The future of hair loss treatment is entering a new phase in terms of scientific development through stem cell therapy. It ranks on top of the list of future hair loss treatment methodologies.
Stem cell research is one of the most promising future hair loss treatment methodologies which has the huge potential to treat not only hair loss but a whole variety of conditions including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, terminal cancer, and spinal cord injury.
Theory
Stem cell research revolves around the study on how adult stem cells can be used to generate new and healthier hair follicles. Researchers believe that adult stem cells can self-renew and transform themselves into specialist cells wherein they can replicate new follicles when the existing follicles become damaged, dormant, or dead.
This research has established a possibility on how these adult stem cells can regenerate new hair growth for people suffering from pattern baldness and other types of hair thinning and hair loss problems.
Potential
According to hairlossexpert.co.uk, “Adult stem cells are different from other cells found in the body because they have the ability to self-renew.” That being said, the stem cell research, when successfully done, is capable of making adult stem cells which have the ability to divide and eventually transform themselves into specialized cells.
When these specialized stem cells are influenced into becoming hair follicle cells, they can produce healthier hairs, replacing the damaged, dormant, or dead hair follicles that are no longer capable of stimulating hair regrowth.
Function
Stem cell therapy is accomplished through chemical signals sent out by the human brain. When stem cells are located near the damaged, dormant, or dying cells, the stem cells are signaled to migrate to the base of the hair follicle and begin dividing. As these cells divide, they split into different cell types, some of them becoming a part of the hair follicle while others become part of the skin which surrounds the follicle. When the cell division and specialization is finished, a healthy hair follicle is produced.
Status
At present, researchers who are working on this study are able to transplant healthy stem cells on the skin of mice, but more experiments and tests are needed for it to be trialed on humans.
In addition, in-depth research is essential to understand other areas of stem cell research such as how the specialization would take place, how the adult stem cells would know when to migrate to the base of the hair follicle, when will the actual transformation transpire, and which cell types will change to make up the six important layers of a functioning healthy hair follicle.
It may take years and years to reach a definite conclusion regarding this hair loss treatment research. Nevertheless, this future hair loss treatment methodology may be our hope to end the increasing population of hair loss sufferers across the globe.
