Hair loss products frequently come with confident promises, but those promises can be difficult to evaluate. For someone who has persistent shedding, thinning, or visible patches, the important question isn’t just whether a treatment sounds scientific. It is whether the product has been evaluated by clinicians, tested on human patients, and discussed in credible medical literature.

Another up-and-coming option is PTT-6® (the patented exosomal protein ingredient used in Calecim Professional Hair Serum). Dr. Neil Sadick and Dr. Munir Somji, specialists in hair restoration and esthetic medicine, spoke about the effects on hair follicles in the December/January 2024 issue of The PMFA Journal. The observations described are on various types of hair loss, but the amount and type of evidence available is different for the different groups of patients.

Understanding what those findings mean requires looking beyond the headline and examining how the treatment was used, what outcomes were reported, and what remains uncertain.

Why peer review matters

A peer-reviewed medical article has been assessed by experts familiar with its subject. Reviewers consider matters such as whether appropriate research methods were used and whether the paper makes a meaningful contribution to existing literature.

That process does not mean every statement in a published paper should be treated as a universal guarantee. It does, however, provide a level of expert scrutiny that promotional claims alone do not have.

The PMFA Journal article examined cord-lining mesenchymal stem cell exosomal proteins and their effects on hair follicles. Its authors concluded that stem cell exosomes in the form of PTT-6® could offer a new approach to treating hair loss. The article connected the ingredient’s potential effects with inflammation and the reactivation of dormant follicles.

What exactly is PTT-6®?

PTT-6® is an extract derived from red deer umbilical cord lining. The patented source used by Calecim Professional contains mesenchymal and epithelial stem cells, which secrete exosomes associated with cellular repair, regeneration, and renewal.

Exosomes are small, membrane-bound structures produced by cells. They carry cellular materials and contain molecules including cytokines, growth factors, peptides, lipids and nucleic acids. Their precise composition varies according to the type of cell that produces them. Cytokines and growth factors can stimulate cell growth, which is why exosomal proteins have attracted attention in both skin repair and hair research.

The proposed relationship with hair growth centerscenters on inflammation around the follicle. According to Dr. Sadick, PTT-6® could suppress inflammation as effectively as vitamin D, followed by increased hair growth through the reactivation of dormant follicles in the telogen, or resting, phase.

This suggests that inflammation at the dermal papilla may interrupt growth, while reducing that inflammation may allow follicles to become active again. The PMFA Journal authors also drew a parallel with wound healing, proposing that some of the same inflammation-regulating processes may help activate hair follicles.

What have human studies reported?

Evidence discussed in the source material includes a published case involving post-COVID-19 telogen effluvium. In that case, the topical application of PTT-6® to the scalp was followed by hair regrowth.

Telogen effluvium is characterized by increased shedding as more hairs enter the resting phase of the growth cycle.

Broader observations were reported in a group of 60 patients undergoing medical alopecia therapy. PTT-6® proteins were applied topically after microneedling, with the aim of suppressing inflammation. Hair regrowth and improvements in texture and density were reported in 90% of patients, with no adverse effects reported.

This finding is encouraging, although the treatment protocol matters. PTT-6® was used following microneedling, rather than being assessed only as a stand-alone topical application. Readers comparing treatments should therefore pay attention to the complete regimen, not merely the featured ingredient.

Findings across different forms of alopecia

A London trichologist also treated male and female patients with androgenetic alopecia using weekly applications of PTT-6® after microneedling. Improvements in hair growth and quality were observed for up to six months after treatment. Some patients with grey hair also experienced a darkening of their hair color.color.

The source reports that similar results were seen in testing conducted in Singapore and Australia.

PTT-6® has also been used in a patient with alopecia areata. After six weekly treatments, improvement in hair growth was observed.

Taken together, these reports suggest that PTT-6® has been examined across post-COVID-19 telogen effluvium, androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata and patients receiving medical alopecia therapy. The evidence includes individual cases and a 60-patient group, with several protocols combining topical application with microneedling.

How to assess a clinically supported treatment

If you are judging the science that underlies a hair loss product, don’t just look for scientific-sounding words on the label. Check to see if the ingredient is used in peer-reviewed medical literature, if it has been used on human patients and if the method of treatment reported is the way you plan to use it.

The condition being treated is equally relevant. Findings in one form of hair loss cannot automatically be extended to every other cause of shedding or thinning.

Calecim Professional Hair Serum stands out because its PTT-6® ingredient has been discussed by hair-restoration specialists and used in human treatment settings. The reported results include hair regrowth, improved density and texture, continued improvements for up to six months in some patients, and no adverse effects in the 60-patient group.

If people are trying to decide between hair loss treatments, the most credible place to begin is with evidence that goes back to named ingredients, documented protocols, human results, and expert-reviewed medical discussion.

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