Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a skin treatment that involves taking the patient’s blood and injecting it into the target area to rejuvenate the skin. Cosmetic professionals often use it in combination with other compatible treatments, such as microneedling, to enhance the results.
Lately, PRP has been showing promise as a natural solution for hair loss, helping to reverse the condition and stimulate new hair growth.
This article explains how PRP for hair loss works, what types of hair loss typically respond to treatment, and how to maintain the results.
What Is PRP Hair Treatment?
PRP for hair loss is a novel injectable treatment that uses concentrated platelets – cells in blood plasma – to regenerate hair follicles and stimulate new hair growth. The treatment is effective for hair loss conditions where the hair follicles still exist but shrink and become dormant due to various factors – hormonal imbalance, environmental factors, inflammatory conditions, etc. The treatment cannot help regrow hair in areas that no longer have hair follicles.
How Does PRP Hair Treatment Work?
The medical provider takes platelet-rich plasma from the patient’s own blood and injects it into the scalp. Platelets are rich in growth factors and cytokines, which have powerful wound healing and tissue regrowth potential. They stimulate new blood vessel formation and collagen production to support and revitalize the damaged hair follicles.
Who Is a Good Candidate for PRP Hair Treatment?
The candidates for PRP hair treatment are typically men and women with androgenetic alopecia or nonscarring pattern baldness. The condition leads to thinning hair in women and baldness in men.
The treatment is the most effective when patients seek early help, within five years of the first symptoms. PRP usually doesn't work for patients who've had the condition longer because hair follicles have constricted and there is more significant hair loss.
Early studies suggest PRP may also help with other hair loss conditions, such as:
- Alopecia areata (autoimmune disorder)
- Cicatricial alopecia (scarring alopecia)
- Telogen effluvium (stress-related hair loss)
How to Prepare for PRP Hair Treatment?
Dermatologists recommend patients to do the following before a PRP treatment:
- Wash your hair before the procedure.
- Don’t apply styling products.
- Avoid smoking and drinking for one week before the procedure.
- Avoid nutritional supplements that dilate blood vessels (vitamin E, fish oil, flax oil) for one week.
- Avoid NSAIDs for one week.
- Drink plenty of water for several days before and after the treatment.
What Can You Expect During the PRP Hair Treatment?
PRP for hair loss is a three-step procedure.
Step 1: The medical provider takes a small sample of the patient’s blood from their arm and puts it in a machine called a centrifuge.
Step 2: The centrifuge spins rapidly, separating platelet-rich plasma from other blood components (red blood cells and platelet-poor plasma).
Step 3: The medical provider extracts 3-6 ml of PRP from the sample with a syringe and injects it into the areas on the patient’s scalp with receding hair.
Before injecting PRP, medical providers usually inject local anesthesia into the patient’s scalp to minimize pain and discomfort.
The procedure takes 30-60 minutes.
How Painful is PRP for Hair Loss?
Patients may feel some discomfort during the PRP hair treatment, but it isn’t painful. Medical providers usually inject lidocaine or apply a numbing cream to lessen the pain.
PRP Hair Treatment Results
PRP is not a permanent hair loss solution. In most cases, the treatment stimulates the growth phase of the hair cycle, increasing hair count and thickness. Patients first notice decreased shedding, followed by increased hair growth.
However, there is no standard protocol for PRP for hair loss, so results vary from patient to patient, depending on the medical provider’s injection technique, the concentration of platelets in the PRP preparation, and session intervals.
How Long Does It Take for PRP to Thicken Hair?
PRP gradually regrows and thickens the hair. Most patients see an improvement in hair texture after one or two sessions, but they need an initial set of at least three sessions spaced four to six weeks apart to see measurable results.
How Long Does PRP Last for Hair?
Studies show that the treatment results peak about three months after the final session in the initial series. Some patients’ hair starts thinning again after that, while others don’t experience any hair loss or thinning for over six months. Skin experts recommend maintenance treatments every three to six months.
PRP Hair Treatment Aftercare
Patients can resume most of their regular daily activities after PRP for hair loss, but should refrain from the following for 24-48 hours:
- Strenuous physical activity
- Drinking alcohol
- Washing hair
- Applying hair products, such as sprays, gels, etc.
- Hair coloring
- Blow-drying
- Sun exposure
Patients who experience pain or bruising can apply ice packs or take a pain reliever such as Tylenol. These side effects are usually mild and disappear within a week.
What Are the Disadvantages of PRP?
PRP for hair loss is not a permanent cure for hair loss. It requires regular treatments, and they are not cheap.
The treatment involves using the patient’s blood, so there is no risk of communal diseases. However, it may cause some side effects. All injections and anesthesia carry rare potential risks, including:
- Pain at the injection site
- Blood vessel injury
- Nerve damage
- Infection
- Temporary bleeding at the injection site
- Scar tissue at the injection site
- Swelling
- Redness
- Itching
- Headaches
- Muscle aches
- Confusion
- Bladder control issues
Note that PRP for hair loss is a safe, well-tolerated treatment when performed by experienced medical providers.
Why Am I Losing More Hair After PRP?
Patients may have an impression of losing more hair after PRP. The treatment can shift the hair cycle, placing more hair in the growing phase. As the new hair pushes out the older hair, patients experience more shedding four to six weeks after the treatment. This is temporary and not a sign of increased hair loss.
Should Anyone Avoid PRP Hair Treatment?
During the initial consultation, the medical provider discusses the patient’s aesthetic goals, examines their scalp, and evaluates their medical history to determine if the treatment is safe for them.
Some medical conditions and medications increase the risk of severe side effects from the PRP treatment, and doctors advise those patients to try other options for hair regrowth.
Patients with the following health issues should avoid PRP for hair loss:
- History of bleeding disorders
- Autoimmune diseases
- History of alcohol or drug abuse
- Scalp infection
- Chronic liver disease
- Cancer
- Thyroid disease
- Hemodynamic instability
- Hypofibrinogenemia
- Metabolic disorder
- Platelet dysfunction syndrome
Also, patients who take blood thinners may be rejected for treatment. Make sure to disclose information about any medications you are taking, including supplements, to ensure they don’t increase the risk of severe side effects.
How Much Does PRP Hair Treatment Cost?
At Vibrant Skin Bar, PRP for hair loss costs $750.
It includes a consultation, a thorough examination of your scalp and hair, blood chemistry lab orders when indicated, and one PRP session to address hair loss or thinning hair. The total treatment cost depends on how many sessions you need.
Is PRP Hair Treatment Covered by Insurance?
Unfortunately, PRP for hair loss is not covered by insurance. Insurance companies don’t consider alopecia and other hair loss conditions as medical urgencies but elective or cosmetic procedures.
Conclusion
PRP for hair loss is a promising new treatment for receding and thinning hair. Patients particularly like the natural component of the treatment, which involves injecting their own blood into the target area.
Though PRP is not a permanent solution for hair loss, it has a high success rate and allows patients to avoid more aggressive treatment options, such as surgery and potent medications.
PRP for hair loss is particularly effective when combined with other hair restoration solutions, including nutritional supplements.
If you are looking for more hair loss solutions, learn more about Nutrafol and how Nutrafol works for hair loss. For more treatments including PRP, check out our guide to microneedling with PRP.
