Is stem cell therapy for hair loss effective or not? (photo)

There is no stem cell therapy for hair loss. If the term is used, it is a misnomer or a publicity stunt / advertising gimmick.

There is no such thing as stem cell therapy to stop or correct hair loss of any kind.  I would question any doctor who is currently recommending that today.Dr John E Frank, MDNew York City

YES! I know it sounds too good to be true, but it is...your own plasma has factors in it that stimulate hair follicles to grow hair. It’s your own blood drawn from your arm (normal phlebotomy), spun to separate red blood cells (not needed) from plasma. The plasma is injected into your scalp. It takes 4-6 treatments , and it’s usually about 2 months in that the growth is noticeable. I was doubtful before I performed it, but a patient asked me to do it, and it worked. I have since treated others with results too. 

Adipose-Derived Stem Cells are those that are harvested from your fat. These stem cells secret potent stimulants, otherwise known as cytokines, which stimulate the growth of hair follicles. Scientific studies show that also stem cell transform into new hair follicle cells. In our opinion the best treatment would be using a combination of Adipose derived stem cells with PRP. 

There may be an underlying deficiency of some kind.  If you have already seen an internist, try again or visit a wellness physician who adds additional and more extensive tests on your blood and may even perform genetic testing.  There may not be one remedy but all in combination to assist in your hair regrowth.  It may take hours delving into your medical history, diet, medications, family history, environmental factors, etc. to determine the cause and multiple modalities in combination for treatment not just PRP or vitamins but everything together over at least a year's time.  Good luck and don't give up hope.  You may need monthly PRP treatments for example.

Rather than focus on the hair loss itself, you should consult first with your internal medicine specialist to determine if you have an underlying problem that is causing the hair loss.  Without correcting the thing causing the hair loss, the hair loss will continue and you will keep spending money and time on treatments that won't give you any satisfaction.  

Pubmed is the source for true science behind the marketing.  In a brief review, I can tell you the only things with strong evidence are minoxidil, finasteride, and hair transplants.  It is best to make sure you see a Dermatologist specializing in hair loss

If your hair loss is getting worse despite treatment, you should be sure that you have the correct diagnosis. There are dozens of reasons for a 26 year old female to have hair loss. If you haven't already, you might want to make an appointment with a dermatologist for a scalp biopsy. Most types of hair loss have different treatments, so make sure you know exactly what type of hair loss you have. 

A big percentage of hair loss, about 95%, is either male
pattern or female pattern hair loss. 30% of women under the age of 50 have
female pattern hair loss while 50% of women over the age of 50 experience it.
Female pattern hair loss is an area that is really not paid that much attention
to maybe because of the limited solutions available for this problem.



One of the things I would do for a person in your situation,
if it hasn't been done already, is several biopsy points of your scalp. We then
send the sample to our much respected university pathology department who is
familiar with hair to be sure that we have a correct diagnosis. Once the
diagnosis has been confirmed, then we would then proceed to options for
treatment. The most common diagnosis in hair loss is androgenetic alopecia
which is manifested with patients having thick hair progressing to thinner hair.



Our practice has developed a method of hair loss treatment
called Hair Regeneration which we use for male and female pattern hair loss, as
well as more complex situations like androgenic alopecia, alopecia areata,
systemic lupus erythematosus and other immune diagnosis. Hair Regeneration treatment is composed of
extracellular matrix designed originally for wound healing, which is derived
from pig bladder, combined with platelet-rich plasma taken from the patient’s
blood. When used in male pattern hair loss, there is about 99.9% success rate.
In female pattern hair loss, there’s around 70%-80% success rate ,while in
alopecia areata and lupus it helps about 50% of patients. Unfortunately, there are certain conditions that
cannot be treated with this stem cell-based therapy which includes the scarring
type of alopecia and conditions like lichen planopilaris.



The term stem cell therapy has been overused and abused. A lot
of people who offer this are basically offering a questionable treatment for
very desperate people. It’s very important that you do your research and understand
what it means to have stem cell therapy. There are stem cells derived from
plants that are being injected and other people are deriving stem cells after
doing liposuction. There is some legitimacy to that - there was a study where
placing fat under the scalp derived from liposuction actually helped hair
growth. I think it has to do with some relation to the stem cells and growth factors
that initiate hair growth, but that’s a discussion outside the scope of this
question.



I suggest that you get a right diagnosis then consider proper
treatment. Hair Regeneration is something that you can learn about and then decide
if this is something worth pursuing. Find a provider that can offer you that in
an area that may be convenient for you. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the
best of luck, and thank you for question.