Thinned hair and hair loss are issues that affect people of both genders equally. Around Thirty million women and fifty million men have lost some hair. It is most prevalent beyond fifty or in response to stress.
Furthermore, there are hundreds of hair loss remedies with differing degrees of efficacy and dependability. However, some have considerably stronger scientific foundations than others.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of these remedies . PRP is a chemical that is extracted from your blood and injected into your scalp. It is said to help repair body tissues, including the follicles that produce your hair.
A centrifuge-like device collects PRP from your blood, separating the material and increasing the concentration with specific proteins that aid healing.
Because of this, PRP may be used alone to treat osteoarthritis and tendon injuries.
Research shows PRP injections will also help treat male pattern baldness or androgenic alopecia.
Let’s examine the study’s specific findings about the effectiveness of PRP therapy for hair loss, potential side effects, and expected outcomes.
Does PRP work for hair loss?
The simple answer in this case is that insufficient scientific evidence supports the idea that PRP can help you keep or grow new hair.
A review of some encouraging findings on PRP and hair loss may be found here:
Injecting 2 to 3 cubic centimetres of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into the scalp every two weeks for three months was reported to raise the average number of follicles from 71 to 93 units in a 2014 research of 11 individuals with androgenic alopecia. Although the study’s sample size is too small to draw firm conclusions, it suggests that PRP could aid in increasing the number of hair follicles that actively nourish healthy hair.
In a 2015 research, the quantity of hairs, their thickness, and the strength of the hair roots all improved in ten participants who had PRP injections every two to three weeks for three months. This study further supports the results of prior PRP and hair loss research. However, 10 participants must still be increased for a meaningful sample size.
Two groups of persons who had various hair treatments for six months were compared in a 2019 research. Twenty individuals in one group took minoxidil (Rogaine), while the other twenty received PRP injections. After thirty participants completed the research, PRP significantly outperformed Rogaine in treating hair loss. However, the study also discovered that your platelet count might influence your plasma’s ability to treat hair loss. If your blood platelet count is down, PRP could not work as well for you in this case.
There is little study on PRP for hair development outside of treating male pattern baldness, and what little there is isn’t definitive.
Then why the hullabaloo? Proteins known to have many primary roles that aid in hair growth are believed to be present in PRP:
- promoting blood clotting in you
- Reliable Source
- promoting cell division
- Reliable Source
Additionally, some encouraging data indicates that PRP could effectively treat other forms of hair loss.
Is PRP hair treatment a permanent solution?
In this first treatment, it takes a few sessions to start showing benefits.
Additionally, you’ll still want touch-ups at least once a year to sustain new hair growth, even after the effects start to show.
PRP injections for hair loss: Before and after
Remember that each person’s outcomes will vary depending on their blood platelet count, general health, and hair health.
This individual is an example of someone who had effective hair loss recovery after PRP injection therapy.
One potential therapy for androgenic alopecia, or hair loss, is platelet-rich plasma, or PRP. Some folks see noticeable progress after many sessions.
Takeaway
There is encouraging data supporting PRP hair treatment for hair loss.
However, most studies have been conducted using study groups comprising at most 40 participants. It isn’t easy to forcast whether these outcomes will be effective for everyone.
Furthermore, the platelet concentrations in your blood may be insufficient to restore your hair using PRP injection treatment.
To find out whether you’re a good candidate for PRP injection treatment, speak with a doctor about having your blood tested for platelets and your hair’s condition examined.
