Shared by Dr Love Mt Pleasant.
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are one of the most effective options for the treatment of male pattern baldness. Dr. Love, Mt Pleasant Medical Director of NeuLogics, notes that research has shown that PRP can be beneficial. It assists in preventing hair loss and encouraging new hair growth. It is also effective in promoting and accelerating hair growth after hair transplants. As for how it works, Dr. Love Mt Pleasant physician, discusses how PRP is well-accepted by the vast majority of patients because it uses the patient’s own natural blood cells to promote hair growth.
Dr Love Mt Pleasant explains how it works
According to Dr. Love, Mt Pleasant medical director, this means that Platelet-Rich Plasma can speed tissue healing, repair damage done to hair follicles, and reverse the process of androgenetic alopecia (known as hormone-related baldness or male pattern baldness) with a combination of growth factors and proteins.
During androgenetic alopecia, a common condition in men but also found in women, the hair follicles often shrink, resulting in thinning hair and male pattern baldness. PRP works to increase the thickness of those hair follicles, giving them a second chance and restoring former fullness. It does so by increasing the concentration of the hormones called growth factors in the scalp area to accelerate and encourage the growth of full and robust hair follicles.
“Most studies suggest that subcutaneous injection of PRP is likely to reduce hair loss, increase hair diameter and density in patients with androgenic alopecia.“
– Mao, Zhang & Fan published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery
The treatment is also used for speeding the healing of tendons and sports injuries, where the effectiveness of the platelet solution had benefits.
Image credit: Ksenia Cherneya
Treatment
Because PRP treatment uses the patient’s own blood, it can be safely combined with other treatment options without the concern of interactions. Thus, it is a great option on its own or as a part of more intensive treatment regimes.
“The evidence suggests that PRP may work best when it is combined with other treatments for AGA, such as topical minoxidil (Rogaine) or oral finasteride (Propecia), which is an anti-androgenic drug.”
To produce Platelet-Rich Plasma, Dr. Love, Mt Pleasant physician, explains that a patient’s own blood will be drawn. That blood naturally contains plasma (the liquid part of our blood). It also contains platelets (a blood cell that, as discussed, promotes healing and encourages the growth of hair follicles). It will then be placed in a centrifuge and spun rapidly until all the damage-repairing platelets have separated from the other components of the blood. This simple yet highly effective method creates a plasma that is rich in platelets and ready for use.
Image credit: Gustavo Fring
From there, the solution is then injected into the patient in the area where it is needed. In the case of baldness, the scalp. Ultrasound-guided injections are often used when precision is required.
Results
After approximately six months of treating the scalp with Platelet-Rich Plasma, results become most noticeable. Hair grows in thicker, denser, and more reliably. The only downside? Results are not always permanent, and repeat treatments may be required if signs of thinning reappear in the future.