1. Does TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration cure hair loss permanently?
Since the term “permanently” can be interpreted as “lifetime” it’s more accurate to state the range of the years we have employed TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration. Treating a wide range of patients for the past 7 years, we have developed systems to categorize individual hair loss profiles to customize treatment plans. Hair growth cycle longevity and potential for stimulation varies and results therefore vary by individual. The time range of confirmed benefit is 2-5 years, and beyond. Strategies to sustain growth beyond this time frame is individualized based on hair loss profile, level of responsiveness to treatment and estimated longevity of hair growth cycles and other physical characteristics.
2. How is the TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration treatment performed?
TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration is a convenient, non-surgical procedure wherein a customized formulation consisting of: ACell’s extracellular matrix, platelet-rich plasma (PRP), vitamin D, and other customized ingredients such as anti-inflammatory medication, is injected into the scalp. Before the Trichostem® injections take place, platelet-rich plasma is prepared from the patient’s own blood, and topical anesthetic is placed on the scalp. After the hair treatment injections, are performed a scalp massage is performed. The entire preparation and procedure takes about 2 hours. The actual Trichostem® injections takes a few minutes.
3. Does the TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration treatment regrow hair naturally?
Yes, TrichoStem® allows the natural regrowth of hair. When injected, the TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration appears to trigger a natural wound-healing response which re-activates dormant hair follicles. Hair follicles that are producing thinner hairs prior to treatment, appear to shed and thicker hair grows in. The Trichostem® Hair Regeneration treatment wound healing response triggers your body to produce its own adult stem cells which appears to revitalize hair follicles and healthy hair growth. Trichostem® Hair Regeneration does not use drugs in the formulation to stimulate hair growth.
4. What are the benefits of TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration over other hair loss treatments?
TrichoStem® is a non-surgical treatment that appears to change the hair thinning-to-hair loss process by stimulating hair regrowth and inducing thinning hair grow to grow thicker. Most patients who have chosen TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration have been able to avoid having hair transplant altogether during the period of several years after treatment. Some people with more advanced hair loss have combined the treatment with their hair transplant. This combination approach has resulted in faster healing for transplanted hair, an increase in hair graft survival, improving the quality and longevity of native hairs, as well as thickening of thinning hairs. For many patients who have had previous hair transplants and continued to lose hair, TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration helped them thicken the hair they were losing so they were able to avoid a second hair transplant.
5. How effective is TrichoStem®?
TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration has helped improve the appearance of 99% of men and women suffering from pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia). A few male patients have not responded to treatment. Women as a whole have consistently seen benefit from treatment with few exceptions.
TrichoStem® has been used for conditions other than androgenetic alopecia.
6. Who can use TrichoStem®? Is there a minimum age requirement?
Any man or woman who is dealing with hair loss due to androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss caused by genetics), hormonal changes, strong medication, infection, or other diseases may inquire to see if TrichoStem® can help. Trichostem® is ideally applied to individuals in the early stages of pattern hair loss, which can be noticeable as early as in the 20s. Treatment is generally not performed on anyone under the age of 18 with some exception.
Male pattern hair loss follows a general Rule of Decades: for males in their 30s, 30% experience hair loss; in their 40s, 40%, and so on. Trichostem® Hair Regeneration can be applied at any age above 18, and works best when thinning hair is still present. Generally, women in their 40’s and older commonly come in with hair loss. Notably, younger women have been coming in with biopsy proven androgenetic alopecia.
7. I recently underwent hair transplant surgery. Do I need TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration now?
Hair transplants do not prevent further hair loss of native hair, so Trichostem Hair Regeneration can be used following a hair transplant to manage further hair loss and thicken existing thinning hair. TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration has also been shown to help speed up healing in post-operative hair transplant scars as well as improve graft viability and is therefore can be advantageous after hair transplant procedures. The ideal window for TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration treatment is at the same time as a hair transplant, or within the first 3 months after hair transplant.
8. Can TrichoStem® grow back hair that has been lost years ago? Can it reactivate dead hair follicles?
Hair that was lost years ago with the are being smooth for more than 3 years is unlikely to be salvageable. TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration work most effectively on hair follicles that are still active and present in the scalp. Some dormant hair follicles may also be reactivated as well. There have been times when there are better than expected results from TrichoStem® Hair Regeneration in people where areas of hair growth was not expected.
9. Can I regrow hair that has already fallen out?
This depends on whether hair follicles are either active or dormant and still present in the scalp. Some hair follicles are still active, but are very thin making them almost invisible – these can be treated with Trichostem® Hair Regeneration to be made thicker and healthier. However, once a hair follicle is no longer present and the area of scalp is smooth, it is unlikely to respond to treatment. We have been surprised in cases of some younger people where after treatment, hair did grow in an area that we thought was completely bald. This may be due to hair follicles being in a long dormant state rather than being completely gone.