Platelet-rich plasma therapy is an effective hair loss treatment, producing results comparable to those from surgery. It’s a minimally-invasive procedure that uses an autologous concentration of platelets to nourish your hair follicles, so this treatment will have minimal health risks with little to no downtime. But because it is a non-surgical process, many patients may wonder if it holds up well in time and has the long-term effects they’d want.
So does platelet-rich plasma therapy for hair loss have long-term effects? Yes, the results of your PRP injections, such as improvements in hair regrowth, hair volume, hair count, and thickness of hair shafts, are long-term. These results can last an average of 18 months, but some patients report having theirs last up to 2 years. The results aren’t permanent because PRP only nourishes the hair follicles but doesn’t address the root cause of hair loss.
Long-Term Benefits from PRP for Hair Growth
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is not only used as a treatment for hair loss, skin rejuvenation, and other cosmetic procedures. It’s a versatile treatment used widely as a medical treatment for speeding up the healing process of targeted areas because of the concentrations of platelets injected for wound healing and tissue repair.
As one of the effective treatments for hair loss, platelet-rich plasma injections come with long-term benefits, like improvements in hair growth, hair thickness or terminal hair density, and the number of anagen hairs. It addresses different types of hair loss from deep within, stimulating the body’s natural healing process for hair restoration.
1) Hair Growth
Clinical studies reveal the effectiveness of platelet concentrations as a hair treatment in patients with androgenetic alopecia. There are many solutions for hair loss, but platelet-rich plasma therapy offers patients an alternative treatment with promising results without undergoing surgery, like hair transplantation.
Hair regrowth from receiving PRP for hair loss is also long-term, lasting for about 18 months, but some patients report having the effects of their injections last up to 2 years.
2) Improvement in Hair Density
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a reliable treatment for male or female pattern hair loss, progressive hair loss, hair thinning, and other forms of alopecia. Receiving injections of growth factors from this procedure also improves hair density or thickness because of better hair health.
According to a study where researchers gave 23 patients PRP injections for 2 years (but 3 participants opted out), the concentration of growth factors increased the mean hair count to 33.6 in the treated area, with a total increase of hair thickness of 45.9 hairs per cm2.
3) Treatment from Within
The platelet-derived growth factor from your PRP injections stimulates active hair growth from within. It provides your hair follicles a boost of nutrients to repair themselves from the causes of your hair loss. Because of this, it offers the long-term effects that anyone would want.
There are many reasons you experience hair loss, such as your genes, hormones, lifestyle, or an underlying medical condition. All of these conditions can weaken the hair follicles until they can no longer grow hair. The growth factors from PRP injections might not resolve these root causes, but it offers your hair follicles support, so it can be healthy enough to activate hair growth.
4) Versatility
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a versatile treatment suitable for most skin types and skin tones. Because it only involves autologous concentrations of plasma, it can be used for different cosmetic procedures, as long as you’re healthy enough.
5) Natural Hair Restoration
Most patients prefer platelet-rich plasma therapy because it stimulates natural hair growth, making it easy to maintain, unlike hair transplantation and other treatments. The numerous growth factors boost your hair follicles and reactivate hair growth.
You’ll experience hair shedding because the dormant hair follicles start entering the growth phase, so the healthier hair strands push out the old and dull hair.
Why You Experience Long Term Effects
We have established that platelet-rich plasma provides long-term effects because it provides the hair follicles with the proper nutrients to grow hair. The release of growth factors stimulates hair growth as it repairs the hair follicles that were damaged or became dormant.
PRP therapy for hair loss can stimulate cell growth, which will support the hair follicles to reactivate hair growth. It also supports collagen production to keep your hair shafts healthy and intact. The growth factors also boost perifollicular angiogenesis necessary for growing hair. This opens up the blood vessels around hair follicles, so they would have a better blood supply, receiving more oxygen and nutrients from the body.
Once the PRP injections take effect, your hair follicles will enter the anagen phase or growing phase. It can offer nutrients enough to last 18 months. Patients with hair loss wanting to have longer-lasting effects from PRP therapy should undergo maintenance treatments twice a year.
PRP injections can do this because they contain the plasma, the liquid portion of your blood made of proteins, and platelets, the blood cell responsible for wound healing and tissue repair. Your medical professional will harvest this at the beginning of the treatment session.
During your series of consultations, your medical professional will test your platelet count to see if you’re suitable for PRP therapy. Your treatment session will start with a blood draw to gather blood samples. They will then process the volume of blood in a centrifuge to process plasma and platelets from other blood cells, like red and white blood cells. Practitioners will add activators to your plasma concentrated with platelets – they will then inject this serum into your scalp.
How to Further Enhance the Results of Your PRP Treatment
PRP therapy for hair loss offers long-lasting results, but it’s not permanent – patients would still need to receive touch-up injections every 6 months. But you can do several measures before your PRP treatment to further prolong and enhance its effects.
1) Incorporate Green Leafy Vegetables Into Your Diet
The success of your PRP injections lies in the number of growth factors you have and how reliable they are. Because of this, taking care of your health will be beneficial for your PRP therapy.
Incorporate more leafy greens into your diet to increase immunity. This will also improve your blood circulation because of having lower cholesterol levels – better blood circulation means healthier blood, good for your next PRP, and more nutrients reaching your scalp.
Control your intake of sugary foods, processed meat, and fatty food. It’s also better to eat in smaller portions during the day than to eat in large amounts but in limited meal times.
2) Eat More Food Rich in B-Vitamins
Aside from green leafy vegetables, eating food rich in B-vitamins will also help you get the most out of your PRP treatment for hair loss. Diet rich in B-vitamins can help increase your red blood cells and hemoglobin levels. The types of B-vitamins are the following:
- thiamine
- riboflavin
- niacin
- pantothenic acid
- pyridoxine
- biotin
- folate
- cobalamin
These vitamins are present in meat, fish, and dairy – the key is to prepare these types of food healthily and avoid too many deep-fried meals. If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can take B12 supplements for your B-vitamins.
3) Avoid Smoking, Alcohol, and Harmful Drugs
Heavy smokers and patients with a history of drug abuse aren’t ideal candidates for PRP because they might not have reliable platelet counts and healthy growth factors. More than this, their lifestyle might also cause hair loss, so they might not have the best results from this treatment.
If you want to enhance the results of your PRP, limit your smoking or set yourself up for successfully quitting them. Cigarettes can affect your PRP treatment because it reduces your healing factors, and their toxins hamper the function of your stem cells.
4) Exercise Regularly
Exercising regularly can improve blood circulation, especially by doing more high-intensity cardio exercises. These types of workout routines boost your red blood cell production and immune system.
5) Take At-Home Supplements
Consult your doctor about the right type of at-home supplements safe for you to take. These will provide additional support to the effects of your PRP therapy for hair loss. Here are some of the at-home hair products your dermatologist or plastic surgeon might prescribe:
- hair-growing shampoo
- minoxidil
- oral finasteride
Ensure taking these supplements only if they’re prescribed by your doctor to avoid adverse effects.
Risks of Long-Term Side Effects from PRP Treatment
Because PRP injections use autologous PRP, it has minimal risks of major side effects, like allergic reactions. Most of the long-term side effects from this procedure, like nerve or blood vessel injury, are likely to happen in the hands of an inexperienced injector.
Here are the common side effects you can expect from your PRP treatment:
- pain, swelling, and bleeding at the injected site
- allergic reaction from other products
- skin irritation
- hair shedding
- infection
- scarring
- nausea and dizziness
You experience these because of the tiny punctures and trauma from the injections and because the procedure involves triggering an acute infection to activate the healing process. These side effects are pretty common and should not be a cause of concern – most, if not all, cosmetic procedures and even supplements also come with some adverse reactions.
These symptoms will resolve on their own in a few weeks. If they persist, contact your doctor immediately.
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PRP therapy for hair loss offers long-term hair growth effects, lasting up to 18 months. Practitioners advise patients to take touch-up injections every 6 months to maintain the effects of their hair loss treatment. To get the results you want, it’s best to consult with qualified and reliable providers.
Choosing the best beauty and medical supplies is crucial for having a flawless PRP procedure, and high rates of patient satisfaction in your practice. For the best supplies for your PRP and other cosmetic tools and supplies at competitive prices, visit FACE Med Store and get in touch with us to see our updated catalog.
