56 million of women and men in the US experience several levels of baldness and hair loss. Scientists are still trying to end the baldness and frustrations that are associated with it. Although there are treatments and procedures available, a new approach for overcoming hair loss issues is offered by researchers from UCLA’s Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research. They change the metabolic pathways of hair follicle stem cells hair loss. Later, the study was published in Nature Cell Biology.
The team of researchers from the University of Southern California in Los Angeles has succeeded to grow hairs from stem cells and stimulate it in adult mice. Then, they discover the key molecular events that are involved in hair regrowth. One step-by-step explanation of the hair regrowth process is evidenced in the new research which had been published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
The finding paves the way for the stimulation of hair growth in patients with male pattern baldness and alopecia. How follicles grow from the skin and how they produce hair by using organoids are examined by the research team. Organoids are clusters of stem cells that can organize themselves into organ-like structures.
I. What is Stem Cell Therapy for Hair Loss?
The process of isolating adult stem cells from abdominal fat and then introducing them back into the body is stem cell therapy for hair loss. They can do the best. The process begins with a “mini” liposuction procedure or removing a few ounces of fat from the patient. The stem cells were isolated by using the state-of-the-art Healeon Medical CENTRIcyte 1000 Sophisticated Centrifuge after the fat is removed.
The stem cells are then re-introduced to the body for more localized treatments after being isolated. The effective stem cell therapy is the cells that are derived from fat cells of adult patients. The stem cells are rich in mesenchymal stem cells and growth factors from the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) from the extraction process. There are the most advanced FDA stem cell devices for obtaining adult stem cells from patient fat cells.
II. Scientific Research
We should see a hair growth cycle that has three phases to understand how hair is lost:
• A growth phase or anagen.
• A regression phase or catagen, and
• A resting phase or telogen.
The duration of each phase varies depending on the location of the hair although all hair in your body undergo this cycle. For example, hair from other body parts usually has shorter anagen but longer telogen phase. Meanwhile, the hair that grows from your scalp will have 2 to 3 years of anagen, 2 to 3 weeks of catagen, and about 3 months of telogen.
Hair follicle stem cells or HFSC are skin cells that live in hair-producing sacs that are called hair follicles. Many factors affect their “quiescent “. Every time they fail to activate as needed, the rate of hair loss will exceed the rate of new hair growth. We lose the average 100 hairs of head every day. Then, unnecessary affects in the hair cycle cause thinning hair, hair loss, and other hair problems.
Hair follicle stem cells for hair loss are long-lived cells in hair follicles that produce hair throughout a person’s lifetime and they are present in the skin. They are “quiescent”, it means they are usually inactive or dormant. However, they immediately activate when new hair growth occurs or during a new hair cycle or anagen phase.
Then, many factors affect the hair follicle stem cells. Something that causes hair loss is they fail to turn on, in certain cases. In this study, it is found that hair follicle stem cell metabolism is different from other skin cells. The study was conducted by Lowry and Christofk of the Eli and Edythe Broad Center of Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Research at UCLA.
III. Does Stem Cell Therapy Work for Hair Loss?
The most stem cells hair loss therapies are based on the growth of new hair follicles in the laboratory. They often through techniques allow the existing follicles to be replicated. After the doctor takes a small skin sample from the scalp of the patient, the new follicles have been harvested, and implanted it back into the patient’s scalp, the new follicles are then able to grow the hair.
This is almost similar to the traditional hair transplant procedure that takes a number of hairs from the head donor that are not affected by the hair loss, then a small amount of the follicles are taken, and then replicated to meet the required quota. In the effective stem cell therapy, each small follicle is implanted carefully in the place where it is needed. Usually they are harvested in out a receding hairline due to hair loss or in thinning crown.
The clinically proven hair loss treatment can help to reduce the production of testosterone result that is called DHT. DHT is what causes hair loss. It can also inhibit hair growth.
IV. How are stem cells discovered?
According to http://www.miamihair.com, stem cells removed from love handles, flanks, or belly to overcome with hair loss.
V. How Long is The Procedure Performed?
For about 3-4 hours, you will be in the clinic.
The procedure consists of 3 stages, that are:
• Extraction (Extraction takes about 60 minutes).
• Scalp infiltration (Scalp infiltration takes 30 minutes).
Patients can relax comfortably when stem cells are separated by a clinical team.
VI. Is It Safe to Use Stem Cell Therapy with Other Hair Loss Treatments?
Yes. Stem cell hair regrowth may be used in conjunction with propecia oral medications and hair transplant surgery, low level laser therapy (LLLT), platelet-rich-plasma (PRP), and topical hair loss that is Propecia.
VII. Is there any downtime after the procedure?
The patient should ask their friends or family members to pick them up afterwards although the procedure is minimally invasive. Driving is prohibited due to mild oral sedation and local anesthesia is used. The next day, many patients can return to normal routine.
VIII. How much does a hair stem cell transplant cost?
According to the needs of each patient, cost of stem cell therapy for hair loss will varies. Contact the stem cell therapy providers for details and more information.
IX. How long will the results last?
Stem cell hair restoration for hair loss is still undergoing clinical research. Occasional re-treatment will keep the process run although it does not know how long the hair will continue to grow.
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Consult your doctor for various other advanced methods for surgical and non-surgical hair restoration and stem cells hair loss therapy for men and women that suffer from androgenetic alopecia.