Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Stromal Vascular Fraction for Hair Loss
November 2018
in “
Facial Plastic Surgery Clinics of North America
”
mesenchymal stem cells stromal vascular fraction adipose-derived stromal cells hair loss female pattern hair loss alopecia areata scleroderma-induced alopecia autologous adipose tissue hair density hair thickness human follicles terminal hairs regenerative effects hair regeneration MSCs SVF ADSCs fat injections
TLDR Adipose tissue shows promise for hair regrowth, but more research is needed to confirm best practices and effectiveness.
The document from 2018 reviews the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and stromal vascular fraction (SVF) for treating hair loss, highlighting adipose-derived stromal cells (ADSCs) as a promising source due to their accessibility. It references several studies, including one with 22 patients showing a mean increase in hair count, another with 21 patients reporting increased hair count after 3 months, and a retrospective study of 27 patients with female pattern hair loss showing increased hair density and thickness. A study with 9 patients suggested SVF with autologous adipose tissue is a safe and promising treatment, and case studies on alopecia areata and scleroderma-induced alopecia showed hair regrowth with fat injections. Additionally, a study with 23 patients treated with isolated stem cells from human follicles indicated improvement. The STYLE trial with 71 subjects showed an increase of 29 terminal hairs per square centimeter at 24 weeks. The authors conclude that adipose tissue has regenerative effects and potential for hair regeneration, but more research is needed to establish definitive protocols and effectiveness.
