Finding extra strands on a pillow, hairbrush, or shower floor can be unsettling. However, shedding alone doesn’t necessarily mean that permanent hair loss has begun. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, losing between 100 and 150 hairs a day is considered normal as older hairs fall and new growth takes their place.
The better question is whether the amount, duration, or pattern of shedding has changed. Persistent thinning can be a sign of disruption of the hair-growth cycle, inflammation around the hair follicle, or an underlying trigger such as hormonal changes, chronic stress, or illness. The first step in selecting a suitable response is to consider what process may be in operation.
Shedding is part of the hair-growth cycle
Hair follicles repeatedly move through periods of growth, transition, rest, and release. These are known as the anagen, catagen, telogen, and exogen phases.
Exogen is the shedding stage. An older hair detaches from its follicle, usually while another is preparing to grow in its place. This means that some daily hair fall is expected and compatible with healthy growth.
Increased concern is warranted when shedding becomes significantly heavier, lasts for a prolonged time, or is accompanied by reduced density. The source material lists a number of potential contributors, including genetics, hormone levels, harsh hair products, chronic stress, and tightly pulled hairstyles. Shedding also increases with childbirth and Covid.
These triggers don’t all affect hair in the same way. Traction from tight hairstyles, for example, differs from the diffuse shedding that can follow a major physical stressor. Addressing the reason for the shedding is more meaningful than trying to suppress a normal biological process.
Why inflammation deserves attention
Inflammation is one of the body’s means of defense and repair. When tissue is damaged or irritated, immune activity helps protect the area and start healing. Problems can occur when there is chronic inflammation or an abnormal immune response to the body’s own tissues.
Research cited by Harvard Medical School and the American Academy of Dermatology connects inflammatory activity with follicle shrinkage, declining hair volume, and thinning. In some circumstances, inappropriate immune activity may target hair follicles themselves.
This provides a useful framework for evaluating hair treatments. A credible approach should do more than make existing strands feel temporarily fuller. It should be relevant to the condition of the scalp and follicles, while acknowledging that hair loss can have several causes and may require professional assessment.
What the evidence says about stem cell-derived formulas
Calecim Professional’s Advanced Hair System is a stem cell-derived scalp serum containing proteins, growth factors, and exosomes. According to the supplied research, these components are intended to nourish and condition weakened follicles, suppress proinflammatory cytokines, and help address disrupted follicle activity.
The product itself does not contain stem cells transplanted. It is based on conditioned media from mesenchymal stem cells called PTT-6®. This is important to differentiate because the term “stem cell treatment” can otherwise imply a cellular transplant or surgical procedure.
The available findings are encouraging.
One peer-reviewed case report, led by Dr. Shu Jin Lee of the National University Health System, followed a male patient who developed chronic telogen effluvium after recovering from COVID-19. Telogen effluvium is a form of shedding associated with a significant stressor or change in the body. The patient had not improved after three months of conventional treatment.
During five treatments, researchers massaged the stem cell-derived serum into his scalp. Thereafter, the hair density increased, new hairs emerged at the front of the scalp, and the hair was less susceptible to breakage when combing.
A second study at Sage Medical Clinic involved eight men with androgenetic alopecia. In that study, each patient had a vial of PTT-6®, the conditioned media used in the Advanced Hair System, injected into the scalp. All eight reported less shedding and stronger hair within three weeks. The 12-week course continued to bring visual changes with faster growth and improved texture noted throughout the group.
Different causes may produce different outcomes
Reports from clinical practice provide additional context. Aesthetic practitioner Kelly Morrell has used the serum in cases involving postpartum hair loss and traction alopecia, particularly when traction-related loss is recognized early. After examining clients’ scalps under a microscope, she reported: “I have noticed a reduction in visible inflammation after treatment with CALECIM®.”
These observations support further interest in the role of inflammation, but they do not mean that all types of hair loss will respond in the same way. Postpartum shedding, traction alopecia, androgenetic alopecia, and post-illness telogen effluvium are triggered by different things. What can be done also depends on the condition of the follicles and the timing of treatment.
Individual user reports, including one from licensed cosmetologist Dana Plum, describe a substantial reduction in hair loss while using the serum. Such experiences may be useful, but they should be considered alongside clinical evidence rather than treated as a guarantee of results.
A measured approach to reducing hair fall
The first step is to separate ordinary daily shedding from a meaningful change. Consider when the increase began and whether it followed an illness, childbirth, prolonged stress, hormonal change, or repeated tension from hairstyles. Hair-care practices that irritate the scalp or place strain on the follicles may also deserve attention.
Where shedding is persistent or density is visibly declining, professional assessment can help clarify what type of hair loss is occurring. This is especially relevant because a treatment evaluated for one condition may not carry the same evidence for another.
Stem cell-derived formulas represent one emerging option. The findings reported for PTT-6® include reduced shedding, stronger hair, improved texture and visible growth in small studies and individual cases.
There may be no credible way to halt all shedding at once, nor should normal shedding be eliminated. The more realistic goal is to identify unnecessary hair loss, address contributing factors, and support healthier follicle activity over time. Promising treatments deserve attention, but the strongest decisions come from matching the intervention to the cause and reading the evidence with care.
