Hairogenics "Hair Bank" Concept Infuriates Hair Loss Communities. .... 

Hairogenics impressed the news media just as fast as they infuriated numerous who are losing their hair.  On April 30, 2002, Hairogenics impressed news media such as CNN, CBS News and many others with the following headline:

"Until there is a safe, proven and attractive alternative to baldness, deposit and preserve your hair in the Hairogenics temperature-controlled and desiccated underground storage facility."

This entrepreneurial endeavor was conceived by CEO Mike Blaylock who was a former MicroSoft programmer. Prior to the Hairogenics venture, Mr. Blaylock designed software programs for salon owners. 

The whole idea is based on the assumption that one day scientists can cure baldness by simply extracting DNA sample from our own hair. In the interim, Hairogenics provides a "service" to everyone by offering to preserve hair sample in a controlled environment in Portland Oregon until such time when your hair sample is needed. 

According to Hairogenics, all hair samples are vacuum sealed in waterproof packages before they are buried underground in their storage facility. Hairogenics cited that the Oregon soil has been proven by archaeologists "as the best, natural preservative for human DNA material."

In return, Hairogenics charges $59.95 for the service with a life time money back guarantee.

While most HairSite readers can respect Mr. Blaylock's entrepreneurial endeavor, however wacky the venture may sound, most are furious that major news media would offer immediate coverage on Hairogenics and yet hardly any news on scientists who are conducting bona fide research to cure baldness. It is absurd that everyone has to go to "underground" websites on the internet to learn about the progress of genuine hair restoration research while major news network such as CNN and CBS News are so willing to offer air time to a story that has little scientific value.

Led by JTR, angry HairSiters stormed into CBS News bulletin board airing our frustration with news media's apparent ambivalence to hair research news. 

The following are just some of the comments from HairSiters at CBS News bulletin board, feel free to post your comments at:
http://cbs2.com/message/news/index_htm

Hair Cloning? Posted By: John  - 04:58PM April 30, 2002

Yesterday (April 29) CBS Channel 2 in Los Angeles ran a story about a bogus "hair cloning" company called "Hairogenics". The entrepreneur who founded this scam is charging balding people $49.95 to send him samples of their hair, which are put into plastic envelopes to be stored in an underground vault in Oregon, until a cure for baldness is found. On behalf of all your viewers who are really suffering from hair loss, this story was an absolute disgrace! It served only to publicize the company owner's "get-rich-quick" scheme, which has absolutely no basis in science. Indeed, the idea is a fraud and is basically just a simplistic way of playing on people's fears of baldness and hair loss. Scientists will tell you that the DNA in human hair is no different from the DNA which can be found in any other human tissue, including skin, bones, blood, and muscle. There is nothing in particular in a strand of hair that will allow scientists to somehow duplicate that hair and grow hair on a person's head later on. What really matters is inside the cells of the balding person. Strands of hair cut from a person's head are composed only of dead cells and keratin. It's sad that a story like this, about a blatant money-making scheme with absolutely no foundation in science, is getting attention and media coverage -- on CNN and in the San Francisco Chronicle, too -- while stories about scientists who are REALLY cloning or duplicating hair today are being ignored. For example, in the Netherlands, Dr. Coen Gho, a dermatologist, is perfecting a medical procedure he calls "hair multiplication", in which cells from healthy hair follicles at the back of the head are multiplied in a lab, and then injected back into the balding parts of his patients' heads. This process, unlike conventional hair transplants, has the potential to grow unlimited amounts of hair on the heads of balding people. Dr. Gho hopes to make this procedure available worldwide within 4 years. But, it's not being reported in the U.S. news media! Why? Here's a link on Dr. Gho and hair multiplication: http://www.hairsite2.com/library/article203.htm I hope you will give some attention to this TRULY exciting piece of news! And I hope that, in the future, you'll be more careful about reporting publicity stunts and money-making scams! John

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Eddie  - 05:59PM April 30, 2002

i could not believe my eyes when i seen CBS reporting on a scam,such as the one of send in in your hair and paying somebody to save it for you.why is it that you report on bogus stuff to help somebody running a scam to get rich.there is real things going on in the world, such as DR. GHO in the Netherlands and DR. Washenik in the U.S.A that are doing real things about hairloss.they should be getting media attention,but instead you report on a scam.try reporting on something that will help people instead of helping somebody run a scam.

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Randall  - 07:38PM April 30, 2002

Unreal. Leave it to the media to report on some huckster while REAL researchers with REAL results are ignored

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Kris  - 11:12AM May 01, 2002

It is quite surprising and very sad that CBS news would choose to give such attention to a company that is only freezing hair. Think about that, they are FREEZING HAIR, and you found it news-worthy. Try finding out the facts. There is a lot of exciting things happening out there in the world of "hair-cloning." The people that have posted before me have given you more links and leads than I could, pay attention. I know that I'll be switching back to FOX now. A little more elbow grease from your journalists would probably get you out of these messes. (Just a little friendly advice.)~K

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: david  - 09:30PM April 30, 2002

TO CBS NEWS If you look at the following work by various scientists around the world, you will know why your coverage of "Hairogenics" is insulting and humiliating to real scientists who are actually contributing something substantive for the cause. *BioAmide preliminary results on dermal papilla cloning far from encouraging.  http://www.hairsite2.com/library/article208.htm *Society for Investigative Dermatology May 2002 Conference Agenda.  http://www.hairsite2.com/library/article204.htm *Sumitomo Electric Industries develops new hair growth substances that directly forms hair growth tissues http://www.hairsite2.com/library/article198.htm *Presentations on Hair Follicle Stem Cells Research at the 3rd Intercontinental Hair Research Societies Meeting http://www.hairsite2.com/library/abst-160.htm *French scientists reproduced skin graft bearing hair follicles and reaffirmed the significance of stem cells in baldness treatment http://www.hairsite5.com/library/abst-155.htm *Progenitor skin cells for tissue engineering, perfecting skin graft with hair follicles and sebaceous glands http://www.hairsite5.com/library/abst-154.htm *First successful person-to-person hair transplantation using dermal sheath cells http://www.hairsite.com/library/abst-94.htm

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: ed - 07:25PM May 01, 2002

CBS-Con(as in convict) Brodcast Station. I can't believe that a major network is giving a conman air time for this SCAM! I wonder if CBS can be held liable for the monetary losses that people will eventually try to recoup when they are enlightened to the scam they fell prey to thanks to CBS! You should all be ashamed of yourselves and your unresponsible, and now foolish looking company

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Kuch  - 09:55PM April 30, 2002

This is the most blatant example of misinformed journalism I've ever witnessed. What a pathetic reporter! She's probably only good at taking it in the arse! There is no actual "hair cloning" being performed by this so-called business. If you want some good "hair" stories, try visiting the upcoming Society for Investigative Dermatology conference in LA May 15-18

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: kuch  - 10:00PM April 30, 2002

PATHETIC REPORTER!!!! If you're reading these, why not check out the upcoming Society for Investigative Dermatology conference in LA??? There you'll get some real info into hairloss research. Better yet, tell one of your collegues about it and then resign...I don't want to depend on idiots like you to relay news to me!!!

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Pat Collentine  - 03:25AM May 01, 2002

What a joke that story was. If you are going to do a story on hairloss why not make it something of relevence for those of us who suffer from the disease. There is plenty of research going on right now, Hair Multiplication, Gene Therapy, etc. that is going to be bringing us a cure within 5 years. It's no wonder that CBS and the other networks are starting to lose the ratings game when it comes to their respective news programs

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Optomistic  - 10:35PM April 30, 2002

This is unbelievable. I thought CBS would at least research more into the field of each of their stories. Instead of reporting medical breakthroughs for that can benefit people who are balding, CBS reports a scam that has no relevance to a cure for baldness. CBS is actually aiding this freelanced scam to rip people off. This is truly pathetic

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: STINGER - 11:24PM April 30, 2002

Until now, I had a shred of respect for CBS But that piece on HAIROGENICS was some shabby journalism. I felt insulted by the reporting of such an obvious scam, one that is aimed right at the fears of balding people. CBS, you should get your act together and find out what is really happening by way of curing baldness, for it will surely be all over the media soon enough

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: jasonn  - 03:39AM May 01, 2002

what an absolute disgrace your article on "Hairogenics".I for one have no faith in CBS'S journalistic integrity now.How can you be afforded any credibility in airing such an obvious rip off,that takes advantage of peoples fears ,i suggest you cover stories in the future that have more scientific and factual means ,such as hair multiplication

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: CD  - 06:22AM May 01, 2002

Hairogenics is the most blatent rip-off I've heard of in quite a while. CBS should be ashamed of not pointing out the lack of logic in such a strategy

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Steve - 09:01AM May 01, 2002

CBS, if you're reading thread. Your coverage of Hairogenics is the worst piece of news coverage I've seen from your channel in recent years!

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: tim - 10:39AM May 01, 2002

I think CBS should cover the Dr Gho "hair multiplication" procedure too. This is a real solution for people suffering from hair loss

Hairogenics is a GREAT IDEA Posted By: Trey - 04:55PM May 01, 2002

...for Mike Blaylock, that is. I'll keep this simple. The hair on the sides of your head will ALWAYS GROW. There is no need to store hair (or your money) in a vault in Oregon. At roughly $50 bucks per person (not including the yearly fees) if only $1,000 people fall for this thing, Mikey makes $50,000. And he's a fifth of the way there already, it sounds like. I'm ashamed that CBS (as well as CNN) stooped to promote this ridiculous company. The only thing that will be buried 14 feet "under a hair salon" is Mr. Blaylock if any of his customers have a prison record and get wise to what he's up to. Speaking of Prison, I hope Mr. Blaylock is aware of the penalty for con artistry in the United States. If he is not, he is soon to find out. Save your money, people and CBS, save your reporting skills for products that really DO work like.... well.... whenever something comes out that works, please let us balding guys know. So long, Trey

Re:Hairogenics is a GREAT IDEA Posted By: Scott - 10:25AM May 02, 2002

To pick up a story this fatuous off the AP wire and run it as "health news" shows that CBS has finally reached a low point in journalism. It's really an insult to all the people who are losing hair and assiduously follow every exciting scientific development in the field of hair restoration, tissue engineering and genetics. There really are some exciting breakthroughs happening in tissue engineering that might give any bald person back his/her hair, but they don't get reported. Is it lack of interest on the part of the networks? There's certainly no lack of interest among the 80 million or so people in America who suffer from some degree of hair loss

hairogenics Posted By: Pants  - 12:57PM May 01, 2002

Dude, this is some kinda joke? If it is I dont find it the least bit funny, although on behalf of the guy you just help rip people off THANKS, that’s another guy with all his hair who got rich of the suffering of others while offering nothing workable in return and leaving these people to continue to suffer, when I say suffer I mean that in the utter meaning of the word, something reporters at this place don’t seem to be able to grasp. I have the tiny-est inkling the guy who covered this *story* (and I use the term *story* loosely) has an extensive amount of hair and ignorance to boot, correct? If not this guy is either A) not the brightest light on the Christmas Tree, B) A chicken mc nugget short of a happy meal or C) on the pay role of the joker at the center of the scam, there I said it SCAM, either way my goat could write up a better story just by falling on my keyboard, let me know if you have a job vacancy come up, I’ll keep him on standby

hairogenics Posted By: marc tancredi  - 04:10AM May 01, 2002

I am totally disgusted that a news copmpany as yourselves have reported on a scam company as hairogenics who are taking advantage of desperate balding men and women. but yet do not report on a real cure that is only a few years for public release. DR GHO from the Netherlands has almost perfected his procedure ,grown hair on bald heads with cell therapy but yet you do not report it !!!!!!!!!!!! , wheres the logic in that, report total garbage that will never work and not report a procedure wich does work for every one and that cures baldness, I AM FURIOUS.!!!!!!!!!!!!. If you have the sense to look into it and get the first scoop then check hairsite.com and look into hair multiplication on DR GHO

Hairogenics? Get Real!! Posted By: anonymous - 10:33AM May 01, 2002

Shame on cbs for helping to promote hairogenics. Your credibility as a news broadcast company just took another blow. Why not do your homework and report on something that's real

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Eileen - 10:19PM April 30, 2002

It's a shame that a major media company would give free publicity to someone who is out to scam men, women, and even children who suffer from baldness. What a disgrace

Re:Hair Cloning? Posted By: Eileen - 10:25PM April 30, 2002

And one more thing . . . Look at the photos of the reporters at the top of this page: four men reporters and two female reporters. And all six of them with full heads of hair! Doesn't this station hire any bald reporters?

Feel free to post your comments in CBS News bulletin board at http://cbs2.com/message/news/index_htm

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