I have covered the link between fat cells (adipocytes), adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and hair cells a number of times on this blog in the past. I summarize these at the bottom of this page. In this post, I discuss stromal vascular fraction (SVF) enhanced adipose transplantation for hair growth.
New SVF and Hair Growth Studies
Update: December 16, 2022 — A new study concludes that autologous stromal vascular fraction injection treatment of androgenic alopecia is effective.
Update: August 2021 — A South Korea study covered nine AGA patients who received one single transplantation of autologous SVF via injection. The results showed increased hair density and “keratin scores” after 6 months.
Update: December 2020 — A Turkish study on 20 patients concluded that SVF is an effective and safe treatment for AGA patients. The average patient saw an almost 25% increase in both hair count and hair thickness. Interestingly, the researchers also included dermapen wounding alongside the SVF treatment in order to boost regional blood supply. Make sure to read my post on microneedling for hair growth.
Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) Enhanced Adipose Transplantation
Stromal Vascular Fraction is an unprocessed mixture of many cells derived from fat tissue. It includes ADSCs, endothelial cells, immune cells (leukocytes, aka white blood cells), pericytes and stromal cells.
Some people often use the term adipose-derived stromal vascular fraction. However, the actual SVF only contains between 2-10% adipose-derived stem cells. The rest consists of endothelial cells, leukocytes (including T cells), pericytes and adipose-derived stromal cells (ASCs).
This week fat cells and hair were in the news yet again due a new study titled:
“Hair follicle growth by stromal vascular fraction-enhanced adipose transplantation in baldness.”
The principal author is Dr. David Perez-Meza from Mexico. Newspapers in the UK widely covered these findings, partly due to locally based hair transplant surgeon Dr. Edward Ball being involved.
It seems like this whole study is related to Kerastem’s Celution System technology (and Puregraft’s fat purification technology). A bit strange that both the UK newspaper stories (see further below) that covered this development do not even mention Kerastem.
The below before and after image is from a patient who underwent SVF treatment at Dr. Ball’s Maitland Clinic:
The doctors conducted a small study in which they removed fat from six people’s stomachs, added stem cells to the fat, and then moved the resulting concoction to the same people’s scalps. They supposedly got hair growth great results.
The procedure is described as “Stromal Vascular Fraction Enhanced Adipose Transplantation”. The regenerative action of SVF is largely attributed to its paracrine effect on neighboring cells via the secretion of various growth factors and cytokines. This includes adipose tissue-derived stromal cells.
Dr. Craig Ziering was also involved, and I have covered him on this blog several times in the past. I can’t think of many things that I would love more in life then less stomach fat and more scalp hair.
— Express article on moving fat cells from stomach to scalp.
— The Sun article on moving fat cells from beer belly to scalp.
Note that there was another small-scale nine patient study done on SVF enhanced adipose transplantation in 2016 with a favorable conclusion. Two of the authors in that one were Dr. Ken Washenik and Dr. Eric Daniels (the latter also co-authored this latest study).
Fat Cells and Scalp Hair Growth
- In 2014, I discussed a newly published paper by Dr. Fiona Watt and various others that found a positive correlation between hair growth, adipocytes (fat cells) and epidermal Wnt/β-catenin signaling. One of their findings (albeit on a small sample size) was that “regions of hair loss were correlated with reduced adipocyte layer thickness in the samples we examined“.
- Thereafter, in March 2015, I wrote about Dr. Valerie Horsley’s work related to fat cells and scalp hair.
- In April 2015, I wrote a post on adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) and hair growth.
- Also in April 2015, I wrote about Advanced Adipose-Derived Stem Cell Protein Extract (AAPE) and hair growth.
- In July 2015, I wrote a post on a new company named Kerastem that was working on using autologous fat graft enriched with adipose-derived regenerative cells (ADRCs) in the treatment of early male pattern hair loss. Kerastem has become much more renowned since then, and has been conducting clinical trials under the acronym STYLE. These trials are supposed to be complete in September 2017, and the renowned Dr. Ken Washenik is actively involved. I have discussed Kerastem in several other post since 2015.
- In my February 2017 brief items of interest post, I discussed the STRAAND clinical trials that will be completed in June 2018. These trials focus to on something called stromal vascular fraction (SVF), which is a type of adipose tissue, and platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
- And in October 2019, I discussed how there has been decades of research to show that balding men have thinner (fat depleted) and tighter scalps.
There are some significant differences between some of the above subject matters, but in the end, they all involve adipose tissue and hair growth.
A number of doctors around the world are now offering procedures where they inject adipose tissue into your scalp, often with the addition of growth factors and various stem cells. In most cases, these procedures are insufficiently tested and largely unproven.
I am skeptical about the potential of these treatments beyond making existing hair stronger and perhaps reversing very recent follicle miniaturization (in an absolute best case scenario). However, I remain open minded based on the assorted wide range of work from around the world related to fat cells and hair growth.