Platelet-rich plasma injections (PRP) is a relatively new hair loss treatment that could aid in treating androgenetic alopecia, hereditary hair loss, and other balding conditions. Platelet-rich plasma has been tested in studies to be very effective in treating sports injuries and wound healing in your muscles, joints, and ligaments, as well as repairing and assisting the functions of your hair follicles. A typical PRP therapy for hair loss takes platelet-rich plasma from your own blood and gets directly injected onto your scalp and targets conditions like progressive balding and female pattern hair loss. But while the treatment does show great promise in regards to treating patients with hair loss, the treatment doesn’t offer instant gratification like other cosmetic procedures – it may take time before seeing the final results.
So what benefits from PRP scalp injections will you see first? As the treatment promises, the first thing you should see is a bit of hair growth. While you should see some active hair growth, don’t expect your pattern baldness to disappear overnight. PRP scalp injections are administered over multiple sessions which are spaced out several weeks apart to allow the healing process to properly take place. While you might see some improvements in between sessions, truly noticeable benefits will only appear after your final session.
What Are The Benefits of Getting PRP Scalp Injections As A Treatment for Hair Loss?
With PRP scalp injections designed to target hair loss conditions, it’s no surprise that the first thing you’ll notice after the hair loss treatment is hair regrowth. PRP scalp injections use your platelet-rich plasma to essentially kickstart the growth phase of your hair and hair follicles.
By stimulating hair growth, PRP therapy may help reduce balding, visibly improve receding hairlines, and overall promote healthier and denser hair growth.
While the injections do promote the growth of hair, the cells that make up your hair still need to go through the natural hair cycle. The natural growth phase of your hair takes 3 to 6 months meaning it will be a while before you see any signs of truly dense hair growth from the treatment.
It’s also important to note that you should only expect to see visible results after your last session of PRP therapy. A full cycle of PRP injections can range from 3 to 4 sessions spaced out anywhere between 4 to 6 weeks. Depending on the concentration of growth factors found in the injections, you could see minor improvements depending on your type of hair loss but significant changes will most likely only be noticeable after 6 months.
The PRP Scalp Injection Treatment Procedure
Before having any cosmetic procedure like PRP therapy done, you should consult your health care provider to ensure that the procedure is safe for you. PRP Scalp injections are considered to be a relatively safe treatment for hair loss as it uses the individual’s own blood and platelets for the treatment solution. This makes it highly unlikely for the patient to experience any unwanted side effects or severe allergic reactions after the treatment.
Depending on the concentration of platelets and growth factors, as well as the surface area needing to be treated, you may need more or fewer treatment sessions of PRP therapy which will be determined by your doctor. While it normally takes 3 to 4 treatment sessions to significantly take effect, all sessions will have a similar procedure each time.
Here’s what you should expect during your PRP scalp injection treatment:
1) The Blood Draw and Blood Sample
In PRP therapy, your blood is used to make the solution that’ll be injected onto your scalp. This means that the doctor must first draw blood from the blood vessels in your arm to start the procedure. Usually only 30 to 60 mL of blood will need to be drawn each session but the amount of blood will depend on the size of the surface area being treated. Blood collection for PRP therapy is no different from any other blood draw and can take anywhere between 5 to 10 minutes.
2) Separating Red Blood Cells from the Plasma
After the blood draw, the blood sample is put in a centrifuge which separates the different components by density. In particular, it separates the red blood cells and platelet-poor plasma from the platelet-rich plasma as they’re not necessary for the procedure.
Depending on the blood platelet levels found in the sample, the solution treatment from the platelet-rich plasma may have varying concentrations of growth factors. Like the blood draw separating the platelet-rich plasma only takes 10 minutes after which it should be ready to be injected into the scalp.
3) Injecting the Plasma Solution
With the treatment solution on standby, your doctor will disinfect the injection site and apply an anesthetic to make the procedure more comfortable. After the area has been prepped, your doctor will then use a needle to inject 8 to 12 mL of the platelet-rich plasma on the area you’re experiencing hair loss on. Once the solution has been injected, your doctor should run over the possible side effects and aftercare procedures with you before booking your next therapy session.
4) Results After PRP Hair Treatment
After you received all the PRP injections and sessions, your hair follicles should be in their active hair growth stage or anagen phase. This means that a hair follicle can actively generate new hair cells increasing the amounts of hair on your scalp which will eventually reduce the amount of balding or progressive hair loss you experience.
If you’re not seeing any results after 6 to 12 months, it would be best to contact your doctor as you may need extra sessions or alternative treatments for hair loss.
Aftercare and Long Term Results
While it’s rare for PRP injections to cause any major side effects, there are some risks involved. Although the most probable side effect is scarring, there are a few more complications that could arise.
Though there’s no guarantee of a perfectly smooth and painless procedure, it’s important to go to a licensed medical professional for this treatment to minimize the risks involved. If your provider’s hands aren’t stable and precise especially when it comes to technique, you run the risk of possibly causing a nerve injury or any blood vessel injury in the treatment area. It’s also possible to get an infection where the needles were inserted if the area and tools were not disinfected properly. Always double check the skills and credibility of your provider.
When PRP scalp injections are done properly, you should be able to visibly see the symptoms of androgenetic alopecia and other types of hair loss conditions slowly resolve as your hair starts to grow. It’s important to note that while the results of the injections can contribute to improved hair health — hair thickness, and overall hair growth — the injections for pattern hair are not a permanent solution.
But while injections eventually lose their effectiveness over time, topical treatments may also be effective in prolonging the visible results of PRP injections. Patients with hair loss can experience the benefits of the treatment for up to 18 months before needing a maintenance session to effectively maintain their hair growth.
Maintain Hair Health With PEP Factor at FACE Med Store!
While patients will eventually need to come in for maintenance PRP injections, the PEP Factor for Scalp Rejuvenation can help maintain hair growth and hair health less frequently. Only needing 20 minutes and an Ultra-ReGen LED to apply the product, scalp treatments using PEP Factor is an easy and quick way to maintain the positive effects of PRP therapy sessions.
With its topical application of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) and copper peptide, PEP Factor is an effective treatment that may visibly improve the appearance of hair and hair growth. Thicker and healthier hair is now within your reach with PEP Factor only at FACE Med Store. To know more about PEP Factor, get in touch with us today, or shop on our website and see more options for hair loss treatments.
Give your patients Pep Factor from FACE Med Store, and provide them with a unique alternative for promoting their skin and scalp health.
