Stem Cell for Hair Loss in India

Affordable, Legal, Safe hair loss treatment

Is your receding hairline worrying you? Is your loved one suffering from hair loss due to the side effects of extensive treatments like chemotherapy? Stem Cell Therapy for hair loss in India can re-grow your hairs without any side effects.

Stem Cells as Hair Loss Therapy in India: Expert Talk

We at Medical Tourism Corporation bring to you a solution to your lost hair. Our partner hospital has brought the cutting edge technology of stem cell science to India.

It is estimated that around 147 million people have or they will develop alopecia areata at some point in their lives.^[1]National Alopecia Areata Foundation What Is Alopecia Areata? …Approximately 6.8 million people in the United States and 147 million worldwide have or will develop alopecia areata at some point in their lives…” View in Article

Cost of Stem Cell Treatment for Hair Loss in India

You may be wondering about the cost of stem cell therapy for hair loss? The hair loss treatment in India ranges between $1,600 to $ 20, 000*. However, this cost can stretch to 30,000 in the USA.

Therefore, in India, you end up saving nearly 50% of your hard-earned cash while you can enjoy a vacation in this tropical country.

*Disclaimer: Exact cost of the treatment can be known only after a medical examination.

What is Hair Loss?

Our body commonly sheds old hair and replaces them with the new ones. However, if the loss is much greater than the replacement, then it is called hair loss.

Reasons for hair loss

Common reasons for hair loss are aging, hereditary, due to side effects of an earlier treatment like chemotherapy, iron deficiency, etc.

Signs and Symptoms of Hair Loss

Hair loss can have varied patterns in different individuals.

• Gradual thinning of hair
• Circular patches on the scalp
• Full-body hair loss due to chemotherapy etc

Types of Hair Loss

Hair loss is classified into many types. Some of these are discussed below:

Androgenetic Alopecia

Androgenic Alopecia is said to be caused by genetic factors. It is of two types depending upon the gender and pattern of hair loss.

Male Pattern Baldness

Male pattern baldness affects nearly 30-50% of males as they reach 50 years of age; however, the pattern and severity vary with age and race^[3]NCBI Male Androgenetic Alopecia “Male androgenetic alopecia (MAA) is the most common form of hair loss in men, affecting 30-50% of men by age 50…” View in Article. The hair loss occurs in an orderly manner and is easily recognizable.
It can begin from the middle of the scalp (Typical Pattern) or the front side (Anterior Pattern).

Female Pattern Baldness

The androgenetic alopecia in women is called Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL) and is quite prominent in older women. However, the baldness begins in the early teens. The hair loss is usually present in the central, frontal, and parietal scalp regions.^[4]International Journal of Women’s Dermatology Female pattern hair loss: A clinical, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic review “FPHL is characterized as a nonscarring diffuse alopecia that evolves from the progressive miniaturization…” View in Article

How do Stem Cells Help in Hair Re-growth?

Stem cells maintain a healthy supply of hair follicles due to their regenerative properties. Due to this totipotent property, stem cells can help hair loss patients.

According to a study conducted on individuals with alopecia of all levels of severity, the adipose-derived stem cells were highly effective and promoted hair growth. ^[5]Journal of Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy Hair Regeneration Therapy: Application of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells “…Treatment using adipose-derived stem cell-conditioned medium is highly effective and may represent a new therapy for alopecia…” View in Article

To understand how stem cells promote hair re-growth, first, let’s see what a normal hair growth cycle looks like:

Anagen: The Growth Phase

The hair follicles first produce the hair shaft from tip to root in this phase. The longer the anagen phase, the longer the hair grows.

Catagen: The Transitional Phase

During this time, the hair follicles renew itself for new hair growth. The hair does not grow, and after some time, the follicle enters the Telogen phase.

Telogen: The Resting Phase

This phase is also known as the “shedding phase” as the old hair sheds off, and the hair follicle remains dormant. After around 3-4 months, the hair follicle resumes growth and enters the Anagen phase.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, it is reasonable to lose 50-100 strands of hair daily. However, if a person loses too much hair and the effects are long-lived, then you are suffering from hair loss.^[6]American Academy of Dermatology Do You Have Hair Loss or Hair Shedding? “It’s normal to shed between 50 and 100 hairs a day. When the body sheds significantly more hairs every day, a person has excessive hair shedding…” View in Article

Stem cell therapy for hair loss in India can help you regain your lost hair. The differentiation power of the stem cells helps in retaining the dormant hair follicles. This is how the stem cells help in hair regrowth.

The approach is promising due to the following reasons^[7]National Alopecia Areata Foundation Stem cell therapy and hair loss: Present evidence and future perspectives “…First, hair follicles are easily accessible…” View in Article:

• Hair follicles can be easily accessed and observed.
• As hair follicles and their cell can be easily cultured, adipose-derived stem cells have vast potential to treat hair loss.

Treatment for Hair Loss

Hair Transplant

Sometimes doctors prefer hair transplant therapy where hairs from different parts (donor area) of the body are transplanted on the patient’s scalp (recipient area). Although, hair transplant therapy is considered minimally invasive, however, there are certain drawbacks associated with it.^[9]Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery Complications in Hair Transplantation “…The following are the general surgical complications that occur during hair transplantation: Anesthesia…Intraoperative complications…Postoperative complications:…” View in Article

• Infection
• Postoperative edema and pain
• Can pose risk in patients with cardiac compromise due to Tachycardia
• Itching and drying of donor and recipient site
• Possible scarring of the donor site

Over-the-Counter Drugs

There are various over-the-counter drugs available for hair loss. For example, Minoxidil, Finasteride, etc. However, certain drawbacks are associated with these drugs.

• It may take a few months to show if there is any effect of these drugs at all.  These drugs may not work at all and even if they do, the patient has to consume these medicines indefinitely for the desired benefit.^[8]Mayo Clinic Hair Loss “…It may take a few more months to tell whether the treatment is working for you. Possible side effects include scalp irritation and unwanted hair growth…” View in Article
• All these drugs have marked side effects on the patient’s health. For example, minoxidil may cause unwanted hair growth on the face and hands. Simultaneously, Finasteride can cause deleterious effects on pregnant women.^[8]Mayo Clinic Hair Loss “…Women who are or may be pregnant need to avoid touching crushed or broken tablets…” View in Article

PRP Therapy

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is considered to be an effective treatment for hair loss. It uses plasma from the patient’s blood to promote hair loss. Due to the autologous nature of the therapy, the risk of immune rejection is reduced negligibly.
^[10]International Journal of Women’s Dermatology Platelet-rich plasma for androgenetic alopecia: A review of the literature and proposed treatment protocol “…PRP is an autologous preparation of platelets in concentrated plasma …the risk of infection and immune rejection is minimized….” View in Article

With PRP therapy, the patient needs to undergo regular blood withdrawal. But stem cells are a better approach in this case. It is because stem cells need only a single sitting liposuction procedure and these can be multiplied any number of times to get the required dose.

PRP Therapy Vs Stem Cell for Hair Loss

PRP is the component of blood plasma with five times higher concentrations of platelets above the average values.
On the other hand, stem cells are the primitive cells obtained from embryos, umbilical cord, or adult tissue.^[11]Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma in regenerative medicines: A review on pros and cons of the technologies “…PRP is a component of blood that contains platelet …” View in Article
The following table highlights the differences between PRP and Stem Cells Therapy.

Precautions with Stem Cells

Stem cell therapy is a minimally invasive technique and does not involve any recovery time. You can even drive back after a stem cell session. One must take certain precautions during the treatment.

• Avoid heavy exercise for at least 24-48 hrs of the treatment, and do not lift any heavyweight.
• Minor scarring may be observed at the liposuction site, maintain hygiene.

References:

1. National Alopecia Areata: FAQ’s
2. National Center for Biotechnology Information: Androgenetic Alopecia
3. The National Center for Biotechnology Information: Male Androgenetic Alopecia
4. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology: Female pattern hair loss: A clinical, pathophysiologic, and therapeutic review
5. Journal of Current Stem Cell Research & Therapy: Hair Regeneration Therapy: Application of Adipose-Derived Stem Cells
6. American Academy of Dermatology: Do You Have Hair Loss or Hair Shedding?
7. National Alopecia Areata Foundation: Stem cell therapy and hair loss: Present evidence and future perspectives
8. Mayo Clinic: Hair Loss
9. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery: Complications in Hair Transplantation
10. International Journal of Women’s Dermatology: Platelet-rich plasma for androgenetic alopecia: A review of the literature and proposed treatment protocol
11. Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Pathology: Stem-cell therapy and platelet-rich plasma in regenerative medicines: A review on the pros and cons of the technologies