How strong is the evidence for stem-cell therapy in Hair Loss & Restoration?
ClinicalTrials.gov registrations alone cannot establish how strong the evidence is. Registry activity is thin and mostly exploratory: the registry holds 17 records, 7 completed, 2 at Phase 3 or 4, and 1 stopped early (6%). MSC-specific work accounts for 7 of those records. These counts describe research activity and maturity, not benefit, safety or certainty. Snapshot 2026-08-29.
What counts as a real result in Hair Loss & Restoration
Real evidence uses standardised macro-photography and hair-count-per-square-centimetre from a tattooed reference point, assessed blind, against a control area. Global photographs taken with different lighting and haircuts — the standard clinic evidence — cannot support a density claim.
What we can say from registrations alone
- Volume: 17 registered studies since 2011.
- Maturity: 2 confirmatory-phase records.
- Delivery: 7 completed; 1 terminated, withdrawn or suspended.
- Scale: median planned enrolment 48 participants, largest 120.
The completed studies
Completed does not mean published, and published does not mean positive. These are the finished records — the starting point for checking whether results ever appeared.
| Study | Phase | Status | Planned n | Lead sponsor | Start |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT03676400 — Hair Growth Efficacy and Safety of NGF-574H in Adult With Androgenic Alopecia | n/a | Completed | 84 | Medipost Co Ltd. | 2018-10-02 |
| NCT05129800 — Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma Versus Mesotherapy in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Retrospective Study | n/a | Completed | 72 | Faculty Hospital Kralovske Vinohrady | 2011-01-01 |
| NCT04450589 — A Study Evaluating the Hair Regrowth Efficacy and Safety of ALRV5XR in Male Subjects With Hair Loss | n/a | Completed | 46 | Arbor Life Labs | 2018-04-11 |
| NCT04450602 — A Study Evaluating the Hair Regrowth Efficacy and Safety of ALRV5XR in Female Subjects With Hair Loss | n/a | Completed | 46 | Arbor Life Labs | 2018-04-03 |
| NCT02594046 — The Effect of Allogeneic Human Adipose Derived Stem Cell Component Extract on Androgenic Alopecia | n/a | Completed | 38 | Pusan National University Hospital | 2015-07-01 |
| NCT05296863 — Adipose-derived Stem Cell Conditioned Media as a Novel Approach for Hair Regrowth in Male Androgenetic Alopecia | Phase 3 | Completed | 37 | Dr. dr. Lili Legiawati, SpKK(K) | 2021-10-11 |
What registrations cannot tell you
Whether results were positive. Whether they were published at all — a large share of registered studies never report outcomes, which biases what the literature appears to show. And whether the product a commercial clinic sells resembles the product studied: cell source, dose, processing and delivery route vary enormously between a registered protocol and an off-protocol injection.
How to use this when someone is selling you a treatment
Ask which specific registered study supports the offer, then compare its intervention description with your quote. If the answer is a general gesture at "Hair Loss & Restoration research", you are being sold the field's activity rather than evidence about the product. The Provider Question Builder turns that gap into questions.
Frequently asked
How strong is the evidence for stem-cell therapy in Hair Loss & Restoration?
ClinicalTrials.gov registrations alone cannot establish how strong the evidence is. Registry activity is thin and mostly exploratory: 17 registered records, 2 at Phase 3/4 and 1 stopped early (2026-08-29).
Has any stem-cell product been approved for this condition?
Look it up at source: regulators publish authorised products and indications. Registration of a trial, a licence to operate a clinic and product approval are three different things.
Why do clinics cite hundreds of studies?
Volume is the cheapest form of credibility. Ask instead for the controlled studies of the specific product, and read what outcome they measured.
Registry and literature counts retrieved 2026-08-29 (ClinicalTrials.gov API v2; PubMed E-utilities). Registration or publication volume measures research activity, not effectiveness or approval. Educational information — not medical advice; verify product, indication, legal pathway and evidence with an independent qualified physician. Page generated 2026-08-29. See our editorial standards.