Microneedling Combined With Plant-Derived Exosomes Shows Hair Growth Improvements in Small Case Series
Key Takeaways
- Two patients with androgenetic alopecia and early traction alopecia showed visible improvements in scalp hair coverage following combined microneedling and topical plant-derived exosome treatment.
- Both patients underwent three monthly treatment sessions, with reduced shedding and increased vellus hair growth reported at follow-up.
- The uncontrolled case series lacked objective hair-density measurements, and concurrent hair-loss medications in one patient limited attribution of treatment effects.
A two-patient case series evaluating microneedling combined with topical plant-derived exosomes reported improvements in hair coverage and shedding among patients with androgenetic alopecia and early traction alopecia. The findings provide preliminary observations on the combination approach, although its efficacy remains unestablished.¹
The report, authored by Arash Babadjouni, DO, MS, and colleagues, included two patients aged 29 years with different forms of nonscarring hair loss. Both underwent three monthly scalp microneedling sessions using a 0.5-mm needle depth, combined with topical plant-derived exosomes applied during treatment and daily at home.
Hair Growth Outcomes Following Microneedling and Exosome Treatment
The first patient, a man with a 7-year history of androgenetic alopecia, experienced reduced shedding, new vellus hair growth, and physician-assessed improvements in frontal and parietal scalp coverage. He continued oral finasteride, oral minoxidil, and topical finasteride/minoxidil throughout treatment.
The second patient, a woman with a 5-year history of early traction alopecia, demonstrated reduced shedding along the part line and increased vellus hair growth in the bitemporal regions. She also reported continued improvement following her final treatment session.
Neither patient experienced reported adverse events. Outcomes were evaluated approximately 1 month after the final session using clinical photographs, physician assessments, and patient reports.
The findings are limited by the two-patient sample, absence of a control group, short follow-up, and lack of quantitative hair counts or trichoscopic measurements. Concurrent medication use and daily exosome application also prevented investigators from isolating the effects of individual treatment components.
The observations support further investigation of combined microneedling and plant-derived exosomes for nonscarring alopecia, but controlled clinical studies are needed to establish efficacy, durability, and safety.
Reference
Babadjouni A, Battley T III, Bommareddy K, Aguilera SB. Plant-based exosomes for nonscarring alopecia: a case-series. Collagen P.I.N. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://collagenpin.com/alopecia-case-series/