Most people wake up every morning hoping for a good hair day. Having strong and thick hair is something that most people want to have, both females and males alike. If signs of hair thinning start to arise, people may try all kinds of at-home treatments, topicals, medications, vitamins, and shampoos in hopes of preventing hair loss. Those who are struggling with hair loss may want to talk with a doctor about receiving PRP (platelet-rich plasma) hair treatment.
Q: Does PRP treatments stimulate hair growth?
A: When people hear about PRP treatments, they may think of this as a type of facial. But, platelet rich plasma can be used to assist in the regrowth of hair too. The blood is full of plasma which is rich in proteins, and can help stimulate hair growth when injected into the scalp skin.
Q: What is the procedure for PRP treatments like?
A: Firstly, the patient’s blood is taken and then spun in a centrifuge machine, to separate plasma from the rest of the sample. The doctor may then have the patient’s head cleansed and apply a topical anesthetic to the scalp in preparation of the procedure. The plasma obtained from the blood sample is then injected into the scalp. The platelets have been concentrated to around three times its normal value to promote hair growth in the affected area.
Q: What are platelets?
A: The human blood has white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. The platelets are small cell fragments within the plasma that help clot and heal wounds, in addition to supporting tissue regeneration.
Q: How does platelet injections directly help with hair loss?
A: Conditions like pattern hair loss, traction alopecia, and androgenetic alopecia, can cause hair follicles to slowly shrink up. When this happens, the hairs gradually become thinner until they stop growing entirely. By injecting platelet rich plasma into the skin of the scalp, it can stimulate the withering hair follicles to become larger and healthier than before. If the hair follicles get stronger, then this can reverse the hair loss process. In fact, many patients notice their hair becomes thicker and fuller after receiving PRP treatments.
Q: Who are the best candidates to receive PRP hair treatments?
A: Patients that are experiencing the very beginning stages of hair loss but have follicles that are still partially active, can benefit from PRP treatments. Those with more severe hair loss can find improvements from PRP hair treatment, but more sessions may be required to see these results.
Q: How frequently does a patient have to come in for the procedure?
A: PRP hair treatments often take only about an hour or so and the patient can go home right afterwards. Every patient and his or her degree of hair loss is different, so how frequently sessions must be given depends on the individual person. For some, there may be three initial treatments scheduled just over a month apart, and then a repeat treatment a year following for the most optimal outcome. For others, more or less sessions may be required to get the desired results.
