New Advancement In Hair Restoration

By Nicole Hayre, MD

Too much hair, or the lack there of, can be an emotional issue. For many years we have been able to successfully reduce unwanted hair with lasers and other treatments, but the growth of new hair has proven to be more difficult. Rogaine^TM, Propecia^TM, hair restoration lasers, and transplants are available, and do work, but often with limited success. Now there is an exciting new treatment that has a very high success rate, and is completely natural.

Platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) for hair restoration is a new procedure with a high success rate, especially in men. PRP is part of the blood that contains numerous growth factors and helps to stimulate cells to repair themselves. It is used to help grow cartilage in arthritic joints, is used in skin rejuvenation, and now in hair rejuvenation.

PRP is typically processed in the treating office while the patient waits. After the blood is drawn into a special tube, it is spun in a centrifuge for about 10 minutes. The blood is then separated into layers. The top layer (platelet-poor-plasma) is usually discarded, and then the PRP layer is drawn up into syringes. PRP is then injected into the scalp. A numbing device helps make the procedure comfortable. The scalp may be a little tender for a day or two afterwards.

Patients typically require four monthly treatments. New hairs are usually visible towards the end of the four treatments. More hair typically continues to grow in over the following months. Maintenance treatments are required. Most patients will need to have a maintenance treatment once or twice yearly.

Side effects include possible tenderness at the injection site and a risk of infection. Also, this treatment usually causes the new hair to grow in black, even if one has blonde hair. Treatments work well on those with thinning hair, not on those who are completely bald. This procedure is what is called “off-label” which means PRP was developed for another use and then found to useful and effective for hair regrowth.

Dermatologists address and treat skin issues and the hair is part of the skin, so, if you would like to know more about hair regrowth using the latest technology, make an appointment with a board certified dermatologist today.