http://thestar.com.my/lifestyle/story.asp?file=/2009/11/30/lifeliving/5107526&sec=lifeliving
YOU’RE losing hair and you’ve been told to rub garlic on bald spots, or oil on your scalp. “Try hanging upside down,” quipped Mark Birch, Svenson’s international trichologist from Britain.
That’s his tongue-in-cheek advice, but if you don’t believe in old wives’ tales, you could check out Svenson’s StemPlus Therapy. The latest treatment in town is touted to use stem cells (from South Korea) to effectively treat hair loss.
“StemPlus Therapy is a breakthrough in the frontier of scalp and hair regenerative therapy, and the first of its kind in Malaysia,” said Birch, who was in Kuala Lumpur recently to launch the therapy. “It delivers safe and highly advanced complexes that stimulate and restore activities naturally occurring within the scalp tissue.”
This technology, he said, has been available for the last five years but only arrived in Asia last year.
Stem cells can repair damaged tissues, and are widely used for burns and skin treatment.
“They are very effective in repairing newly damaged hair cells. The treatment is for anybody losing hair (general hair loss or those who want thicker, stronger and coarser hair) as it slows down hair loss and improves the condition of the scalp,” added Birch.
The treatment repairs the scalp from past damage, and rebuilds a healthy and dense scalp through increased subcutaneous fat below the scalp, paving the foundation for the scalp to produce thick healthy hair, whilst providing anti-microbial benefits, healing any inflammation caused by past abuse.
The treatment is said to stimulate hair follicle and normalise hair growth cycle, inducing hair density and thickness. It also claims to strengthen hair and stop hair loss as it moisturises, nourishes and improves scalp and hair condition.
However, Birch says this treatment is not for pregnant women and those in poor health.
StemPlus Therapy starts with a soothing head massage, before a thorough hair and scalp cleansing with a customised shampoo for specific hair and scalp conditions. This is followed by application of one vial of StemPlus serum on the area to be treated. A transdermal device (the mesoporation machine) is used to ensure thorough penetration of the serum onto the scalp and dermis layers.
Next, a therapeutic massage is rendered, followed by a steaming treatment to further improve scalp circulation and absorption of the serum. Then, there is a session using the scalp stimulator and a final pampering massage.
“The stem cells are extracted from adipose (fat) tissues from the waistlines of clients who have undergone liposuction and broken down to get the master cells.
“Through various processes of stabilisation, the cells are deep-freezed into powder form,” said Teo Kim Teik, Svenson Asia’s chief tricologist based in Singapore.
A stylus pen connected to the mesoporation machine is used to create electropores or “channels” in the scalp to deliver the StemPlus serum. The meso machine helps to penetrate the scalp better. These stem cells are said to help rejuvenate new hair follicles. The number of treatments depends on the severity of hair loss.
“It takes six to seven months (in hair loss treatment) to see quite a difference. The interval for each treatment is every 10 to 14 days,” explained Birch.
The interval period is for the master cells to repair the damaged hair cells and regenerate hair growth, added Teo.
The treatment is claimed to shorten the resting phase of hair cycle, generate more hair follicles during the growing phase and produce thick healthy hair.
Hair growth peptides are added to complement and further enhance results.
With the therapy, Birch said that the hair follicles will grow stronger and the scalp tissues become healthier.
The StemPlus serum can also be used by people with coloured hair.
After treatment, general maintenance of the scalp (shampooing hair regularly) is recommended along with a good diet and good health.
Good hair care, he said, is like looking after your feet and skin. You’ve got to eat properly and have good hygiene.
“The longer you delay treatment, the hair follicles would stay inactive for longer. And, when the hair follicles close up, that’s it. Any effort to grow hair would be like trying to grow grass on cement.
“When you get good blood circulation, oxygen and nutrients to the follicles, you’ve a better chance at growing new hair,” he concluded.
For details, call Svenson’s at 1 800 22 1136 or log on to svensonhair.com.my.