Exosomes In Hair Loss and Hair Restoration: A Literature Review

Key Takeaways

• Exosomes show potential for hair loss treatment: Emerging research highlights exosomes as a promising tool for promoting hair growth and aiding hair restoration.
• Clinical studies are limited: Despite promising results in molecular and animal research, standardized protocols and robust clinical trials are still needed.
• Customization is key with providers: Providers need to carefully evaluate products, refine dosing protocols, and rely on available data to optimize outcomes.
• Microscalp technology enhances product testing: Advanced testing methods like Microscalp technology help identify effective exosome products and refine growth pathways.
• Future progress is crucial: Further advancements in exosome manufacturing, standardization, and clinical testing are essential to maximize safety and success.

One Generations Trash is Another Generations Treasure – Exosomes For Hair Loss in 2025

The prior two decades have been exciting ones for hair follicles worldwide. An avalanche of services and products have entered the hair loss market.

In hair restoration, injectable options are becoming a more accepted hair loss treatment. Injectables tested for hair loss include PRP, Exosomes and a salad of Phytonutrients.

In fact, studies even show dry needling the scalp without injecting anything in can lead to new hair growth. While the hair loss research remains young, a growing body of evidence demonstrates potential future use in hair loss.

Exosome therapy has garnered much attention in the hair regeneration and transplant world. AlviArmani, with its years of experience with exosomes in hair loss, is poised to continue leading the industry globally in surgical and non surgical hair restorative techniques and technology.

The following is a literature review of the evidence. For other recent advancements in hair restoration read our article Hair Loss Treatments For Men: 2025 Breakthroughs.

What Are Exosomes?

Previously ignored as a byproduct of biologic waste, these small extracellular vesicles have garnered much attention from the scientific community over the past two decades1. The physiological purpose of exosomes remains obscure. However, recent research has positioned the use of exosomes as a major player in regulating in intercellular communication 2,3.

These findings have spurred a growing number of studies, including active investigations into the therapeutic effects related to exosome treatment. These include studies in the fields of immune response and infection, cardiovascular diseases, neurodegeneration, cancer and aesthetics2,4.

Exosomes For Hair Loss

Within the world of hair science, recent years have brought further studies investigating the potential role of exosomes as treatment of hair loss.

Through upregulation of various mediators (like sonic hedgehog), multiple studies have demonstrated an exosome produced promotion of hair cycling4. This cycling increases the number of follicles in the anagen phase, or growth stage of hair cells. Increased number hair follicle cells in growth stage leads to improved hair density.

Given the field’s infancy, while there has been a plethora of molecular and animal studies, there remains a paucity of clinical trials.

How Exosome Therapy Works

Exosome therapy is designed to target the scalp at the cellular level, delivering biologically active signals directly to areas affected by thinning. The procedure starts with an examination of the patient’s scalp to identify regions of hair loss. Once pinpointed, exosomes—loaded with growth factors and other beneficial components—are administered through microinjections into the scalp.

A key focus is optimizing the environment for hair follicle regeneration by interacting directly with dermal papilla cells and hair follicle stem cells. Patients generally undergo the procedure as an outpatient service. The process does not require shaving the head, ensuring a discreet and smooth experience. For more insights into the therapy, refer to Exosome Hair Loss Therapy – AlviArmani, which covers additional procedural details.

Key Advantages of Exosome Therapy for Hair Loss

The appeal of exosome therapy lies in its unique blend of efficacy and convenience. Here are some distinct advantages:

1. Non-Surgical Approach: No invasive cutting or grafting is involved, making it an option for those hesitant about surgery.
2. Minimal Downtime: Patients can return to their regular activities on the same day without concerns over visible signs of treatment.
3. Quick Results: Many individuals report seeing thicker, healthier hair growth within a few months of treatment.
4. Scalp-Wide Improvement: Unlike some methods that target specific sections, exosome therapy frequently enhances hair density across the entire scalp.
5. Reduced Inflammation: It promotes a healthier scalp environment by easing inflammation, which can contribute to hair loss.

Imagine this as a “biological reset” for your hair follicles—giving them the tools they need to thrive. These factors make it a go-to choice for hair loss solutions.

 

While not full clinical studies, pilot5 and anecdotal evidence demonstrates this modality as having promise both alone6 and as an adjunct to hair transplants7 in the future management of alopecia.

Yet, more work is currently necessary. There is no standard related to the product’s origin, isolation, purification, identification, and storage4. Further, on the clinical side, there have been no robust trials demonstrating safety and efficacy. Without standardization of manufacturing, the development of dosing protocols will be challenging4.

While harnessing the full effects of exosomes in hair regrowth will take some time the potential for patient benefit in the short term and research opportunities in the midterm and longterm is undeniable.

What To Look For In Providers Offering Exosomes For Hair Loss

Providers looking to offer exosomes to their patients for hair loss must use their best judgment as they investigate the various Non-FDA-approved products on the market. Performance indicators in terms of bang-for-the-buck are noted on each product, yet without standardization they remain difficult to compare.

On the safety and compliance side, many manufacturers are Good Manufacturing Compliant, but not certified. Side effect profiles have been promising in the body of literature, but the field remains very young.

Things to Look Out for With Hair Exosomes

Be wary of companies that flaunt their concentration of exosomes as a signal of efficacy. Without industry standardization, this means nothing.

Be wary of providers that provide scheduled exosomes without assessment. There is currently no standardization of protocols for the use of this potential hair restoration treatment in human subjects. While estimates exists for the length of effect, more standardization is necessary to reach a full understanding on this matter.

How Does AlviArmani Select Its Exosomes?

AlviArmani Research Institute Corp has removed some of the guess work by leveraging our Microscalp technologyTM.This allows our researchers to efficiently test products against one another, as it pertains to their ability to promote hair growth. Using subsequent molecular studies, various pathways related to hair growth are elucidated.

Optimizing the Procedure

Once the product is selected, providers must select a dosing protocol based on the available literature, which is scant.

Providers must then leverage anecdotal data as they fine tune their protocols.

For instance, at AlviArmani we have reported 5 patients with bimodal shock loss after receiving exosomes within a defined period of time after Follicular Unit Extraction. As such, the protocols have been shifted to only provide exosomes after a predefined period of recovery post-FUE.

Ongoing Research and Innovation

Exosome therapy has already established itself as a revolutionary option in hair loss treatment, but further advancements in the field could elevate its effectiveness even more. Current research focuses on refining the processes of exosome extraction and bioengineering. This involves not only isolating high-quality exosomes but also enhancing their functionality to meet specific treatment goals.

One area of focus is the ability to tailor exosomes with targeted growth factors and proteins that address the root causes of hair thinning. For instance, by manipulating the molecular composition of exosomes, researchers aim to achieve more precise targeting of dormant or degenerating hair follicles, significantly improving follicular regeneration. Additionally, bioengineering advancements could allow for customized exosome treatments based on an individual’s unique genetic or cellular profile, further personalizing the treatment process.

Another exciting development concerns the scalability of exosome therapy. As researchers find ways to make the production of high-quality exosomes more efficient and cost-effective, the treatment could become accessible to a broader audience. Clinics such as AlviArmani have already played a role in pushing this technology forward. These innovations not only promise to enhance outcomes but also take exosome therapy closer to becoming a mainstream, widely-used solution for combating hair loss.

Conclusion On Exosomes And Use For Hair Loss and With Hair Transplant

Exosomes were previously regarded as waste and are now thought to play significant roles within cellular communication. There is much research demonstrating its promise within the future management of hair loss. Currently, further progress needs to occur in the field to allow for the standardization of products and the formation of clinical protocols. AlviArmani’s Microscalp technology provides us confidence in knowing we have the most efficacious product on the market for hair loss.

References

1. Waste not, want not: how exosomes went from trash to trials. Pharmaceutical Technology. Nov 2018. https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com /comment/exosome-trials/
2. Raghu Kalluri and Valerie S. LeBleu. The biology, function, and biomedical applications of exosomes. Science. 2020. Link
3. Bruno S et al. Mesenchymal stem cells derived microvesicles protect against acute tubular injury. J Am Soc Nephro. 2009. Link
4. Yinghui Zhou et al Exosomes for hair growth and regeneration. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering. 2024. Link
5. Sasaki, Gordon. Clinical use of extracellular vesicles in the management of male and female pattern hair loss: A preliminary retrospective institutional review board safety and efficacy study. Aesthetic Surgery Journal. 2022.
6. AlviArmani Exosomes Alone- Crown Result. https://www.alviarmani.com/exosome-injection-therapy-to-treat-crown-hair-loss/
7. AlviArmani with FUE result. https://www.alviarmani.com/2400-grafts-fue-exosomes/
8. Dhurat R, Sukesh M, Avhad G, Dandale A, Pal A, Pund P. A randomized evaluator blinded study of effect of microneedling in androgenetic alopecia: a pilot study. Int J Trichology. 2013 Jan;5(1):6-11. doi: 10.4103/0974-7753.114700. PMID: 23960389; PMCID: PMC3746236.