Hair follicles that have shrunk due to hair loss often cannot be restored simply through nutritional supply. Recently, a treatment that reactivates shrunken hair follicles using stem cells within the hair (Hair Follicle Stem Cells) was published in an international journal, showing new treatment possibilities.
Source: Garg AK, Garg S.
“Enzymatic Dissociation and Identification of Hair Follicle Stem Cells for Reversing Miniaturization in Androgenetic Alopecia.”
Hair Transplant Forum International. 2025;35(3):88–93.
Link: ishrs-htforum.org/content/35/3/88 · doi:10.33589/35.3.88
What is hair follicle stem cell therapy?
Hair follicle stem cell therapy is a regenerative treatment in which stem cells present within healthy hair follicles are isolated and injected into areas where hair loss has progressed.
While the purpose of conventional drug therapy is to slow the progression of hair loss,
hair follicle stem cell therapy
✔ aims to enhance the regenerative capacity of the hair follicle itself, and
✔ aims to improve thinned hair (Miniaturization).
A study published recently in Hair Transplant Forum International (2025) also introduced these possibilities.
Why are hair follicle stem cells important?
In androgenetic alopecia, over time the hair follicles gradually shrink and thick hairs change into thin, fuzzy hairs.
This is called hair follicle miniaturization (Miniaturization).
The problem is that once a hair follicle has shrunk, it is difficult to restore through simple nutritional supply alone.
For this reason, research using stem cells within the hair follicle to induce regeneration of shrunken hair follicles has been actively conducted recently.
What treatment was carried out in the international paper?
In the paper, healthy hair follicles obtained during the hair transplant process were used.
Using an enzyme (trypsin), hair follicle stem cells (HFDSC) were isolated from them, and then
they were injected directly into the areas where hair loss had progressed.
The study subjects were
- 20 in the treatment group
- 20 in the control group
and the study was conducted accordingly.
The isolated cells were used after analyzing whether stem cells were actually present, by confirming stem cell markers such as
CD200
CD34
CD44.
They were used after this analysis.
Study results
The results after 6 months were quite meaningful.
Increase in hair density
Approximately 19% increase
Increase in hair thickness
Approximately 20% increase
Cell survival rate
Approximately 96%
Photographic evaluation
Significant improvement was confirmed in all treatment groups.
Conversely, in the control group, hair loss progressed further over time.
How are stem cells isolated?
In this study, trypsin (Trypsin) was used.
However, in recent stem cell research,
methods using collagenase (Collagenase) are also widely used.
Each enzyme has advantages and disadvantages.
| Item | Trypsin | Collagenase |
|---|---|---|
| Reaction speed | Fast | Slow |
| Cell damage | Somewhat present | Low |
| Stem cell maintenance | Average | Excellent |
| Tissue separation | Simple | Precise |
Collagenase can separate hair follicle tissue more gently,
and is known to have advantages in terms of stem cell survival rate and function maintenance.
| Enzyme | Advantages | Disadvantages | Recommended use |
| Trypsin | Fast and inexpensive, simple cell separation | Cell surface damage | Harvesting cultured cells, monolayer cells |
| Collagenase | Excellent extracellular matrix degradation, high cell survival rate | Expensive, long processing time | Hair follicle dermis, stem cell separation |
What makes Modi Hair Plant Clinic's hair follicle stem cell therapy different?
At Modi Hair Plant Clinic, we focus on the regenerative capacity of hair follicles based on our hair transplant experience.
In particular, we apply hair transplant and hair follicle stem cell therapy together, carrying out treatment that considers both the engraftment environment of transplanted hair and the maintenance environment of existing hair simultaneously.
After sufficiently evaluating the patient's hair loss condition and scalp condition,
we establish an individualized treatment plan.
※ Treatment methods may vary depending on the patient's condition.
This may be helpful for the following people.
- Early androgenetic alopecia
- Cases where hair is gradually thinning
- Cases where you want to improve the engraftment environment after a hair transplant
- Cases where you are not satisfied with drug therapy alone
- Cases where you want to maintain existing hair as much as possible
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. Is hair follicle stem cell therapy possible without a hair transplant?
It depends on the patient's hair loss condition and the purpose of treatment. In some cases, standalone treatment may be possible, and in some cases better results can be expected when combined with a hair transplant.
Q. When do the effects start to appear?
There are individual differences, but generally, changes in hair thickness and density may appear over several months.
Q. Is the effect proven based on the study results alone?
This paper showed very encouraging results, but the researchers also explain that larger-scale, multicenter studies are needed. Therefore, at present it is important to apply it alongside existing treatments according to the patient's condition.
Conclusion
Hair follicle stem cell therapy is a new approach that researches the regeneration possibility of shrunken hair follicles, going beyond treatment that simply slows hair loss.
The international paper published in 2025 reported meaningful results of improvement in hair density and thickness, and it is expected that evidence will accumulate through more research in the future.
Because the degree of progression and the cause of hair loss all differ, it is important to choose a treatment method suited to yourself based on an accurate diagnosis. At Modi Hair Plant Clinic, we sufficiently analyze each individual's condition and propose a customized treatment plan including hair transplant and hair follicle stem cell therapy.
This content was written based on research published in an international journal and was posted after review by medical staff. The introduced study results do not guarantee a specific treatment effect, and treatment methods may vary depending on the patient's condition.