Keywords: Hair-fall, alopecia, current treatment, cell-based therapy, Laser therapy
By Vijayalakshmidevi, PhD
Hair-fall is the most common issue for most people irrespective of age, especially among middle-aged people. Have you ever wondered what causes hair fall? Will the latest scientific research help me to get my hair back? We shall discuss this precisely in this article.
The major causes of hair-fall are due to two major reasons; chemical and non-chemical related. The chemical-related hair fall was due to the side-effects of chemicals, or drug overdosage. The reason behind non-chemical related hair-fall was due to protein depletion in the body or after a major trauma such as high fever, surgery, starvation, illness, and due to unknown reasons (e.g. antithyroid drugs). Hair loss is medically termed alopecia. Identifying the reason behind alopecia is a challenging task.
The current research on hair loss disorder uses drug containing JAK inhibitors (a type of medication used to suppress the JAK family enzymes signaling in our body). The patients found noticeable hair regrowth after few months of application. The dosage amount must be regulated accordingly to reduce the side effects.
Cell-based therapy is also new therapy available for male and female pattern hair loss using dermal sheath cup (DSC) cells (skin cells taken from the patient’s scalp). These cells grown in lab conditions and injected on the patient’s scalp and their hair densities were observed after some period. Both men and women showed good improvements with minimal side effects.
Laser and light-based therapies are promising treatment options for patients with hair loss. Lasers emit wavelengths of light specific to the tissue, causes a stimulatory effect on the hair follicles with less damage to the surrounding tissues. The rise in the number of laser products in the form of comb or hair products approved by the FDA shows as a safe and effective method. These are some of the latest treatment options available in the market and the patients can choose the treatment after consulting dermatologists and get back their lost hair and look younger.
References
Amanda T. Wagner, Philip B. Graham, Virginia Braman, Vinita Uttamsingh, Jana Von Hehn, Colleen E. Hamilton, 2020, Publication Number 20190160068, Grant Number10561659 Publication KindB2
Rachel Fayne, Nelson Sanchez, Antonella Tosti, Light-Based Therapies in the Treatment of Hair Loss Hair and Scalp Treatments pp 47-63.