Treating Hair Loss with Polynucleotides

Hair loss affects millions of people worldwide, leading to a search for effective treatments that are both safe and minimally invasive. Among the emerging solutions, polynucleotides have gained significant attention for their potential in hair restoration. These little fragments of DNA are used extensively in regenerative medicine, and they are taking the aesthetics world by storm!

But what are polynucleotides, and how do they work?

Understanding Polynucleotides

As a brief refrseher, polynucleotides are long chains of nucleotides, the building blocks of DNA and RNA. In medical aesthetics, these molecules are derived from natural sources like trout or salmon sperm, then purified and processed for clinical use. Their unique properties make them a powerful tool in regenerative medicine, particularly for hair restoration.

How does this treatment work?

Polynucleotides have several key functions that make them ideal for promoting hair growth:

1. Stimulating Cellular Repair: Polynucleotides activate various cellular pathways that enhance the body’s natural repair mechanisms. They stimulate the production of growth factors essential for tissue regeneration, collagen production, and hair follicle health. When injected into the scalp, they interact with cells at a molecular level, promoting the proliferation of fibroblasts (cells responsible for collagen production) and enhancing the extracellular matrix, which supports hair follicles.

2. Reducing Inflammation: Chronic inflammation can damage hair follicles and inhibit hair growth. Polynucleotides reduce inflammation by activating adenosine receptors, which suppress pro-inflammatory cytokines and promote anti-inflammatory responses. This reduction in inflammation helps create a healthier scalp environment conducive to hair growth.

3. Promoting Angiogenesis: Healthy hair growth requires a robust blood supply. Polynucleotides stimulate the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis), improving blood flow to the scalp and delivering essential nutrients to hair follicles. This increased vascularisation ensures that hair follicles receive the oxygen and nutrients they need to thrive.

4. Antioxidant Properties: Polynucleotides also possess antioxidant properties, protecting hair follicles from oxidative stress and free radical damage. By neutralizing these harmful molecules, polynucleotides help maintain the integrity of hair follicles and prevent premature aging and hair loss.

The Science:

Polynucleotides work through several complex biological mechanisms:

• Polynucleotides can modulate gene expression, leading to increased production of growth factors and proteins that support hair growth. This includes the upregulation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which plays a crucial role in forming new blood vessels.

• They can also stabilise messenger RNA (mRNA), ensuring that essential proteins for hair growth are synthesised more efficiently. This stabilisation helps maintain the cellular environment needed for robust hair follicle function.

• Polynucleotides activate key signaling pathways such as PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK, which are involved in cell proliferation, migration, and survival. Activation of these pathways supports the health and longevity of hair follicles.

The Hair Growth Cycle

To understand the impact of polynucleotides on hair growth, it’s important to remind you of the hair growth cycle, which consists of four phases:

1. Anagen (Growth Phase): This is the active growth phase lasting 2-7 years, determining the length of the hair. During this phase, cells in the hair bulb rapidly divide, adding to the hair shaft.

2. Catagen (Regression Phase): A short transitional phase where hair growth stops, and the follicle shrinks. This phase lasts about 10 days and marks the end of the active growth of a hair strand.

3. Telogen (Resting Phase): A period of dormancy lasting around three months. During this phase, the hair follicle is inactive, and the hair remains in the follicle without growing. This if folloed by the exogen phase (shedding phase), where the hair is shed from the follicle. After shedding, the follicle remains inactive for a period before returning to the anagen phase.

Polynucleotides help by shortening the telogen phase and promoting a quicker return to the anagen phase, resulting in faster hair growth and reduced hair loss.

Treatment Protocol

The application of polynucleotides in hair restoration typically involves a series of intradermal injections directly into the scalp. Here is a detailed treatment protocol. The initial phase involves four sessions of intradermal injections, spaced approximately 10 days apart. During each session, a fine needle is used to administer polynucleotides into the scalp, targeting areas with significant hair loss or thinning.

After the initial treatment cycle, maintenance treatments are recommended every 1-2 months to sustain the results. This phase helps ensure continued stimulation of hair growth and maintenance of scalp health.

What are the results like?

Studies have shown promising results with polynucleotide treatments for hair loss. Patients often experience increased hair density, improved hair thickness, and reduced shedding. The treatment’s safety profile is excellent, with minimal side effects and no systemic toxicity, making it a preferred option for both men and women.

Final Thoughts

Polynucleotides represent a groundbreaking potential advancement in hair restoration, offering a safe and effective solution for those struggling with hair loss. By harnessing the body’s natural repair mechanisms and promoting a healthy scalp environment, polynucleotides pave the way for healthier, fuller hair.

See our summary slides below: