Do Stem Cells Hold the Secret to Hair Regrowth?

Four years ago, The Belgravia Centre published news about a potential new stem cell treatment for hair loss. Japanese researchers claimed to have found a way to extract hair follicle stem cells from healthy mice, and then implant them into bald mice. The completely bald recipient mice used in the experiment experienced significant hair regrowth.

Since the initial announcement, there has not been much added to the story … until now.

Stem cells creating new hair follicles?

Building on similar research, an American company known as Follica claims to have developed a new technique that exploits stem cells to create entirely new follicles. Follica claim that these new hair follicles will then go on to grow new hair as normal.

Few details about the Follica process have been published, but the general principles are based around a 2006 experiment which discovered that when the skin of mice was cut, there was a small window of opportunity during the healing process where new hair follicles were created automatically. As healing continued, new hair growth started in places where the mice had previously been bald.

The Follica procedure is believed to involve stripping back layers of the patient’s scalp, creating the conditions required for stem cells to begin regeneration. A custom formula is then applied to the exposed scalp, helping to ensure the creation of new hair molecules.

According to Bernat Olle, one of the Follica scientists pre-clinical and clinical trials “confirm that we can consistently create new hair follicles in mice and in humans,”

Current day options for treating hair loss

Despite this encouraging news from Follica, the treatment itself has not yet attained any kind of formal approval, either from the MHRA in the UK or the FDA in the US. Many years of official clinical trials will most likely be required before any stem cell treatment is made publicly available.

For those who are worried about hair loss now, there are already clinically proven treatments available that will stabilise hair loss and regrow hair in most cases for those who want to act before it's too late.