(Photo : Stem cell research and hair transplants how far have we come?)

We all know that hair loss is a major problem, particularly for men around the world. While men who have enough hair left can have hair transplant procedures such as the FUT, FUE or DHI, done, this is not always possible.

It is always a smart move to consult with a hair loss specialist regardless of your situation because they may still be able to suggest something if you still have some hair. Only the specialist can tell assess what your situation is and what options are available. You can, for example, always contact a specialist at the Vera Clinic in Turkey to get evaluated.

In fact, men who are already very bald and have lost most of the hair found in the donor areas such as the back of the head may be out of luck when it comes to being able to have transplant surgery. This is a reason that scientists have been conducting experiments using stem cells. Some types of stem cells can be used to regenerate other types of cells and tissues in the body, so it is only natural that the idea came about to use stem cells to grow new hair follicles.

Stem cell research

There is often a lot of controversy regarding stem cell research because many people, including politicians, think that only human fetuses have stem cells and thus they argue that it is an unethical area of research. However, everybody has stem cells, not just fetuses, and it is a person's own stem cells that hold the potential to make new tissues. This is also partly why PRP therapy has been so successful, because the plasma actually contains many stem cells which trigger growth and repair of tissues.

Researchers have been able to grow some human hair follicles in the laboratory using stem cells. These same hairs were then transplanted into a mouse. Human testing cannot begin until animal testing is completed and many countries have rigorous processes in place when it comes to scientific investigations in humans.

This means that we can expect it to be some time yet before any human trials can take place using stem cells and hair transplants from follicles that are grown in the lab. The other problem which the scientists have noted is that it is more complicated than it seems since even though hair was transplanted into the mice, the outcome was not good and the hair was found to grow at odd angles. This could have been because it was a transplant between different species, but the reality is that hair transplantation is not as simple as it seem.

Stem cells may, however, be the last chance for people who have lost most of their hair. Scientists think that autologous hair transplants based on growing hair from a person's own stem cells may be something that becomes a reality in the future. At the moment, more studies need to be undertaken and the best advice is to seek treatment for hair loss before it reaches a point where nothing can be done.

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Stem Cell Research and Hair Transplants How Far Have We Come? - Science Times