PRP for hair loss: Does it work, and is it safe?

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You can either purchase over-the-counter laser devices to use at home or receive the treatments from a provider. Doctors often prescribe oral medications to be used along with topical minoxidil because studies show the combination boosts hair production. Low-dose oral minoxidil (prescribed off-label) has been found to be effective and safe for most patients, Mirmirani says. Other oft-used drugs include finasteride (Propecia) and spironolactone. If you have scarring alopecia or alopecia areata, your doctor may recommend an anti-inflammatory medication such as the JAK inhibitor Olumiant (baricitinib) to help tamp down your immune system.

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You’ll likely start seeing regrowth before your third and fourth appointment, Khetarpal says. To maintain hair growth achieved through the use of PRP hair rejuvenation, patients need to undergo follow up treatments. For best results, the doctor schedules additional procedures once a month for the first three months and then biannually to annually thereafter. When used on the scalp, PRP reverses hair follicle shrinkage through the use of stem cells and growth factors.

Benefits and Effectiveness of PRP for Hair Loss

And we know you're going to love The Science of Beauty, a series on Allure.com that goes deep into the how and why behind your favorite products. For even more nerdiness, check out The Science of Beauty podcast, produced by our editors. Patients with thinning rather than full baldness are better candidates for surgery. While younger patients are more likely to fit this criteria, patients of all ages can be considered for PRP. And your own blood may not have rich enough concentrations of platelets to be fully effective for restoring your hair through PRP injection therapy.

What is the average recovery associated with PRP injections for hair loss?

Researchers have found evidence that PRP can lead to renewed hair growth. However, due to the limitations of these studies — such as small sample sizes — and the variation in technique and protocol among doctors, further research is necessary to confirm whether PRP is effective. Certain changes to the diet and daily routine may help promote hair growth or prevent hair loss.

Is it effective?

This concentration of platelets (or “PRP”) is then injected into the area to be treated. Topical minoxidil is a popular treatment for hair loss and baldness, but some dermatologists are now prescribing this medication orally. Possible side effects following a PRP injections for hair loss procedure include minimal pain, pinpoint bleeding, rendess, full, tight sensations in the scalp, and headache. Most candidates note one to two days of recovery following a PRP injections for hair loss treatment. Minimal swelling, flaking, redness and sensitivity resolve within 48 hours. Patients are encouraged to not exercise for one week and limit sun exposure.

Hair Loss Got You Down? Platelet-Rich Plasma May Regrow It

hair prp

​Michelle Crouch is a contributing writer who has covered health and personal finance for some of the nation’s top consumer publications. Her work has appeared in Reader’s Digest, Real Simple, Prevention, The Washington Post and The New York Times. Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. Get articles and stories about health, wellness, medicine, science and education delivered right to your inbox from the experts at Ohio State. A complex procedure brought together 10 people to make crucial kidney transplants possible. Ohio State's dermatology team provides comprehensive care backed by one of the nation's leading academic health centers.

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Maintenance treatments every six to 12 months are sometimes necessary for continued regrowth. PRP, along with all non-surgical hair loss treatments, may decrease shedding or result in thicker-looking hair. Thicker-looking hair can be seen with either an increase in the actual number of hairs present, by an increase in the hair-shaft diameter, or by a combination of both. Not all patients will benefit from growth factor treatments, so some patients experience no benefit.

If you are unsure, take the time to meet with other practitioners. Aside from treating male pattern baldness, there isn’t a ton of research on PRP for hair growth, and it isn’t entirely conclusive. PRP is a substance drawn from your blood and injected into your scalp that can purportedly help heal bodily tissues, including follicles from which your hairs grow. And there are seemingly hundreds of different hair loss treatments with varying levels of reliability and success. For hair loss, treatment includes one PRP treatment per month for three months, followed by one treatment every three months for a year, and then one treatment yearly. It takes three months to see any improvement, and you’ll see maximum improvement in one year.

While PRP treatments for hair loss are most commonly performed on women, they are also available for men and young adults ages 16 and older who are struggling with hair loss. All were taken six months after three treatments of platelet-rich plasma therapy. Historically, doctors have been able to stall or reverse hair loss by prescribing medicine or performing a hair transplant procedure, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

The separated PRP is then gathered in a needle and infused into the scalp to advance hair development. Other than expanding the blood stream to the hair follicles, PRP has proteins that advance cell development. Some small, limited studies have found that certain supplements and shampoos could be helpful, dermatologists say. However, your best bet if you’re suffering from hair loss is to see a board-certified dermatologist who can determine what’s causing your alopecia and then recommend a treatment plan. By contrast, scarring alopecia, another autoimmune disease that causes hair loss, is often accompanied by itchiness, tenderness and scaling of the scalp. Scarring alopecia is the most devastating type of hair loss, Mirmirani says, because it permanently destroys the hair follicles.

Talk to a healthcare provider, such as a dermatologist, to discuss PRP therapy and other hair loss treatments. They will discuss your options and help you find the proper treatment for hair loss that meets your budget and needs. PRP therapy for hair loss is considered an elective cosmetic procedure and is not typically covered by insurance.

Clinicians first used PRP to accelerate healing after jaw or plastic surgeries. Now, post-surgical PRP injections have expanded to help heal muscles, tendons and ligaments, as procedures on these tissues have notoriously long recovery times. Here is a quick guide for what to expect before, during, and after hair loss treatment with PRP.

Generally speaking, the sooner you start treatment, the more options you have and the better your results, dermatologists say. “As soon as you notice hair loss is happening, you should come in,” says Lauren Eckert Ploch, a dermatologist in Aiken, South Carolina. Hair loss, or alopecia, affects more than 80 percent of men and 50 percent of women, and the risk increases with age. PRP has been shown to help with hair transplant survival by pretreating areas prior to harvesting. While she believes that PRP can be a revolutionary therapy for some patients, she concedes that there are still limitations and unknowns that need to be addressed.

While not all patients with male or female pattern hair loss respond to it, there have seen some very exciting results. What seems to be most effective is combining PRP treatments with medicines, such as finasteride and minoxidil. During a PRP session, a technician draws blood, usually from a patient’s arm. Plasma is a substance found in the blood that contains platelets, which promote hair growth, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The technician injects the plasma into areas on the scalp affected by hair loss — usually about 15 to 20 injections per PRP session, Khetarpal says.

PRP therapy is a medical treatment that could be part of your hair loss treatment plan. Other options may include medications like Rogaine and Propecia, along with hair transplant surgery. Male-pattern hair loss is what causes a receding hairline and baldness in men.

If so, an anesthetic ring block may be administered, or nitrous oxide gas may be administered, to reduce any pain. The PRP is injected in small quantities of as little as 0.05 ml, allowing as many as 120 injection sites per procedure. Microneedling will generally follow the PRP injections, if they are administered. Talk to a doctor about getting your blood tested for platelets and checking your hair health to see if you’re a good fit for PRP injection therapy.

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