With men worldwide becoming increasingly distressed about their receding hairlines, it is encouraging to hear news that stem cell research may soon provide answers for some hair loss sufferers.
Stem cell regeneration has been very effective over the last 10 years or so at producing hair growth in mice, a fact that has been well documented and has caused more than its fair share of controversy. Despite this, Aderans Research Institute has launched Phase Two of its clinical study on cell-based regeneration of hair.
Obviously following on from the findings made during Phase One, Phase Two will continue to assess the effects of stem cell treatment on both male and female pattern hair loss. If a treatment is derived from these studies, it is likely that it will only be suitable for male pattern baldness, or androgenetic alopecia, and will not be suitable for hair loss sufferers with underlying conditions that may be affecting their loss of hair. There is further experimentation taking place which suggests that treatments may be available to enable hair to grow back, regardless of why it fell out in the first place, however there is currently no conclusive evidence to support this beyond mere speculation.
The treatment would involve drawing the blood of the patient, which is then separated. This process is called PRP or platelet rich plasma, which contains stem cells and growth factors. Those factors then are injected into the scalp in the affected area. This form of stem cell treatment, which would cost several thousand dollars, also uses a laser to agitate the skin so the stem cells can migrate into the hair follicles. The procedure can be uncomfortable, however it would just be a one hour treatment that would only need to be performed once.
This treatment procedure is still in the experimental stages, and is therefore not available to the general public. The results will be published in a study but in the meantime, if you’re losing your hair there are several other hair loss treatment options available.