn't independent, the sample size too small... I'm basically unconvinced, but I'm not totally discounting it either. Once we see some independent research into this "pea sprout extract", we can probably make a more balanced decision whether it's worth the cost.
I doubt it can really thicken hair but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a good antioxidant, but there are many others that can be beneficial on skin/scalp at a fraction of the cost.


There's something around here called "ovation cell therapy" that is heavily advertised to give you "longer, stronger hair". I was tempted, but when I did an Internet search, I found out there's nothing really special about it other than its high price and heavy marketing campaign.
This one is purely a strong protein treatment. The formula is practically identical to EQyss Megatek Pet Rebuilder, which is a lot cheaper. The latter is definitely one of my favorite conditioners (not sure if it helped hair growth though), it's a strong protein treatment but doesn't feel dry at all.
Ingredients: Deionized Water, Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein, Peptoneized Mil Protein Hydroysate, Amino Acids, Mucopolyaccharides, Marine Protein PEG, Sea Kelp Algin, Methylparaben, Fragrance, and Propylparaben.
LHC thread on Megatek/Ovation: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15952

Thumper
December 3rd, 2014, 04:48 AM
This one is purely a strong protein treatment. The formula is practically identical to EQyss Megatek Pet Rebuilder, which is a lot cheaper. The latter is definitely one of my favorite conditioners (not sure if it helped hair growth though), it's a strong protein treatment but doesn't feel dry at all.
Ingredients: Deionized Water, Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein, Peptoneized Mil Protein Hydroysate, Amino Acids, Mucopolyaccharides, Marine Protein PEG, Sea Kelp Algin, Methylparaben, Fragrance, and Propylparaben.
LHC thread on Megatek/Ovation: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=15952

Its interesting you mention this....years ago I had begun using the Mega and I found it worked really well...I even still have a small amount in my bottle. I think I will go back to it. My local tack shop carries this and I will go today! Thanks for the reminder ;)

lapushka
December 3rd, 2014, 04:55 AM
They have something similar, I think, in the Garnier Fructis line called GF Densify. I'm not sure if it's along the same principles as what you stated, but it is essentially to make hair thicker. I started a thread on this a while ago, I believe.

Thumper
December 3rd, 2014, 07:15 AM
They have something similar, I think, in the Garnier Fructis line called GF Densify. I'm not sure if it's along the same principles as what you stated, but it is essentially to make hair thicker. I started a thread on this a while ago, I believe.

Well this is interesting....I looked up some reviews on the GF Densify and folks are speaking positively about this!
I have some Tresemme conditioner that claimed to 'add volume' and all it does is add a big oogilie messs! I have puff ball hair when it's dry! It's just coating my hair shaft and adding static! I no longer use anything labeled 'add volume' as I find they all just coat. Does anyone know exactly what the GF Densify is doing? Is there a thread on that line?

Johannah
December 3rd, 2014, 07:23 AM
I don't believe these things to be honest.

Thumper
December 3rd, 2014, 07:25 AM
They have something similar, I think, in the Garnier Fructis line called GF Densify. I'm not sure if it's along the same principles as what you stated, but it is essentially to make hair thicker. I started a thread on this a while ago, I believe.

I can't seem to find this in Canada?? Is there something in the ingredients that may have not been approved here?

Madora
December 3rd, 2014, 07:27 AM
I don't believe these things to be honest.

I'm with you, Johannah! Pure snake oil. Anything to con someone into believing the impossible!

Anje
December 3rd, 2014, 08:48 AM
You know, if there were a product that actually increased the number of hair follicles, I'd be scared to use it.

Beborani
December 3rd, 2014, 08:56 AM
"Study" should not be based on user perception but on measurable data.

tigereye
December 3rd, 2014, 09:10 AM
"Study" should not be based on user perception but on measurable data.

This.

extra characters

furnival
December 3rd, 2014, 01:49 PM
This sounds like utter codswallop to me. Twenty volunteers is not a large enough sample to test a product, and if they were suffering from moderate hair loss, there are plenty of other factors that could influence this during the three-month trial. It's laughable that 'studies' like this can try to pass themselves off as science.

Also, the complete waffle that this guy comes out with: "These health promoting phytonutrients are also known to exert beneficial effects on human hair by inducing dermal papilla cells [at the root of your head] to initiate the growth of new hair."
Erm... The root of your head?! Would that be your neck? :p

If what this fellow is spouting was true and the magic pea extract induced more hairs to enter the anagen phase at the same time, wouldn't this suggest that when the telogen phase came around, more hairs would be involved at the same time, leading to worse shedding than usual? But of course, you couldn't possibly learn this with twenty volunteers and three months... ;)

DreadfulWoman
December 3rd, 2014, 02:48 PM
You know, if there were a product that actually increased the number of hair follicles, I'd be scared to use it.

Too true. The way I tend to get shampoo all down my back and in my face when I wash my hair... that would not be pretty. :laugh:

lapushka
December 3rd, 2014, 03:38 PM
L'oréal Elseve has something similar as well:
http://www.loreal-paris.fr/soin-du-cheveu/shampooing/elseve-fibralogy-shampooing.aspx

Thumper
December 4th, 2014, 04:31 AM
Well I picked up the MEGA tek last night plus a bottle of the avocado spray since that seems to be getting rave reviews on here as well. Although it looks like the main Megatek thread died last year? Too bad.