Photo. Yu Hwa-jeong, Chief Director of Modi Hair Plant Clinic
With the recent increase in the number of hair loss patients regardless of gender, quite a few people are also taking an interest in treatment. According to the National Health Insurance Service, the number of patients who received hair loss treatment in 2021 was 242,000, a 2.4-fold increase compared with 103,000 in 2001. As the hair loss population grows, research related to treatment is also becoming more active.
In the early stages, most patients mainly try changing shampoos, taking nutritional supplements, and scalp scaling care. If hair continues to fall out nonetheless, they choose methods such as visiting a clinic, drug treatment, lasers, and high-frequency treatment. If hair loss becomes increasingly severe despite such care, some consider a hair transplant.
Hair loss treatment methods other than medication can be seen as mostly limited in effect. Since long-term use of medication is often difficult, there is high interest in hair transplants, which redistribute hair through surgery. A hair transplant is a procedure with high satisfaction thanks to its good aesthetic effect, but because it involves moving and implanting one's own hair, it cannot increase the original number of one's hairs.
Among these, hair loss treatment using hair follicle stem cells can be described as a treatment method based on a different concept, which strengthens follicles weakened by hair loss and can increase the number of hairs. It is a treatment method in which hair follicle stem cells, which promote hair growth with their excellent regenerative capacity, are isolated and injected deep into the hair roots. When the injected stem cells are activated, they help regenerate scalp tissue, which helps increase hair density and make hair thicker. It is a method that supports follicle growth so that healthy new hair can be produced.
Methods such as stem cell treatment vary depending on how much of the active component is injected and where. As a point of caution, the collection and isolation methods and the effective count of stem cells must be carefully examined for the procedure to lead to satisfactory results.
In addition, before deciding on a procedure, carefully checking whether a systematic system and technical capability such as a stem cell research institute are in place can help enhance safety and satisfaction.
Source: Pharm News │ Published 2022.10.11