Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have shown to be a potential treatment for everything from sports injuries to skin rejuvenation. As researchers continue to uncover its capabilities, patients are exploring their options with PRP treatments.
Physicians often choose PRP treatments to accelerate healing post-surgery, or in conjunction with a skin treatment like micro needling, a combination often referred to as a vampire facial.
As PRP treatments gain momentum, new uses for the therapy begin to reveal impressive results, leading patients and physicians to wonder what else PRP can offer, including a potential treatment for hair loss.
How Does PRP Therapy Work?
Plasma is the liquid portion of blood, made up of water and protein. Plasma moves the platelets, red blood cells, and white blood cells through the body.
While the role of red blood cells is to carry oxygen throughout the body (while white blood cells help fight infection), platelets are part of the body’s healing system, critical to forming clots and stopping bleeding.
In PRP treatments, a medical provider draws blood from the patient, then places that blood in a centrifuge. The centrifuge spins the blood, separating the platelets from the other blood components and concentrating them into the plasma.
That concentrated fluid becomes platelet-rich plasma, then injected into a targeted area to facilitate healing.
What Does PRP Do for Hair Loss?
When platelets are in the bloodstream, they’re not considered “activated” until an injury occurs. Then, the platelets rush to the site to help clot blood and signal the body that there’s damage.
When platelets activate to repair tissue, they release growth factors and produce anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial elements, which all work to facilitate healing.
PRP injections for hair loss deliver concentrated, activated platelets to hair follicles, improve the blood supply to the area, increase the thickness of the hair shafts, and restore growth to dormant areas.
What Results Do Patients See from PRP for Hair Loss?
Most patients undergoing PRP treatments for hair loss begin with a series of treatments, scheduled about four to six weeks apart, for around three to four months. Patients often start seeing results within two to three months.
At first, patients may see a reduction in hair loss before noticing regrowth of hair from dormant follicles and longer, thicker hair.
Patients hoping to maintain their results will need maintenance treatments every three to six months to continue growth factor stimulation. The best results of PRP therapy come from a multi-faceted approach to hair loss, combining treatments with hair regrowth medications.
This post was written by a medical professional at Stemedix Inc. At Stemedix we provide access to Regenerative Medicine for hair, also known as Stem cells for hair loss. Regenerative medicine has the natural potential to help improve symptoms sometimes lost from the progression of many conditions.
