REGENERATIVE MEDICINE / HAIR LOSS CARE | CASE REPORT — SCALP SERIES
Umbilical Cord-Derived Stem Cell Secretome Delivered with the Mesogun U225 | A Record of 4 Sessions
Medically reviewed by Dr. Junya Higuchi, Director, Ginza YR Clinic
MD, PhD (University of Tokyo) / Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon / Certified Regenerative Medicine Physician, Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine / Certified Sports Doctor, Japan Sports Association
IN BRIEF
One approach to scalp care after a hair transplant is to deliver umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome into the dermal layer of the scalp using the Mesogun U225. Secretome is reported to contain bioactive substances such as growth factors and exosomes, and is delivered across a series of sessions. This article documents a 28-year-old man who had undergone a transplant in the frontal region, over four sessions across roughly four months, with photographs from four angles.
Results vary between individuals. Similar changes are not guaranteed.
About this publication
The photographs and information in this article are published with the written consent of the patient. What follows is one individual case and does not indicate that the same changes will occur in everyone. Whether the procedure is appropriate depends on each person’s condition.
Key points
- ✓After a hair transplant the scalp has been through a surgical procedure, and looking after the environment around the follicles is considered to matter.
- ✓Umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome contains bioactive substances such as growth factors and exosomes; its relationship with the cellular environment of the scalp is under investigation.
- ✓Even delivery into the dermal layer with the Mesogun U225 is said to make it easier to cover a wide area of scalp.
- ✓In this case, a 28-year-old man completed four sessions at intervals of roughly one to two months, and changes in scalp and hair condition can be seen in the photographs.
The degree of change varies from person to person. Suitability for the procedure is assessed individually by a physician at consultation.
1. About this patient
Hair loss in your late twenties is not unusual. Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) often begins to progress from the twenties, and a growing number of younger patients are choosing hair transplantation. This patient underwent transplant surgery at the frontal hairline at the age of 28, and came to the clinic wanting to look after the condition of the whole scalp, including the occipital region that had supplied the follicles.
2. Why scalp care is considered necessary after a hair transplant
What is happening to the scalp after surgery
In a hair transplant (autologous hair transplantation), follicles are harvested from a donor area such as the occipital region and moved to areas where hair has thinned. The graft allows hair to grow again, but for the scalp this is still a surgical procedure, and for some time afterwards the scalp remains in a state that has been disturbed.
One line of research addresses this from inside the scalp: delivering bioactive substances such as growth factors directly into the dermal layer to support the cellular environment. At Ginza YR Clinic, this is done by delivering umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome into the scalp with the Mesogun U225.
3. What is umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome?
— What the Mesogun U225 is actually delivering
The secretome is the collective term for the various bioactive substances that cells release. It is the mixture of substances secreted by umbilical cord-derived stem cells during culture, and includes exosomes as well as growth factors, cytokines and other components involved in signalling between cells.
We deliver these components evenly into the dermal layer of the scalp using the Mesogun U225, with the aim of supporting the environment around the follicles. How this presents varies between individuals.
Note: the above refers to basic research and animal studies on components contained in the secretome. It is not evidence of the effect of this procedure. How the procedure presents varies between individuals.
4. Why we use the Mesogun U225
— Even delivery across a wide area of scalp
The Mesogun U225 uses multiple fine needles to inject automatically at a set depth and set volume. Compared with injecting point by point by hand, it makes even delivery across a wide area of scalp more achievable. Where care needs to run from the frontal region right through to the crown, as it often does after a transplant, this kind of approach may be considered.
Automatic injection at set depth and volume
Wide coverage in a short time
Less variation in needle depth
Covers the frontal region through to the crown
5. Four sessions: a record
— Documented from four angles: front, left, right and crown
The following is published with the written consent of the patient. Photographs were taken on 2 March 2026 (before treatment), 26 March, 20 May and 29 June 2026. Results vary between individuals and similar changes are not guaranteed.
Front
Left temporal region
Right temporal region
Crown
This is a record of the treatment course of one particular patient. Scalp condition, transplant technique, age and lifestyle all differ, so the degree of change varies between individuals. Similar changes are not guaranteed. Photographic conditions such as lighting, angle and how the hair is styled also affect how the images appear.
6. Who may and may not receive this procedure
The above is a general guide only. Whether the procedure can go ahead is determined individually by a physician at consultation. Please tell the physician about any medication you are taking and your medical history at the counselling stage.
Main side effects and risks
Whether side effects occur, and to what degree, varies between individuals. Please contact us straight away if anything concerns you.
7. Important notice (unapproved medical device and unapproved pharmaceutical)
Regarding the Mesogun U225
Redness or puffiness may appear on the day (usually settling within a few hours to three days). Bruising occurs in rare cases (usually resolving within about a week). An allergic reaction to the agents used may occur.
1. The Mesogun (U225) used in this treatment is an unapproved medical device that has not received approval under Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act.
2. The device was obtained by the physician through personal importation. (Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, guidance for those considering purchasing pharmaceuticals from overseas)
3. There is no domestically approved medical device in Japan with equivalent performance approved for the same purpose as this treatment.
4. The device holds CE certification in Europe, but its safety and efficacy have not been sufficiently confirmed within Japan. The procedure may cause redness, swelling, pain, bruising, infection, pigmentation, scarring, allergic reaction and similar effects.
5. In the unlikely event of a serious adverse reaction or health injury, it would fall outside the scope of Japan’s national Relief System for Sufferers from Adverse Drug Reactions.
Regarding umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome
This treatment administers a secretome cultured and manufactured at a facility in Japan from umbilical cord stem cells of Japanese donors, delivered into the scalp with the Mesogun U225.
Treatment period and frequency: We generally plan around one session per month, for four to six sessions. The number and interval are decided in consultation with the physician (this case was carried out over four sessions at intervals of roughly one to two months).
Cost (as performed in this case): From ¥96,800 per session (tax incl.)
Main risks and side effects: Mild pain or swelling may occur at the injection site (easing within a few days). A temporary sensation of heat or fatigue occurs in rare cases (tending to settle within one to two days).
1. The umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome used in this treatment is an unapproved pharmaceutical that has not received approval under Japan’s Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act.
2. It is sourced from umbilical cords of healthy Japanese donors, through a route serving medical institutions in Japan.
3. There is no domestically approved pharmaceutical in Japan with equivalent components or performance.
4. It has not been approved in the major countries of Europe or North America. Significant risks may therefore not yet have come to light.
5. In the unlikely event of a serious adverse reaction, it would fall outside the scope of Japan’s national Relief System for Sufferers from Adverse Drug Reactions.
Enquiries: Ginza YR Clinic +81-3-6263-9219
8. Frequently asked questions
A note from the director
Dr. Junya Higuchi Director, Ginza YR Clinic
MD, PhD (University of Tokyo) / Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon / Certified Regenerative Medicine Physician, Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine / Certified Sports Doctor, Japan Sports Association
Hair transplantation is one effective option for addressing hair loss. At the same time, the scalp has been through a surgical procedure, so creating conditions in which the grafted hair can settle is, in my view, equally important when you take a medium-to-long-term perspective.
Umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome contains a range of bioactive substances, growth factors chief among them, and research has reported that it may support the cellular environment around the follicles. Delivering it evenly into the dermal layer with the Mesogun U225 allows the whole scalp to be addressed.
This patient continued through four sessions, and changes in the condition of the scalp were confirmed in the photographs. Approaching the scalp from the standpoint of regenerative medicine, as tissue recovery, is one of the things that characterises how we work at Ginza YR Clinic. Suitability differs from person to person, so please start with a consultation.
GINZA YR CLINIC
Dr. Higuchi assesses the condition of your scalp at consultation and proposes a suitable combination of Mesogun treatment, secretome and oral medication.
By phone: +81-3-6263-9219 (by appointment only)
References
- Promotion of hair growth by a conditioned medium from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells cultivated in a 3D scaffold of gelatin sponge. European Journal of Medical Research. 2024. doi:10.1186/s40001-024-01830-7
- Synergistic effect of PDGF and FGF2 for cell proliferation and hair inductive activity in murine vibrissal dermal papilla in vitro. Journal of Dermatological Science. 2015.
- Exosomes from human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells promote the growth of human hair dermal papilla cells. PMC12043141.
- Insights into the Secretome of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Its Potential Applications. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2019;20(18):4597.
- The secretion profile of mesenchymal stem cells and potential applications in treating human diseases. Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy. 2022. doi:10.1038/s41392-022-00932-0
- In vitro and clinical evaluation of umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cell-conditioned media for hair regeneration. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2022;21:740-757. doi:10.1111/jocd.14114
- The human umbilical cord-mesenchymal stem cell secretome regulates hair growth and cycle transition by promoting methylthioadenosine synthesis via the PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway. Stem Cell Research & Therapy. 2025. doi:10.1186/s13287-025-04806-4
How these references should be read
The references above are general research reports on umbilical cord-derived stem cell secretome and its components. They are not clinical trials of the preparation used at this clinic.
Most are based on cell and animal studies; efficacy in humans has not been established.
The clinical studies among them used topical preparations, which differ in route of administration from the scalp delivery (injection) described in this article.
This article is for information only and does not guarantee or claim any specific therapeutic effect.
Medical review
Reviewed by Dr. Junya Higuchi, Director, Ginza YR Clinic (MD, PhD, University of Tokyo; Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon; Certified Regenerative Medicine Physician, Japanese Society for Regenerative Medicine; Certified Sports Doctor, Japan Sports Association)
This article is for informational purposes and does not recommend any medical procedure. Suitability and risks differ according to individual condition. Please make decisions under the examination and guidance of a physician.
Ginza YR Clinic | +81-3-6263-9219 | yrclinic.com