Austin, Houston & Dallas, Texas
ACell + PRP Hair Regrowth Injection Therapy has shown to be an exciting new hair loss regrowth treatment for both men and women. Dr. McGrath has been a leading innovator in the application and demonstrates and discusses the procedure on MY FOX TV in Houston, TX.
Just over one year ago Austin Hair Transplant Surgeon Dr. Dan McGrath performed a live hair transplant on Fitness Icon Monica Brant on TheBaldTuth.com hosted by Spencer Kobren. Now a year latter Monica comes in for her follow up and to show off her results.
Below is a recap of the live broadcast of Monica’s procedure.
by Ilona Carson
HOUSTON (KTRK) — For people experiencing hair loss, there’s a new treatment on the market called stem cell therapy. It’s less invasive than hair transplant procedures, and could someday be the gold standard.
The idea that this procedure could spark new hair growth has breathed new life into the race to clone hair. And that may just be the beginning.
Arlene Johnson has been losing hair for years now, and she’s hoping to turn back the clock. (Continued below before and after pictures of ACell + PRP)
“It was taking me like 20, 30 minutes to comb my hair, and with products to make it look like I had more hair, and that is aggravating,” Johnson said.
Her weapon of choice? What could be the future of cosmetic treatments: stem cell therapy.
Hair loss specialist Dr. Daniel McGrath is hoping to jumpstart the stem cells in Johnson’s hair follicles.
“Typically with female patients they have female pattern hair loss — thinning they can’t do anything about — and it gives them thickening and regeneration of their hair, that’s huge,” Dr. McGrath said.
Here’s how it works: A small amount of the patient’s blood is taken, and the platelet-rich plasma is separated out. Then it’s mixed with a wound-healing powder called “a-cell”, and injected back into the scalp. Johnson’s head has been numbed, so she doesn’t feel a thing. Finally, the doctor using some massage and small needles to create tiny wounds, which will help trigger a healing response.
“The results we’ve seen thus far, not only in my practice but my colleagues I’m close with across the country, has been better than 80 percent re-growth of hair or regeneration of hair across the board with our patients,” Dr. McGrath said.
This sort of therapy is being tested for a host of cosmetic uses, from plumping lips, to firming sagging skin — even breast enhancement.
As for Johnson…
“I don’t want to look 60 or 50 or 40. I just want to look as good as I can for my age,” she said.
It costs about $3,500 for a treatment, but Johnson says it’ll be money well spent, if it works. We’ll check back in 6 months to see her results.
Patient CB – 37 year old female, was diagnosed with a brain tumor and required chemotherapy treatment. Although the treatment was successful she was left with significant permanent hair loss more than 4 years later.
She is an artist, musician/singer and was referred to Dr. McGrath by a friend. In her consult form she wrote in that she felt “ugly, ugly” Hate always wearing scarves and wigs. Her first transplant procedure was in April 2011. Her follow up photos were taken immediately post op and 8 months later.
Above is a 40 year old male patient with Class 3 hair loss, dark wavy hair with good to average density. Below view video of Dr. McGrath combing through the patient’s transplanted hair. 1 session, 2200 hair grafts, 1 year after surgery.
ACell + PRP Hair Regrowth Results
Male patient Class 4 Hair loss, before (L) and 4 months after (R) ACell Hair Regrowth Injection Therapy
Female patient with diffuse alopecia throughout the top of the scalp and 6 months after injection therapy. The patient’s hair has thickened significantly.
At McGrath Medical we have been reviewing the research and conferring with colleagues regarding ACell, a wound healing compound, combined with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). The combination treatment has shown hair regrowth in patients, often referred to hair cloning, because ACell replicates healthy tissue in wound healing. In early 2012 Dr. McGrath began treating select patients with a combination of ACell plus Platelet Rich Plasma. The results have been very encouraging and we are expanding treatment in combination with hair transplant surgery. Read more…
McGrath Medical hair transplant patient Richard Barlupi describes his hair transplant experience and pain from consultation to final results.
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) recently reviewed advertisements and other marketing materials directed at dermatologists, plastic surgeons, cosmetic surgeons, family practitioners, gynecologists, otolaryngologists, and other physicians encouraging them to incorporate hair restoration surgery into their practice via a proposed “turnkey” technology. The ISHRS is concerned that the marketing materials jeopardize patient safety and place physicians at risk.
The marketing materials offer to sell automated hair transplant devices which enables technicians to perform hair restoration surgery with minimal input from a physician.
Hair restoration surgery is a complex cosmetic procedure requiring attention to detail and proper long term treatment planning to ensure patient safety and achieve optimal results. While allowing non-physician personnel/technicians to perform hair restoration surgery may have economic benefits for a practice, doing so may jeopardize patient safety and create legal liability for physicians. In many if not all states, the harvesting of scalp tissue is considered surgery and/or the practice of medicine. In those jurisdictions, such action by non-physician personnel may constitute the unlicensed practice of medicine, potentially subjecting said personnel, the responsible physician(s), and the practice to civil and/or criminal liability. Furthermore, physicians utilizing non-physician personnel to perform procedures, who fail to notify their professional liability insurance carriers of the same, may jeopardize their coverage in the event of a claim.
If you are aware of similar marketing in your community, the ISHRS encourages that you report the activity to your state medical board. You may simply provide a copy of the subject marketing piece along with this Physician Practice Alert. Click to find contact information to assist you in this task. If you choose to state more information in your submission to your state medical board, you should consult with an attorney.
The issue is not the technology but the expertise of the individuals performing the surgery and the encouragement by device manufacturers for “turnkey” hair restoration solutions for physicians without proper training.
The ISHRS is a nonprofit corporation, exempt from federal income tax pursuant to Internal Revenue Code Section 501(c)(3). The ISHRS seeks to advance the art and science of hair restoration by licensed, experienced physicians; educate and increase the level of knowledge of physicians and their assistants regarding hair restoration techniques, procedures, and related issues; encourage and facilitate the free interchange of ideas, knowledge, and experience among physicians and assistants providing hair restoration; and encourage professional excellence and patient safety in connection with hair restoration surgery.
This patient, now age 25, was diagnosed with a very rare cancer called Pilomatrical Carcinosaroma in Dec. 2008. He underwent surgery several times that left scars on the left side of his head and face. His rehab consisted of several weeks of high dose radiation and chemotherapy that resulted in loss of hair on the left side and back of his head that would never grow back. He came to Dr. McGrath to replace the permanently damaged hair follicles and to cover the scars. Dr. McGrath performed a single session of 2541 grafts on him on July 25, 2011. After Results are from 8 months post-op.
This restoration procedure was performed Pro Bono as part of Operation Restore a program sponsored by the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons.
When the loss of hair occurs because of disease or trauma the factors associated with such a hair loss process may produce particularly profound effect. Recognizing that many of these people in the process of physical and emotional recovery may lack the resources for corrective hair restoration surgery, the ISHRS Pro Bono Foundation was formed.
This program matches prospective hair loss patients with volunteer ISHRS physicians to obtain hair restoration services to help restore the physical and emotional wellness of the individual. The foundation provides financial, travel, lodging, and medical assistance to eligible patients.
The following is a transcript of the video at the bottom of this page of Dr. McGrath discussing Histogen.
I’d like to talk about some very exciting news about the development of a new product out there that may well revolutionize hair restoration surgery or hair thinning and balding as we know it. This is a complex topic, but the name of the compound is called HSC. Maybe some of you have heard about it, maybe not, but if this is new to you, HSC stands for Hair Stimulating Complex and what it is basically is a combined mixture. It’s a liquid composition that’s meant for injectable, direct injectable use into the scalp. It’s basically been developed by growing newborn cells in an embryonic condition and bathing them with specific types of stimulating proteins, in particular a protein called Wnt, in fact, it’s Wnt7a, a very specific type of growth stimulating protein as well as a chemical compound known as follistatin.
Apparently, the company has found in their investigations when this is bathed in this complex at a very low oxygen level, they’re able to really maximize the effects of this compound, and the phase studies that have been done through phase I clinical trials had been really nothing short of remarkable. At the end of one year, the first trial, they found a 73% increase in the growth of hair from baseline. Now that’s amazing. That’s an amazing finding and it’s revolutionary. If this ends up being something that can be used broadly in the markets, it could totally change hair loss as we know with men and women potentially.
So again, the name of the complex is HSC. It’s made by a company called Histogen. Now Histogen has been around since early 2007 and they’re really a cutting edge company that’s developing some amazing new products not just for hair loss, but for other types of stem cell research and tissue regeneration, amazing stuff that they’re doing. I know they have topnotch investigators involved in this. My mentor is involved as one of the lead investigators with this compound, HSC, so I know they have some amazing people involved with this.
So I want to get some information to the basic public about it. It’s something to keep your eye on. There’s a lot of technical complicated reports about it online, but I wanted to try to break it down for you. It’s not available in the States yet and probably won’t be until the very earliest 2014, 2015 maybe. It depends on how things go in some of other where it’s being studied in Asia and other select countries, but it’s an amazing product that I think could revolutionize what we do and I think it’s something that you all want to know about firsthand.
So that’s what’s called, HSC. Do some research on it. If you have any other questions, log on to the site, drop them off. I’ll be happy to address them individually and see, you know, if I can help you get your answers that you’re looking for.
View video below: