HairClone^® Hair Follicle Banking

What if some of your healthiest hair today could be preserved for possibilities that may exist tomorrow?

HairClone^® Hair Follicle Banking allows you to preserve healthy hair follicles by collecting them through FUE and cryopreserving them for potential future use. At Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, Dr. Lopresti offers hair follicle banking for men and women who want to think beyond the hair they have today and keep an eye on where hair restoration may be heading.

The follicles can be collected and banked now. The science of using preserved follicles in future cell-based hair restoration treatments is still being developed, and future treatment or results cannot be guaranteed. You can’t predict where hair restoration will be years from now. Hair follicle banking gives you the opportunity to preserve something today that may matter tomorrow.

• Hair Follicle Banking Now vs. Later
• Hair Follicle Banking Candidates
• Hair Follicle Banking Process
• Hair Follicle Banking Cost

Why Should I Bank My Hair Follicles Now vs. Later?

The frustrating thing about hair loss is that you usually don’t realize how much you had until some of it is gone. Hair follicle banking gives you a chance to think differently. Instead of wondering what your hair may look like years from now, you can preserve some of your healthy follicles today while they’re still here.

Those follicles are cryopreserved for potential future use as HairClone^® continues developing cell-based hair restoration technology. There are no guarantees about where that science will lead. But the hair you have today only exists today. If the future brings new possibilities, you may be glad you saved some of it.

We pride ourselves on staying at the forefront of hair restoration advancements, including this newer option of hair follicle banking which we exclusively offer in our geographic area.

Who Is a Candidate for Hair Follicle Banking?

Hair follicle banking can be a great option for both men and women wanting to maintain a youthful head of hair. In general, the best candidates for this technique are those who can relate to the following:

• Younger patients, typically 45 years and under
• Family history of hair loss
• Hair thinning, not significant baldness

During your consultation, Dr. Lopresti can explain how hair follicle banking works and help you decide whether preserving follicles now makes sense for your hair and future goals.

What Does the Hair Follicle Banking Process Entail?

Hair follicle banking is available today, while HairClone^® continues developing future cell-based treatments that may use those preserved follicles. Here’s how the process works today and where the science could take it in the future.

Part 1: Hair Follicle Harvesting

The initial step of the hair follicle regeneration process includes the extraction of hair follicles, which is performed in our office. Under local anesthesia, a tiny punch extractor will harvest about 120 follicles from the back of your head. The surrounding hair should easily hide these harvest sites. Immediately after the quick 30- to 45-minute procedure, you can return to your normal activities.

Part 2: Cell Banking and Storage

After your hair follicles are banked, they will be sent to HairClone^® where they will be stored using a process called cryopreservation. This helps to keep the cells alive while halting their aging process. The banked follicles can remain cryopreserved for potential future use as HairClone^® continues developing cell-based hair restoration technology.

Part 3: Hair Cell Cloning

This part of the process is still being developed. HairClone^® is researching methods of multiplying dermal papilla cells from preserved follicles with the goal of creating future treatments for thinning hair. This cell-based treatment is not currently an established hair restoration procedure available to patients, and future availability or results cannot be guaranteed.

Part 4: Hair Follicle Re-injection

The long-term goal of HairClone^® research is an exciting one…use multiplied cells from your own preserved follicles to help improve thinning hair in the future. The technology is still being developed, but that’s exactly why banking healthy follicles today may be worth thinking about. You’re preserving something you have now for possibilities that may not exist yet.

How Much Does Hair Follicle Banking Cost?

The cost of your hair follicle banking will factor in the extraction procedure, transportation of the cells to the banking facility, and storage at the facility. Any future HairClone^® cell-based treatment would be separate from the cost of follicle banking and would depend on whether and when that technology becomes available.  Our team understands that banking hair follicles may feel like a big step when major hair loss has not yet occurred, but for those already noticing thinning, it can be a worthwhile investment for maintaining a youthful appearance and glowing self-confidence, made possible by having a thick, full head of hair despite the aging process. Our team will provide you with a more detailed overview of what you can expect with cost to help you make an informed decision.

If you would like to learn more about HairClone^® Hair Follicle Banking, Dr. Lopresti can explain what follicle banking makes possible today and what HairClone^® is working toward for the future.