Hair Thinning Or Hair Loss? PRP Is an Exciting New Treatment

By Balvant Arora, MD, MBA

The Hair Loss Clinic

. https://www.thehairlossclinic.com

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Hair Thinning Or Hair Loss? PRP Is an Exciting New Treatment

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) is an exciting treatment option for hair thinning and hair loss. A number of scientifically-based articles have shown its efficacy in increasing hair count, hair thickness, and the growth phase of the hair cycle. Just as PRP has been used for years in sports medicine for direct injection into injured areas to heal tendons and accelerate collagen production, it is used similarly in skin and hair care to kick start the body’s natural regenerative processes. 

How Is PRP Done For Hair Loss?

A tube of blood is drawn from your arm, and immediately spun down in a centrifuge to isolate the plasma, rich in platelets, growth factors, and nutrient-rich proteins. Your doctor then injects the plasma directly into the scalp at the level of the hair follicles. The process is thorough – with injections beginning across the scalp, approximately at every half inch over the area of thinning and hair loss. The growth factors in your platelets and plasma play the role of messengers, signaling hair cells to function, stimulating the activity of the hair follicles, and promoting new hair growth and increase its thickness.

Who Is a Good Candidate For PRP Injections For Hair Loss?

Anyone experiencing hair thinning and hair loss is a possible candidate for PRP treatments. Specifically those with early hair loss and thinning tend to respond the best, according to the studies. Some studies have shown that PRP is also beneficial in patients with androgenic alopecia: a genetically determined type of hair thinning and loss that typically occurs along the top of the head. In women, this might look like a widening part on top with normal hair at the back of the head.

How Long Does PRP Treatment Take?

Upon arrival, you are evaluated. Then, you are taken to the procedure room where your blood is drawn. Then it is centrifuged. In the meantime, you are given local anesthesia to numb the scalp. Then plasma rich in platelets, growth factors, and nutrient rich proteins is extracted from the tubes and then it is injected into the scalp. The whole prodecure takes about 45 minutes.

What Is the Downtime?

The numbness from the local anesthesia may last 45 minutes to an hour. You may also feel little bumps. These usually resolve within an hour. There are essentially no side effects associated with this treatment. Once you’re home, you can shower, shampoo, and condition as normal from the next day.