Whether it’s from stress, hormones, age, or genetics, men and women can both struggle with some type of hair loss in their life. Losing hair is not only a cosmetic issue but also a personal experience that can cause a great deal of discomfort and self-consciousness issues. Fortunately, there are different advanced treatments that can help regrow healthy hair and one of them is PRP therapy.
So what makes PRP treatments for hair loss so effective? Platelet-rich plasma is a treatment that contains high platelet concentrations and growth factors that can facilitate tissue regeneration, stimulate hair follicles, and prolong the anagen phase of the hair cycle to stop or slow down hair loss. According to studies, PRP injections can provide significant improvements in the density of hair growth and increase hair counts on the head.
How Effective is PRP Treatment for Hair Loss?
PRP therapy has been around for decades and has been widely used as a regenerative treatment for sports injuries, joint injuries, and musculoskeletal conditions. However, it has also seen increasing popularity as a cosmetic procedure and more recently, as a non-surgical hair restoration solution.
For those who are suffering from male or female pattern baldness but don’t want to get a hair transplantation surgery, PRP is a good alternative treatment for hair loss. They are believed to promote hair regrowth by delivering a rich blood supply to stimulate the dormant hair follicle. Activating the hair follicles will lead to an increased number of follicular units and result in improvement in hair volume, terminal hair density, and hair shaft thickness.
Several controlled studies have been done to support the effectiveness of PRP injections for hair loss. Here’s an overview of the results from some of the successful clinical studies:
- A randomized placebo-controlled trial that treated 25 patients with androgenic alopecia showed significant changes in the average of anagen hairs, hair volume, and hair density. A total of three injections of platelets were given to each patient at intervals of 30 days.
- Another study, “Platelet-rich plasma for androgenetic alopecia: a pilot study”, treated 64 patients with hair loss with two injections of PRP at 3 months apart. After the treatment, at least 40.6% of the subjects reported having thicker hair.
- In another clinical study which had a sample size of 20 patients, the researchers noted that PRP injections provided a significant reduction in hair loss and an improvement in hair density after 3 months. When asked about their satisfactory rating, the patients reported a mean satisfaction result of 7.1 out of 10. Additionally, they experienced no major side effects.
What Kind of Results Should You Expect from PRP Hair Treatment?
PRP injections have remarkable hair growth effects on patients with androgenetic alopecia. It also has promising benefits for the other types of hair loss such as alopecia areata and can be used to promote the growth of vellus hairs and slow down the progression of hair thinning and receding hairline.
Additionally, the results of PRP treatment can vary from patient to patient depending on the extent of the hair loss condition and the number of sessions that will be done. Here are some of the other benefits of PRP for hair loss:
- Lessens the rate of hair loss
- Improves overall quality of hair texture
- Strengthens hair strands to reduce and prevent hair fall
- Nourishes the scalp and increases the number of follicles to encourage healthy hair growth
- Repairs damaged follicles from hair breakage and use of harsh chemicals
Is PRP a Permanent Hair Loss Solution?
While PRP treatment can effectively regrow new hair, its results are not immediate. You’ll need to wait for at least 3 to 6 months to see the full effects of the platelet injections. This is because the treatment works to support the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle and new hairs can grow for about half an inch per month.
Likewise, the effects of the platelets are not permanent but they are long-lasting. There’s no way to reverse your genetic predisposition for hair loss but PRP injections can help manage its symptoms. On average, most PRP-treated patients can expect their results to last anywhere from 12 to 18 months.
It’s best to have maintenance treatments to prevent your hair loss condition from worsening and prolonging the regrowth of pigmented hair. Most individuals will start their PRP treatment by having 3 to 4 sessions every 3 to 6 weeks. Once the initial series of injections are complete, follow-up sessions may be done once or twice a year based on the current severity of the hair loss.
What’s in a PRP Injection for Hair Loss?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is an autologous treatment that injects a potent hair growth solution derived from your own blood. The injections contain different components that are known to help promote cell growth, repair and grow new blood vessels and heal damaged tissues and follicles. Here’s what a PRP serum typically contains:
Platelets
The blood is made up of different liquids and solids. Plasma is the fluid part that mostly consists of water, sugar, fat, and other essential proteins. The solid components are the red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets.
Whether it’s for sports medicine or hair restoration, PRP injections mainly utilize the platelets which have an important role in the healing and blood clotting process. For a PRP treatment to be effective, there has to be a high concentration of platelets in the serum. It will also undergo platelet activation which will stimulate the release of growth factors and kickstart the hair rejuvenation process.
Growth Factors
They are an essential group of plasmatic proteins that support cell growth, proliferation, and wound healing. There are several types of special platelet plasma growth factors that are prominent in a PRP injection for hair loss:
- Platelet-derived growth factor – They can activate cell proliferation for tissue repair and encourage the growth of new blood cells.
- Insulin-like growth factor – They can help stimulate the proliferative phase of the hair growth cycle.
- Vascular endothelial growth factor – They are responsible for the development of new blood vessels and improving blood flow and circulation of nutrients and oxygen to the follicles.
- Epidermal growth factor – They have an important role in tissue regeneration, new cell growth, and collagen production.
- Fibroblast growth factor – They support the hair growth cycle by regulating the induction of angiogenesis in stem cells and increasing the number and size of follicles.
Overview of the PRP Procedure for Hair Loss
PRP treatments don’t require invasive surgery but they do involve quick bloodwork in order to prepare the serum. Here’s a step-by-step process for administering PRP injections:
- Blood draw – The autologous preparation of PRP begins with the extraction of a small volume of a blood sample from the patient. Depending on the size of the areas that will be injected in the session, an average of 15 to 60 mL may be obtained for PRP injection.
- Centrifugation – After collecting the blood, the provider will place it in a centrifuge machine to isolate the platelets from the other blood components.
- Activation – The centrifugation process can take about 10 minutes and this will be followed by the activation of platelets. The addition of compounds like calcium chloride or calcium gluconate can help release the growth factors needed to provide optimal hair restoration results.
- Injection – After platelet activation, the provider will inject the PRP serum to the areas with visible hair loss. A topical numbing cream may be applied on the scalp to ensure that the injections will not be overly painful.
The entire PRP procedure may take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour. Since it’s not a surgical treatment, it doesn’t also require long downtime periods and patients may resume their normal activities shortly after the injections. There are a few side effects to the treatment such as minor pain, bleeding, swelling, and bruising but they should only last for a couple of days.
PEP Factor: An Effective Alternative for Hair Loss
Although PRP treatments have been proven to help hair regrowth, the procedure may not be the best option for those who have a low platelet count, bleeding disorder, and autoimmune disease. Additionally, the preparation process requires proper PRP kits, supplies, and equipment which some practices may not have access to.
For aesthetic clinics looking for another way to provide hair restoration to their clients, PEP Factor can be a good alternative for PRP treatments. PEP Factor products can potentially provide the same hair regrowth and scalp rejuvenating effects as PRP injections without the need for extensive blood work and preparation.
They contain a blend of fibroblast growth factors, copper peptides, and other essential vitamins and nutrients that can nourish the scalp and follicles to promote healthy hair growth. PEP Factor products can be applied topically and they can even be used to enhance the results of PRP injection therapy.
FACE Med Store: Your Trusted Provider for Quality Medical Supplies for Scalp Rejuvenation
-
EL Exosomes Package
-
EL Exosomes
-
Exosome Therapy
-
Butterfly Needle – 23G 3/4 in. x 12 in. with sliding safety shield- Box of 100
-
Butterfly Needle – 25G 3/4 in. x 12 in. with sliding safety shield- Box of 100
-
Butterfly Needle – 21G 3/4 in. x 12 in. with sliding safety shield- Box of 100
-
Blood Draw Needle Holder (Vacutainer) – Bag of 100
PRP injections are a great help to individuals who are seeking to treat the symptoms of alopecia and hair loss. Although its effects are not permanent, they can potentially be long-lasting with frequent treatments. Another way that can help boost its results and improve hair health is the use of PEP Factor products.
FACE Med Store is a trusted distributor of high-quality PEP Factor for skin rejuvenation and hair restoration. We also offer other premium and affordable beauty and medical tools and supplies that can help your practice provide the best aesthetic treatments. Shop on our website now or contact us to learn more about our products.