A pioneering Abu Dhabi health centre is embracing cutting-edge technology in a mission to banish baldness.
Doctors at Abu Dhabi Stem Cells Centre say treatments which began at the start of the year are already showing promising results for hundreds of people experiencing hair loss.
The high-tech facility is driving innovation in health care to assist patients with a range of life-changing conditions, including cancer and multiple sclerosis, since opening in December 2019.
Now stem cells are being adopted to help halt hair loss – in men and women – and even encourage new growth of folicles.
It is important for patients to not wait long after they have started losing their hair
Dr Antonio Bencomo-Hernandez
Dr Antonio Bencomo-Hernandez, head of laboratory and advanced technology at centre, told The National that results are better for patients who have just started losing their hair.
“Every single day we have about 10 to 15 patients come in for stem cell hair therapy, so we have treated hundreds so far, given that we started this service at the beginning of this year.
"It is important for patients to not wait long after they have started losing their hair.”
Maysoon Al Karam, chief medical officer at the centre, said healthy patients in the early stages of hair loss are likely to benefit the most.
“It is an effective treatment, but it needs to be done in the right clinical setting and protocol," she said.
She said people should be wary of products promising miracle cures.
“Stem cells will not come in a bottle sold at the supermarket,” she said.
“I don’t know what these are but they definitely are not stem cells and it is important for people to not fall for it.”
How does the procedure work?
A few hairs, a maximum of 10, are extracted from the scalp and sent to a laboratory.
At the lab, stem cells are extracted from the hair follicles and processed before being injected back into bald spots.
Within three months, patients will start seeing new hair grow in these sites, doctors said.
They said it is essential that patients do not have any underlying health problems that are causing the hair loss or an unbalanced diet or vitamin deficiency.
If this is the case, these issues may need to be addressed before stem cell treatment can begin.
What is the success rate?
Since the procedure is in its infancy, the centre cannot guarantee the new hair will not fall out in subsequent years.
However, doctors are optimistic and said there has yet to be a case where newly grown hair has fallen out.
Stem cell treatment or traditional hair transplant?
Stem cell hair loss treatment and traditional hair transplants are very different. With traditional transplants, the healthcare provider takes grafts, or small pieces of skin, from parts of the body that contain healthy hair, such as the back of the scalp.
The grafts are then implanted on the hairless parts of the scalp. With stem cell treatments however, processed stem cells – taken from patients few days before – are implanted into the hair follicle so new hair can grow from them.
“The traditional hair transplant is a long procedure,” Dr Al Karam said.
With stem cell hair treatments, there is no recovery period and patients can resume daily activities immediately.
“Our treatment is innovative – women may need three sessions and men usually five sessions with 10 days between each session, but the number of sessions vary from case to case,” Dr Bencomo-Hernandez said.
Each session takes about 20 minutes, in which the stem cells are injected into the scalp. Doctors say the treatment is relatively painless.
The centre did not disclose the cost of individual therapies, but said its aim was to make it affordable to the general public.
"The treatment is personalised and therefore prices vary depending on the patient's clinical status.
"However, the access to this therapy is affordable and represents a better alternative to the high prices of hair transplant with promising results," Dr Al Karam said.
UAE is advancing stem cell therapy
The UAE has made significant strides in stem cell therapy, which is viewed as key to enhancing health care, particularly in cancer treatment and life expectancy.
In 2022, the UAE successfully completed a bone-marrow transplant by using longer-term cryogenic freezing of healthy cells.
Last month, the centre set out plans to become a regional hub in the treatment of diseases such as Type 1 diabetes and end-stage organ failure.
Scientists are working around the clock to use stem cells for repairing and regenerating organs.
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The specs: 2018 Opel Mokka X
Price, as tested: Dh84,000
Engine: 1.4L, four-cylinder turbo
Transmission: Six-speed auto
Power: 142hp at 4,900rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 1,850rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
A Bad Moms Christmas
Dir: John Lucas and Scott Moore
Starring: Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn, Kristen Bell, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski, Cheryl Hines
Two stars
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Scoreline
Liverpool 3
Mane (7'), Salah (69'), Firmino (90')
Bournemouth 0
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
Bio Box
Role Model: Sheikh Zayed, God bless his soul
Favorite book: Zayed Biography of the leader
Favorite quote: To be or not to be, that is the question, from William Shakespeare's Hamlet
Favorite food: seafood
Favorite place to travel: Lebanon
Favorite movie: Braveheart
57%20Seconds
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MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Boulder shooting victims
• Denny Strong, 20
• Neven Stanisic, 23
• Rikki Olds, 25
• Tralona Bartkowiak, 49
• Suzanne Fountain, 59
• Teri Leiker, 51
• Eric Talley, 51
• Kevin Mahoney, 61
• Lynn Murray, 62
• Jody Waters, 65
States of Passion by Nihad Sirees,
Pushkin Press
Opening Premier League fixtures, August 14
- Brentford v Arsenal
- Burnley v Brighton
- Chelsea v Crystal Palace
- Everton v Southampton
- Leicester City v Wolves
- Manchester United v Leeds United
- Newcastle United v West Ham United
- Norwich City v Liverpool
- Tottenham v Manchester City
- Watford v Aston Villa
Day 5, Abu Dhabi Test: At a glance
Moment of the day When Dilruwan Perera dismissed Yasir Shah to end Pakistan’s limp resistance, the Sri Lankans charged around the field with the fevered delirium of a side not used to winning. Trouble was, they had not. The delivery was deemed a no ball. Sri Lanka had a nervy wait, but it was merely a stay of execution for the beleaguered hosts.
Stat of the day – 5 Pakistan have lost all 10 wickets on the fifth day of a Test five times since the start of 2016. It is an alarming departure for a side who had apparently erased regular collapses from their resume. “The only thing I can say, it’s not a mitigating excuse at all, but that’s a young batting line up, obviously trying to find their way,” said Mickey Arthur, Pakistan’s coach.
The verdict Test matches in the UAE are known for speeding up on the last two days, but this was extreme. The first two innings of this Test took 11 sessions to complete. The remaining two were done in less than four. The nature of Pakistan’s capitulation at the end showed just how difficult the transition is going to be in the post Misbah-ul-Haq era.
'The Woman in the House Across the Street from the Girl in the Window'
Director:Michael Lehmann
Stars:Kristen Bell
Rating: 1/5
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
World Cup League Two
Results
Oman beat Nepal by 18 runs
Oman beat United States by six wickets
Nepal beat United States by 35 runs
Oman beat Nepal by eight wickets
Fixtures
Tuesday, Oman v United States
Wednesday, Nepal v United States
Traits of Chinese zodiac animals
Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
UK's plans to cut net migration
Under the UK government’s proposals, migrants will have to spend 10 years in the UK before being able to apply for citizenship.
Skilled worker visas will require a university degree, and there will be tighter restrictions on recruitment for jobs with skills shortages.
But what are described as "high-contributing" individuals such as doctors and nurses could be fast-tracked through the system.
Language requirements will be increased for all immigration routes to ensure a higher level of English.
Rules will also be laid out for adult dependants, meaning they will have to demonstrate a basic understanding of the language.
The plans also call for stricter tests for colleges and universities offering places to foreign students and a reduction in the time graduates can remain in the UK after their studies from two years to 18 months.
