As a Part of Bio-Enhanced Hair Transplant Surgery

During the course of a hair transplant surgery, after your hair follicles have been removed from the donor area, they are placed in a special Petri dish that contains a liquid to keep your follicles hydrated and living. This “follicle bath” stores your hair follicles that await transplantation into the recipient area. The choice of what liquid to use to bathe and hydrate these follicles is a major determinant of the success of any hair transplant procedure as a whole. A recent ISHRS study revealed that nearly 100% of surgeons store follicles in normal saline (eg: saltwater) or a similar solution (eg: Lactated Ringer’s and Plasma-Lyte). While used by virtually every hair transplant center in the USA and around the world, normal saline and similar solutions lack the essential nutrients required for optimal follicle health.

We use a special follicle holding solution designed to optimize follicle viability and transplant success. This solution addresses the shortcomings of normal saline, Lactated Ringer’s, and Plasma-lyte solutions by providing a nutrient-rich environment that maintains the optimal pH and osmolarity, extending the survival time of follicles and enhancing overall transplant success.

1. Histidine: An amino acid that assists with cellular membrane stabilization, and is a powerful buffer to help stabilize pH levels in the cells of your hair follicles. It also reduces oxidative stress on your hair follicle cells by chelating metal ions.
2. Tryptophan: An amino acid that integrates into the cellular membranes of your hair follicle to stabilize them, prevents oxidative stress through free radical scavenging, and, like histidine, acts as a buffer to stabilize pH levels in the cells of your hair follicles.
3. Ketoglutarate: An organic keto acid, ketoglutarate supports ATP production and helps maintain energy levels of your hair follicle cells, and also acts as a buffer to help with pH levels, which are critical for cellular survival.

Our bio-enhanced hair follicle solution offers several advantages compared to normal saline, Lactated Ringer’s and Plasma-Lyte. These benefits stem from its composition and intended use in preserving tissues during transplant surgeries. Here are the key benefits:

Enhanced Cellular Preservation

Our follicle holding solution is specifically designed to preserve tissues and organs during transplantation, and is used in major organ surgeries, such as liver transplant surgery. The solution maintains cellular integrity by reducing metabolic activity and protecting cells from ischemic injury, which is critical when hair follicles are outside the body. Normal saline, on the other hand, provides basic hydration but lacks the protective components needed for optimal cell preservation.

Buffered pH Environment

The follicle holding solution used at our centers contains histidine, which acts as a buffer to maintain a stable pH environment. This is important because fluctuations in pH can damage cells and reduce the viability of hair follicles. Normal saline does not offer this buffering capacity, making hair follicles more susceptible to damage from pH changes during the procedure.

Reduction of Oxidative Stress

Our specialized follicle holding solution plays a vital role in minimizing oxidative stress, a key concern during any hair transplant procedure. During both FUE and FUT methods, follicles are temporarily deprived of oxygen as they are removed from their native blood supply. Upon reimplantation, the sudden reoxygenation can trigger oxidative stress in the follicle due to the release of free radicals, which can damage the follicles and decrease graft survival. Our advanced solution provides antioxidant protection, ensuring that follicles remain healthy and viable, leading to denser, more successful grafts and superior cosmetic results. Normal saline, by contrast, lacks the ability to protect against oxidative stress, making it a less effective option.

Inhibition of Intracellular Edema

Ingredients like mannitol and tryptophan that help to prevent intracellular edema, which can occur when cells swell due to water influx while in the follicle bath. This is particularly important in hair follicles, as swelling can compromise cellular structures and reduce the chances of successful transplantation. Normal saline can contribute to cellular edema as it lacks these protective agents. Excess cellular edema leads to cell death and non-viable hair follicles, which negatively affects the results of a hair transplant procedure, as many of the follicles perish during the procedure, leading to poor results and low follicle density.

Extended Viability Time

Our follicle holding solution is designed to extend the viability of hair follicles during transplantation, allowing for a longer window of time between hair follicle extraction and implantation. This is of particular benefit in larger cases of over 1,200 grafts, which is what the majority of patients need. Normal saline does not provide the same level of preservation, leading to decreased follicle survival in larger cases.

Minimization of Ischemic Injury

The formulation of our follicle holding solution is designed to minimize ischemic injury, which is a type of injury to the hair follicles that occurs when the follicles are deprived of blood supply. With every hair transplant, hair follicles are removed from their native blood supply, and so it’s critical to minimize the ischemic injury experienced by the transplanted follicles. By reducing metabolic demands and providing essential nutrients to the hair follicles being transplanted, our follicle holding solution helps protect the follicles during the critical period they are outside the body. Normal saline does not offer these protective features and leads to greater ischemic damage.

The follicle holding solutions that will be used during your hair transplant surgery offer significant benefits over normal saline, which is used at nearly 100% of other centers. It enhances cellular preservation, provides a buffered pH environment, reduces oxidative stress, prevents intracellular edema, extends viability time, and minimizes ischemic injury in your hair follicles during the hair transplant procedure. These advantages contribute to a higher survival rate of your transplanted hair follicles. This means a better outcome for you, with a maximal hair density after your procedure.

For an added bio-enhancement and to maximize the growth potential for each hair follicle transplanted, exosomes can be added to the follicle holding solution.

Adding exosomes to a follicle holding solution can significantly improve the survivability of hair follicles during a hair transplant procedure by enhancing cellular communication, promoting tissue repair, and reducing inflammation. Here’s how exosomes contribute to the increased viability of hair follicles that are being transplanted:

Enhanced Cellular Communication

Exosomes are extracellular vesicles that carry signaling molecules, including proteins, lipids, and RNA, which facilitate communication between cells. When added to a follicle holding solution, exosomes deliver these bioactive signals directly to the hair follicles, promoting cell-to-cell communication and helping to coordinate a more efficient repair and survival response.

Promotion of Tissue Repair

In hair transplant surgery, ensuring that each follicle’s new location heals properly is vital for successful hair growth. Exosomes, which are loaded with regenerative molecules and growth factors, boost the body’s natural healing process, helping each transplant site to recover quickly and fully. This enhanced healing supports the follicles as they take root, leading to better cosmetic outcomes.

Reduction of Inflamation

The transplantation process can trigger an inflammatory response, which might negatively impact the survival of the transplanted follicles. Exosomes have anti-inflammatory properties, helping to modulate the immune response and minimize inflammation around the hair follicles. This creates a more favorable environment for the follicles to survive and thrive post-transplant.

Increased Angiogenesis

“Angiogenesis” is the scientific term used to describe the formation of new blood vessels. Exosomes promote angiogenesis, which is critical for supplying oxygen and nutrients to the newly transplanted hair follicles. This enhanced blood supply improves the follicles’ survival rates by ensuring they receive the necessary nutrients, blood and oxygen to grow.

Protection Against Oxidative Stress

Throughout the hair transplant process, hair follicles face oxidative stress, which can impact their health and effectiveness. Exosomes are rich in antioxidant molecules that combat this stress, safeguarding the follicles and enhancing their chances of a successful transplant. Our follicle holding solution already includes agents to mitigate oxidative stress, but the addition of exosomes offers an extra layer of protection by actively supporting cellular processes and ensuring the follicles remain in optimal condition.

Support for Stem Cell Activity

Every hair follicle on the scalp has stem cells in them. These stem cells are what create new hairs with every hair cycle. Exosomes can activate and support resident stem cells within the hair follicles, promoting their differentiation and function. This is crucial for the regeneration and long-term growth of the transplanted follicles, leading to better overall outcomes.

By using bio-enhanced follicle solution, our surgeons at Anderson Center for Hair maximize your hair transplantation, ensuring the healthiest and most robust follicle growth in the recipient area. This innovation represents a significant step forward in the field of hair restoration surgery, promising better outcomes for our patients.