Hair loss is very common problem in both men and women. It usually occurs as we get older but in some cases it can start even before you can reach your mid twenties. There are a lot of hair loss treatment products available and are all very effective but most of them have severe side effects, some can even cause permanent damage.
Presently, there are studies being done to use stem cells to treat hair loss. Stem cells are the origin of all cells and have the ability regenerate themselves. There are two types of stem cells: embryonic stem cells and adult stem cells.
Embryonic stem cells are capable of to transform into different kinds of specialized cells like the skin, intestines, bone and many others.
Adult stem cells are responsible for cellular rejuvenation and repair. It can renew itself and repair any cell or organ where it is found.
Recently, scientist found adult stem cells on hair follicles but for some reason are at a dormant state. Scientist now, are looking for ways to “wake-up” these stem cells to repair the hair follicles for them to be able to produce terminal hair.
Androgenetic alopecia is the most common cause of hair loss in both men and women. For men this is commonly called “male pattern baldness” and for women, this is called “female pattern baldness. Both are caused by the hormone DHT or dihydrotestosterone. This is a genetic type of hair loss that can occur in any age. In adult, DHT causes the skin of the scalp to harden or thicken. This causes the blood vessels of the scalp to shrink, suffocating the hair follicles. In time, these hair follicles weaken and slowly the hair being produced becomes thinner, until only thin transparent hair called peach hair or fuzz hair are made.
There are still no studies done if DHT is causing the dormant state of the stem cells, but the fact that stem cells are found in the hair follicles show a very big promise for hair follicular rejuvenation and hair growth.