Thyroid conditions like hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism can cause plenty of negative effects on the body, but one of the most visible ones is the thinning of hair; you can lose entire patches of hair with a thyroid condition. And while it’s possible to somewhat repair the damage, future hair loss is still likely and your hair life cycle will be greatly affected. Fortunately, there are also many options you can choose to counteract hair thinning and restore your hair strands, PRP injections being one of them.
But how effective are PRP injections as a therapy for hair loss caused by thyroid conditions? While other methods like hair transplantation may prove to be a more effective treatment overall, these procedures often put a strain on your body which can be difficult to recover from. In comparison, PRP injections are a far gentler option that can help reinvigorate your hair follicles and encourage additional hair growth and repair.
How Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections Work To Regrow Hair
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a method that relies on injecting a pure platelet concentrate into your body, which increases your cell regrowth, tissue repair, and wound healing response. Platelet-rich plasma therapy is relatively simple to administer – all the provider needs is a blood sample from the patient, which is then processed to remove other compounds apart from platelets. Once the white blood cells, red blood cells, and other compounds are removed, what remains is a pure platelet serum that can be injected straight back into your body.
Platelet-rich plasma treatment is often used for applications like sports medicine and to speed up the healing from other medical conditions, but its ability to improve your body’s repair and regrowth mechanisms is the cornerstone of why it is used for hair regrowth. By increasing blood supply, counteracting the physical stress from day-to-day activities, and releasing growth factors, PRP therapy can accelerate your tissue healing and encourage hair growth with almost no adverse effects.
Part of the reason why there are minimal side effects to begin with is what makes PRP treatments so effective: their biocompatibility. Because it’s derived from your own blood sample, PRP injections have a higher rate of success and a lower rate of rejection compared to some hair rejuvenation treatments. This can be particularly useful if a patient can’t access other treatments like hair transplantation surgery since the strain on their body may be too much.
When’s the Ideal Time to Use PRP Treatments?
Given these advantages, PRP treatments can help you regain some amounts of hair – though the exact efficacy of its effects will vary greatly depending on the person. Consistent amounts of PRP can improve hair health, reduce hair shedding, and slow the progression of hair loss in general, but since thyroid conditions can also escalate, it’s generally not advised to rely solely on PRP treatments for hair regrowth.
So when exactly should you start on PRP treatments for hair loss if you’re experiencing a thyroid condition? Ideally, your use should follow these three guidelines:
Early in the Treatment
Early-onset symptoms of thyroid conditions will not always include hair shedding, but patients who experience this can start the PRP treatments before their condition escalates. By triggering your hair regrowth before your scalp loses too much hair, you’re far more likely to experience drastic improvements in your hair rejuvenation treatment and slow down hair loss overall.
After Considerable Improvements With Your Medication
If you’ve put off addressing hair fall until your thyroid gland has stabilized, then it’s also possible to get injections of platelet-rich plasma after your treatments are done. Because the procedure relies on your body’s own repair response, you’re more likely to get the outcome that you want since your body isn’t under so much strain anymore.
On The Advice of Your Doctor
Theoretically, PRP treatment can be started at any time, since the process doesn’t put too much stress on your body and has significant benefits aside from hair rejuvenation. If you’re considering PRP treatment at any time when you’re getting medication for your thyroid condition, you can consult your primary care physician and a hair loss expert on the best time to integrate PRP injections with your treatments.
Why Thyroid-Induced Hair Loss Needs Other Hair Treatments
PRP injections may help with thinning hair caused by thyroid conditions, but they shouldn’t be your only treatment for hair loss. This is because the specific type of hair thinning that you experience from thyroid conditions can be difficult for PRP treatment to tackle alone.
Generally, PRP treatments for hair loss work well if it’s caused by conditions like androgenetic alopecia, or similar stress/lifestyle-related causes. By reinvigorating the body’s repair functions in a localized area, it can kick-start the cell regrowth process and activate any dormant hair follicles in the area.
However, thyroid conditions often cause hair loss by hormonal changes – which is an area where the interaction of PRP treatments isn’t fully studied or understood. As a result, there’s a possibility that PRP treatment can only give you minor or even negligible improvements for hair loss, no matter how non-invasive or biocompatible the process is.
Most hair loss experts will generally recommend using another type of hair regrowth treatment as your primary method of countering thinning hair from thyroid conditions. Topical minoxidil in particular has been a reliable method of counteracting hair loss, though the potency of the chemicals in the product may interfere with your thyroid medication. If in doubt, consult your doctor.
Get High-Quality Medical Tools and Supplies From FACE Med Store Today
Having a thyroid condition can make hair loss and baldness more likely, but using platelet-rich plasma treatments may help you avoid the worst of the effects – and even help grow your hair back. While it can’t address thyroid diseases by itself, PRP treatments can help encourage hair growth and limit some of the more extreme side effects you may experience. However, you should keep in mind that not every type of hair loss will respond well to PRP injections.
Whether it’s for a cosmetic or medical condition, FACE Med Store has the tools and supplies that you need to treat yourself and/or your patients. We specialize in providing accessible, high-quality, and affordable medical-grade tools and supplies, helping our clients achieve their goals. Whether you’re a healthcare provider or someone who needs supplies at home, we can help you without you worrying about the price.
For more information about us and our available products, check our website today.
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