Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a form of regenerative medicine where a concentration of platelets is injected into targeted areas of the body for a release of growth factors. It’s one of the most celebrated treatments for hair loss today because of its radical methods for resolving androgenetic alopecia and other types of hair loss. These injectables help the hair follicles to activate new, healthy hair, which is why patients must receive regular shots.
So how far apart should your platelet-rich plasma injections be? Patients should undergo 3 initial treatment sessions at an interval of 4 to 6 weeks. Once done, they would need to take maintenance treatments every 4 to 6 months to retain the results of the PRP since it’s not permanent. How long you need to wait for your next PRP shot depends on the status of your PRP injection.
How Long Should You Wait Between PRP Hair Treatments?
Those needing to complete their first 3 PRP treatment for hair loss should wait for 4 to 6 weeks between each shot. Once patients have finished this, they would next wait for the next 4 to 6 months before receiving touch-up injections of platelet-derived growth factor.
Platelet-rich plasma injections need to be processed gradually in your scalp. Because of this, you need to take 3 treatment sessions monthly first before you’re good to go. The following injections will only be maintenance shots.
Concentrations of platelets injected into your scalp provide your hair follicles with numerous growth factors: these will improve their blood flow. The bioactive factors activate your hair growth cycle to enter the anagen phase, or the stage where the hair follicles produce new strands of hair.
Your hair follicles don’t enter a phase all at once, as some of them are in anagen phase, while others are in the catagen or regressing stage, or even in the telogen or resting phase.
When it comes to the anagen hairs, they take about 3 months to replace the old hair strands and grow. Your monthly shots serve as support for the hair follicles as the initial injections disrupt and reactivate the dormant ones to produce new hair, resulting in hair thickness.
The concentrated platelets injected into your scalp also help collagen production for healthier hair and improved hair growth. However, collagen regeneration takes about 4 to 6 months, so patients will need multiple injections to ensure that the scalp is getting the right amount of healing factors.
Receiving your following PRP sessions a little later than intended shouldn’t cause negative effects. However, your hair follicles might be vulnerable in the span they don’t receive platelet-rich plasma shots.
It’s important to note that PRP hair treatment doesn’t really address the root cause of hair loss, as it only acts as a boost and a shield for your hair follicles. The causes that hamper your hair restoration might affect them more than usual without PRP.
The effects of receiving PRP injections for active hair growth too soon still requires further controlled studies. It’s still a better and more cost-effective option to receive shots at the right time, especially with the price of PRP treatment sessions. More than this, the clinical efficacy of receiving more doses to produce more hair still needs further scientific evidence.
How PRP Treatment Grows Your Hair
You need monthly PRP for hair loss treatments followed by touch-up injections because of the serum’s activation on our scalp’s healing factors. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is gaining traction because it works under your scalp to address male and female pattern hair loss, progressive hair loss, and any other type of hair loss problems.
How It Works
The preparation of platelet-rich plasma injections starts with processing blood extracted from the patient. The blood sample will be placed in a centrifuge where plasma, the protein-filled liquid portion of your blood, and the platelets, the cells responsible for wound healing and tissue repair, are separated from the white blood cells and other blood elements. The plasma is now concentrated with platelets, which speed up the body’s healing process.
When injected into the scalp, PRP stimulates collagen and cell growth, as well as increasing the number of stem cells. This boost of regenerating factors widens the blood vessels around hair follicles, as it prompts your endothelial growth factor. This allows the hair follicles to receive better nutrients and oxygen for producing hair, increasing terminal hair density. Patients with androgenetic alopecia report better hair counts and a decreasing rate of hair loss.
Side Effects
This therapy for hair loss involves injecting into the scalp autologous platelet-rich plasma or the PRP that’s also harvested from your blood supply. Patients may expect little to no major side effects – complications are rare. However, there may be common adverse effects that are usually mild and will resolve shortly. Here are some of these side effects:
- Blood vessel injury
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Nerve injury
- Scalp pain
- Scar tissue at injection sites
- Skin irritations
Major side effects are rare because medical professionals usually screen patients if they’re qualified for receiving PRP injections. Patients may also be assured that there will be little to no risks of having an allergic reaction.
These side effects will subside within 3 to 4 weeks and will be gone completely within 3 to 6 months after the treatment session. Keep your dermatologist updated about the status of your scalp and inform them immediately if symptoms persist. You may take over-the-counter medications for the pain and discomfort, but avoid NSAIDs and take Tylenol instead.
When to Expect Results
It might take some time for you to notice changes because the growth factors need time to work in your scalp. Because of this, regular injections are required. It takes about 3 to 6 months after your initial platelet-rich plasma injections to see significant results, but you’ll notice improvements within about 2 weeks.
How to Care for Your Hair After PRP Treatment
Following the proper aftercare for your PRP hair treatment is necessary for assuring its best results. While PRP for hair treatment only has minimal downtime and patients can return to their daily routine, there are still restrictions after their procedure. Here are some of them:
- Avoid NSAIDs for at least 2 weeks post-treatment
- Avoid touching the injected site at least 8 hours after the treatment
- Avoid wetting hair within 3 hours after the treatment
- Avoid hair products 6 hours post-treatment
- Avoid warm temperatures, such as steam rooms, sauna, and direct sunlight for 2 days after treatment
- Avoid smoking, drinking, or caffeine 3 days post-treatment
- Avoid strenuous exercise for 2 days post-treatment
- Use a pH-balanced shampoo
Those are some of the aftercare instructions for ensuring the best results for your PRP hair treatment.
How to Enhance Results of PRP Hair Treatment
Patients can enhance and prolong the results of their PRP hair treatments, so your hair will still be healthier even if you’re nearing your next shot. Some of these tips include performing a high-intensity cardio exercise, improving their diet, and avoiding cigarettes, alcohol, and drugs. Patients may also consult their dermatologists about taking at-home hair restoration products.
1) Doing High-Intensity Cardio Exercise
The success of platelet-rich plasma injections would also rely on your platelet count and its healing factors. Improving your cardio exercise can help you produce more red blood cells and strengthen your immune system. If you have rich red blood cells, your doctor may extract more PRP from you. Having a reliable immune system due to exercise will also help you receive great results in your next PRP injections.
2) Improving Diet
To make your diet PRP-ready, incorporate more green leafy vegetables and food rich in B-vitamins in it. These types of food keep you healthy and help you produce more PRP. Adding these types of food also improves your circulation, regulates hormones, and increases your immunity.
3) Avoiding Smoking, Drugs, and Drinking
Smoking, drinking or doing drugs impede your body’s production of platelets, affecting the results of your PRP hair treatment. It can affect the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma you produce by reducing its volume in your body. The toxins from cigarette smoke also affect the function of your stem cells.
4) Using At-Home Hair Therapy
Your dermatologist or attending physician may also prescribe helpful at-home treatments that will boost the effects of your PRP, such as topical minoxidil, herbal shampoo hair, or oral medications.
Know More About PRP Hair Treatment at FACE Med Store
Patients starting with their 3-month treatment should wait for 4 to 6 weeks between injections. Those finished with this stage would only need to wait 4 to 6 months until they get touch-up PRP shots as these plasma injections don’t provide permanent effects. Undergoing platelet-rich plasma therapy may have pros and cons, which will depend on the patient’s lifestyle, medical condition, and preferences.
For seeking treatment for hair loss, ensure choosing a reliable aesthetic clinic, such as FACE Med Store. We offer products for resolving hair loss, such as hair transplants, laser treatments, and other solutions. Know more about your options and get in touch with us today.
