What is PRP?
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a non-surgical therapeutic option for patients who may not want or may not be candidates for surgical hair restoration. It uses small injections of platelets from the patient’s own blood to help stimulate hair growth.
How Does PRP Work in Hair Restoration?
Human blood contains platelets, which are a rich source of essential and specific growth factors that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. When platelets are concentrated from a patient’s own blood, PRP is created for injection back into the patient. For over two decades, PRP has been used in the fields of dentistry, orthopedics, and wound healing, but more recently it has been found to help stimulate hair growth.
In the field of hair restoration, evidence supports PRP therapy as a promising treatment option to promote hair growth in multiple types of hair loss, from androgenetic alopecia to telogen effluvium to inflammatory / scarring alopecias. While Platelet-Rich Plasma is not meant to replace current FDA-approved therapies such as DHT blockers and minoxidil, it is a viable non-surgical therapeutic option for patients with hair loss.
The Platelet-Rich Plasma Procedure
Our trained phlebotomists will extract a vial of blood from your arm, just as if you were having a blood draw for a routine lab test. This blood is then spun in a centrifuge to separate the enriched cells or platelets. We use the ProGen PRP Eclipse and Emcyte Pure PRP systems for this process.
These systems allow for the preparation of pure Platelet-Rich Plasma with optimal platelet concentrations and cellular content. Virtually, all Red Blood Cells (RBCs) are eliminated from the Platelet-Rich Plasma, and the concentration of pro-inflammatory Granulocytes (GRs) is dramatically reduced.
Once the Platelet-Rich Plasma has been separated from the blood, it is injected into the scalp, or areas needing treatment, using a tiny needle. The hair may be slightly damp after treatment, but there is minimal redness or pain post-procedure, and because PRP uses your own blood, you shouldn’t have any major side effects. The patient can go about their day as normal afterwards. There is no sedation or medication involved with this procedure that would inhibit driving or operating machinery.
As an added bonus for patients concerned with taking oral medications or who would prefer a natural regimen, PRP is an in-office procedure with maintenance treatments 2-3 times per year that is derived from your own whole blood!
PRP Benefits for Hair Loss
- PRP is a non-surgical treatment to improve hair density and fullness.
- It requires a small sample of blood.
- Serum is autologous (from patient’s own blood) – you cannot be allergic to the product.
- 800+ bioactive molecules are secreted by platelets: cell adhesion molecules like fibronectin, cytokines like IL-1 and IL-4, anti-microbial peptides, and anti-inflammatory molecules.
- Upon activation, platelet-derived α granules release growth factors involved in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, collagen synthesis, and matrix remodeling (PDGF/ TGF/ VEGF/ EGF/ FGF/ IGF).
- Optimal platelet concentration is obtained through specific centrifuge protocols.
- End product is serum with a supraphysiologic concentration of platelets and their associated growth factors.
- Remnant mononuclear cells present in PRP assist in fighting infection and are thought to enhance the anabolic effects of PRP.
- 1 mL of PRP can contain millions to billions of your own exosomes – a hot topic in the hair loss world.
PRP Before & After Photo
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