Millions of men and women around the world experience some form of hair loss during their lives. The most common association with baldness is an old man, but in reality, baldness knows no age or gender. Some people attribute the loss of hair to genetics, while others blame age. The actual reasons may actually be a mix of both. The ageing process and excessive exposure to sunlight and chemicals can damage the hair follicles or cause them to die. That’s when you experience hair thinning or complete baldness.
With about 88 million people experiencing this issue, there are a few solutions to reverse a receding hairline. Hair transplants are a permanent but costly option. On the other hand, there are less expensive alternatives that have varying results. One over-the-counter treatment is a solution or foam that needs to be applied to the scalp, encouraging hair follicles to grow new hair. However, it takes about six months to start seeing positive results.
Then comes a potential solution in modern medicine, mainly stem cell therapy. Currently, this form of treatment is being used to bring life back to worn-out knees and treat blood-based diseases, cancers, and immune disorders. Amongst this, researchers are also turning to stem cell therapy to reverse hair loss. Let’s first understand what stem cells are – they are capable of making new cells that the body doesn’t usually produce on its own. The hope from stem cell therapy is that it would trigger the re-growth of cells in an area where they are either old or damaged.
Findings from a research conducted in California showed that life-like hair grew in mice who didn’t have hair due to genetic immunodeficiencies. This was done using human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or reprogrammed adult cells that act like those in the human body when it’s just developing. The research focused on cells inside the hair follicle that determine its growth, thickness and length. With a combination of different hair and skin cells, the research team was able to show hair growth in mice who were genetically programmed to be bald. While this advancement may seem like a light at the end of a tunnel for those suffering from severe hair loss or baldness, there is a significant amount of time before this research can be applied to humans.
The interest in stem cell therapy to treat baldness is high since it’s a less invasive procedure when compared to hair transplants, which are known to be painful and have some side effects. The area from where the hair is taken will not grow hair anymore, hence being exposed and vulnerable to scarring. On the other hand, stem cell treatments aren’t painful and cause minimal scars. Only a tiny needle is required for injection. Moreover, hair transplants require a healing time of about 7-10 days, while recovery from stem cell therapy is expected to be just 2-7 days.
While these results are promising, stem cell treatments for hair loss are still in their nascent stages. Nevertheless, it definitely provides a case in favour of stem cell preservation benefits.
