Stem Cell Hair Restoration

What is Stem Cell Hair Restoration?

Hair transplantation using stem cells is a new, innovative hair multiplication technique that can effectively grow hair using human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs). Stem cell therapy for hair loss works by activating existing stem cells on the scalp to grow hair. The stem cells are derived from the patient's own body fat cells. The process begins with extracting a few ounces of fat from the patient during a pain-free mini-liposuction procedure. The fat is taken from the lower abdomen or from the belly while under local anesthesia. Once the fat is removed, the stem cells are isolated using a precision instrument. Some physicians may use platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the procedure instead of stem cells from fat.

Once isolated, an intravenous mix of saline and stem cells is reintroduced to the body through micro-needling. The receptor area is prepared with the same instrument, and tiny holes are made in the area where new hair growth is desired. The stem cells from the donor area are then injected into the scalp. Because the wounds created during micro-needling are so small, stem cell hair restoration can be used to restore previously untreatable areas like the eyebrows, moustache, beard, scars and burn wounds.

Stem cell hair restoration procedures are performed on an outpatient basis, and the procedure itself takes about three hours. If the physician uses PRP instead of stem cells from fat, the procedure may take about an hour. Under sedation and local anesthesia, the procedure is relatively painless, with minimal downtime. Within five to seven days, the treatment area is fully healed and hair typically grows on its own after about nine months. Unlike other hair restoration methods, treatment with stem cells assure the donor area will retain virtually all of its hair growth and density. 

What is Hair Loss?

Hair is made up of a protein called keratin, which is produced in hair follicles in the outer layer of the skin. As follicles produce new hair cells, old cells are pushed out through the surface of the skin at the rate of about 6 inches per year. The hair we see is a string of dead keratin cells. The average adult has about 100,000 to 150,000 hairs and loses up to 100 of them each day. Finding a few stray hairs on a hairbrush is not always a cause for alarm, although some hair loss can be severe enough to cause partial or complete baldness.

At any one time, about over 85% of the hair on a person's scalp is growing. Each follicle has its own life cycle that is influenced by age, disease and a variety of other factors. As we age, the rate at which hair grows slows, causing the thickness, as well as the volume, to decrease. Hair loss can occur in men and women, and the most common types of hair loss that have had success with stem cell therapy include:

• Involutional alopecia: The hair follicles gradually go into a resting phase, and the remaining hairs become shorter and fewer in number, and sometimes become brittle. This is the most common type of hair loss.
• Androgenic alopecia: This condition is characterized by a receding hairline and gradual disappearance of hair from the crown and frontal scalp.
• Alopecia areata: Also referred to as patchy hair loss, this condition causes sudden hair loss in certain areas of the scalp. This condition may result in complete baldness, although hair typically returns after an extended period of time.

Men are more likely than women to lose their hair, but hair loss can affect anyone at any age. When hair loss begins suddenly, the cause can be due to illness, diet, medicine or a traumatic event. If hair loss is gradual, a person may have hereditary hair loss. Certain hair care products also can cause noticeable hair loss.

Request more information about stem cell hair restoration today. Call (408) 946-9453 or contact us online.

Author

Gul A. Zikria, MD, FACOG As an expert in preventive care, innovative treatment solutions, and laparoscopic surgery, board-certified OB/GYN Gul A. Zikria, MD, FACOG, is a trusted practitioner who’s been in private practice since 1985. Dr. Zikria earned his doctor of medicine from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark. He went on to complete a competitive surgical residency program at Georgetown University in Washington. Dr. Zikria then went through a comprehensive obstetrics and gynecology residency program through the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center at the Magee-Women’s Hospital. He welcomes new and existing patients to his practice in Milpitas, California.