Hair loss
Hair loss, or alopecia, is one of the most common dermatological conditions worldwide. This disease affects both males and females with an obvious predilection towards men. In this article, we cover the use of stem cell technology in the treatment of hair loss in Florida.
Hair loss has several etiologies, which cause baldness in different areas of the head and have different pathophysiology.
By far, the most common type of hair loss is androgenetic alopecia (AA).
AA is the result of high dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the scalp, which is a direct metabolite of testosterone.
Other causes of alopecia involve pharmacological drugs, underlying medical ailments, and lifestyle habits.
For decades, researchers have struggled to find a definitive treatment for baldness, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved two pharmacological drugs to treat it.
In this article, we will take a look at common therapeutic approaches to alopecia, as well as the role of stem cell therapy for hair loss.
How to treat hair loss
There are a multitude of treatment options when it comes to hair loss, but before therapy is started, your physician must determine the type of hair loss you’re dealing with.
Once this step is over, he/she will offer you some options to choose from, including pharmacological drugs that act on androgens, such as Minoxidil and Finasteride.
These drugs take a long time to show any results, and in some cases, you would have to wait for over a year to notice any difference.
Another category of treatment includes hair transplant, which is an invasive, expensive, and painful procedure.
Other treatment options:
· Laser treatment
· Scalp massage
· Lifestyle modifications
Stem cell therapy and hair loss
Over the past few years, researchers have been trying to integrate stem cell therapy in the management of several chronic conditions.
Using the technology of stem cell exosomes, scientists managed to stimulate the dermal papilla of the scalp to induce the growth of new hair follicles.
Stem cell exosomes are usually extracted from mesenchymal stem cells, which can become any type of cells, including chondrocytes (cartilage cells), osteocytes (bone cells), and keratinocytes (skin cells).
These exosomes contain more than 200 signaling proteins that exert their action on a cellular level to promote hair growth.
The fantastic news is that patients who underwent one single therapy session using this technology reported witnessing considerable hair growth.
Moreover, this technique is not invasive and has little to no side effects, as opposed to other techniques that carry dangerous adverse effects.
Conclusion
Stem cell therapy is getting involved in more medical conditions, as scientists become more comfortable with this technology.
The ability of stem cells to differentiate to any type of tissue and induce regeneration of that organ is an absolutely fascinating property that allows us to potentially help manage symptoms for numerous medical conditions. In this article, we covered the use of stem cell technology in the treatment of hair loss, so if you want to learn more about this technique, contact us today for a free consultation!