Have you ever tried a hair growth treatment that worked well for a friend but didn’t work for you? There are many factors to consider when treating hair loss. Dr. Rinky Kapoor, Clinician-Scientist & Research Mentor, explains how hair growth is a complex process involving multiple biological factors; you may not get the same results as your friend.

Why Do Hair Treatments Vary?

Hair growth is affected by many factors. This includes genetics, hormones, age, nutritional status, and the health of your scalp. Depending on the cause of your hair loss (such as genetic hair loss, nutritional deficiencies, or temporary hair loss), you may need very different treatments.

Depending on the health of your hair follicles, the growth phase, and the environment of the surrounding tissue, you may not get the same result as someone else using the same treatment.

Does More Growth Factor Mean Better Hair Growth?

An interesting area of research is exploring the role of signalling pathways in hair regeneration. A scientific commentary titled “Beyond Growth Factor Abundance: Why Hair Regeneration Needs Pathway-Oriented Design?”, published in Stem Cell Reviews and Reports, discusses why simply increasing the concentration of growth factors may not necessarily lead to better hair regeneration. The commentary was co-authored by Monalisha Debnath, Rinky Kapoor, Raji Patil, Varad Saptarshi, and Debraj Shome.

Growth factors are chemical messengers that communicate with cells and influence their activity. However, hair follicles receive several signals at the same time. Their response depends on factors such as receptor availability, the stage of the hair-growth cycle, the surrounding tissue environment, and how different signalling pathways interact.

This may also help explain why treatments such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can show variable results. PRP-based approaches involve delivering growth factors to support tissue repair and regeneration. The commentary notes that differences in PRP preparation methods and growth-factor exposure contribute to inconsistent outcomes. However, it suggests that there may be more to this variation than the quantity of growth factors alone. How the follicle receives and processes these signals, and how different pathways interact, may also matter.

Why Hair Care Personalisation Is Important?

There is no one treatment for all hair loss. You will need to have a dermatologist look at the pattern of your hair loss, look at your scalp, and work out why you are experiencing hair loss.

The commentary proposes a pathway-oriented approach to future hair-regeneration therapies. This means focusing on which biological pathways need to be activated, in which cells and at what stage, rather than simply increasing the amount of growth factors delivered. It also discusses the potential of smart delivery systems such as hydrogels, scaffolds, and engineered extracellular vesicles to control where and when biological signals are released. These are proposed directions for future research, not established hair-loss treatments.

Things To Note

Don’t be tempted to try a hair growth treatment because it worked for someone else. If you are experiencing ongoing hair loss or thinning, then this should be assessed individually. Understanding what is affecting your hair follicles and choosing a treatment based on your individual condition is the best approach. The focus of future hair-regeneration research may not simply be on delivering more growth factors, but on understanding which signals the hair follicle needs, and when.

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