Introduction
Stem cells develop into different cell types found in the body. These are unspecialized cells that are not able to perform specific functions in the body.
How does it work?
The Italian research performed the stem hair transplant. The treatment starts with a punch biopsy to take away the stem cells. The treatment is performed with a circular blade and the skin is removed with the cylindrical sample.
The stem cells are separated from the tissues in the centrifuge. Once it is done, the blood is injected back to the scalp where the person has lost hair.
The treatment is based on growing the new hair follicles by using the skin sample from the patient’s scalp. Currently, the treatment is not given to patients all over the world as the treatment is still in the investigational phase.
The treatment is performed as an outpatient procedure. The fat cells are removed from the hip or abdomen with the liposuction and the patient is given local anesthesia.
The procedure will remove the stem cells from the fat and after that, they can be injected onto the scalp where hair growth is very less. The entire procedure takes 3 hours to complete. The results of the treatment will vary with every case. To see the desired results, several treatments are needed.
Some of the research has shown that the treatment is very effective in treating different hair loss conditions which includes:
- Androgenetic alopecia (female pattern baldness)
- Male androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness)
- Cicatricial alopecia (hair follicles are destroyed and replaced with scar tissue)
Recovery timeline
In some cases, pain is expected but it will go away within weeks. The patient needs to avoid doing extensive exercise for one week. From where the fat is removed, the scar is left behind. After the surgery, the patient cannot drive on its own because of the effect of local anesthesia.
Side effects of Stem cell hair transplant
As the treatment is still in research, so whether the treatment leaves side effects or not is still not known. Like with any other treatment, the bleeding or infection at the site while taking the sample. In some cases, scarring is possible. But there is no such possible complication or side effect which you have to worry about. Just make sure that you choose the best hair surgeon who will give you an effective treatment plan for your hair loss condition.
Success rate
The current research has shown that the treatment leaves promising results. Still, the treatment is not approved by the FDA. The effectiveness of the treatment takes time.
