Amniotic fluid, and amniotic tissue products, are rich in cellular signaling markers that stimulate tissue regeneration in the areas being treated. Amniotic fluid for hair loss is yet another example of how regenerative medicine is changing our lives and the future of healthcare.
(Fox News, 2016)
HOW DOES AMNIOTIC TISSUE WORK?
Amniotic tissue contains many beneficial cytokines. Cytokines are a type of cell signaling protein. There are many different types of cytokines, and when you come across the term cytokine in regenerative articles just remember it’s a cell signaling protein. Amniotic tissue cytokines consist of several very different groups of proteins, some of which are growth factor cytokines. Growth factors stimulate cellular activity and tissue growth, as the name suggests. These growth factors can stimulate a variety of connective tissues and cell types, just like the types of tissues found in the dermal and epidermal tissues of the scalp. Let’s look at three key growth factors responsible for success when using amniotic tissue for hair loss.
Epidermal Growth Factor, or EGF, is one of the major beneficial growth factors in amniotic fluid and tissue products and is responsible for cell growth and proliferation. This growth factor can essentially turn the hair follicle cells back on and kick them into a proliferation state where they are active and producing hair.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor, or VEGF, is a growth factor responsible for blood vessel formation and regeneration. You probably already know that blood flow plays a major role in hair growth and hair loss. Some medications originally developed for heart and cardiovascular conditions have side effects of increasing hair growth due to their capacity to dilate blood vessels. In this case VEGF is able to stimulate regeneration of the blood delivery system of the scalp.
Platelet Derived Growth Factor, or PDGF, is another growth factor responsible for blood vessel formation, or angiogenesis and stated above. There are many more cytokines present in amniotic membrane and tissue products that play a part in the positive outcomes being seen in amniotic tissue for hair loss treatments. The combination of all these cytokines results in a hair loss treatment unlike any other option on the market.
Some of the other benefits of amniotic tissue for hair loss treatments are that it is readily available when the physician and patient are both ready to proceed. Amniotic tissue is stored on site and we can begin treatments immediately without having to engage in any invasive procedures to collect stem cells from the patient. There are merits to all types of regenerative treatment and therapies, but in this case the simplicity, convenience, and availability of amniotic tissue for hair loss treatment seems to be the ideal treatment option for hair regrowth. Let’s look at some of the causes for hair loss.
CAUSES OF HAIR LOSS
Genetic:
There’s a chance you’re genetically predisposed to hair thinning, which means you may see a progressive, gradual reduction in hair volume. In these instances, certain hair follicles are sensitive to hormones – and this sensitivity causes follicles to gradually clog and shrink and produce ever finer and shorter hairs with each passing hair growth cycle. Eventually, the follicle clogs completely and hair is no longer produced.
Reactive:
This means your hair loss is the result of an external trigger. Excessive daily hair shedding (which is known as telogen effluvium) is not reliant on having a genetic predisposition, it occurs as the result of an internal imbalance or upset, such as a nutritional deficiency, severe stress, crash dieting or an illness.
Additional causes may include: aging, Hypothyroidism and Hyperthyroidism, iron deficiency, anemia,
Amniotic cells have the ability to assist the body into stimulating blood flow and tissue growth. They are attracted to the site of degeneration - dormant and degenerating follicles and signal cells to regenerate new, healthier cells, activating follicles to produce new hair growth.
PRP and Amniotic Fluid hair restoration treatments can be used to stimulate hair regrowth and restore thickness in conjunction with root cause treatments prescribed or recommended by the doctor. For hair loss that is more progressive and caused by aging or genetic predisposition Amniotic Tissue and PRP hair restoration alone is among the most effective treatment options available today.
