Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Hair Loss

Conveniently located to serve the Northern Virginia, Maryland and Washington D.C. metro areas. 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments consist of extracting PRP from an individual’s blood and injecting PRP into hair follicles. PRP extraction employs a centrifuge-like device that separates PRP from the blood and increases the concentration of proteins that boost healing in the body.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments are a type of regenerative medicine that bolster the body’s ability to heal and promote natural growth factors in the body used for healing body tissue. Research suggests that PRP injections can address androgenic alopecia, referred to as male pattern baldness. PRP treatments can be performed alone or combined with other cosmetic procedures. 

At The Hair Transplant Center – Virginia, we perform PRP therapy with FUE hair transplant surgery. We also offer stand-alone PRP treatments to address hair loss.

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Contents

What Does PRP Treatments Involve?
How Does Someone Receive a PRP Treatment for Hair Loss?
Are PRP Treatments Effective at Regrowing Hair?
Is PRP Safe for Treating Hair Loss?
What Are Some of the Possible PRP Hair Treatment Side Effects?
How Much Does PRP Treatments Cost?
Is PRP an Appropriate Hair Loss Treatment Option for Your Needs?
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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Hair Loss

What Does PRP Treatments Involve?

PRP consists of a concentration of one cell type, referred to as platelets or thrombocytes. These platelets represent tiny fragments of cells essential for normal blood clotting, which prevents a person from bleeding uncontrollably. 

Platelets and the liquid plasma part of blood contain many substances essential for healing in the body. In other words, platelet-rich plasma in the blood contains more platelets. 

In PRP treatments, a technician obtains a blood sample from a patient and places the sample into a centrifuge. This tool rapidly spins the blood sample to segregate the other components of blood from the platelets while concentrating them within the plasma.

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01
How Does Someone Receive a PRP Treatment for Hair Loss?
02
Are PRP Treatments Effective at Regrowing Hair?
03
Is PRP Safe for Treating Hair Loss?
04
What Are Some of the Possible PRP Hair Loss Treatment Side Effects?

How Does Someone Receive a PRP Treatment for Hair Loss?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy for hair loss consists of a three-step treatment. A technician draws a blood sample, refines it, and injects the refined blood into the scalp. This technique has been used since the 1980s to heal injured tendons, sprained joints, and pulled muscles. 

Some medical specialists feel that PRP injections bolster hair growth and support healthy hair production by boosting the supply of blood to the hair follicle and enhancing the thickness of the hair shaft. 

PRP production follows a three-step technique. Many PRP therapy forms consist of three treatments (four to six weeks apart) that require follow-up every four to six months.

  1. A technician extracts about 20 milliliters of whole blood into a centrifuge. This machine rapidly spins the sample to separate fluids in the blood of different densities.
  2. After 10 minutes in the centrifuge, the blood sample will separate into  three layers: platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma, and red blood cells.
  3. A technician draws up the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) into a syringe and injects the PRP into targeted regions on a patient’s scalp.

Although it’s not noticeable when mixed into blood, plasma appears naturally as a pale yellow substance that one can spot by contrast when a centrifuge separates blood into its components.

PRP has several growth factors and proteins that can stimulate tissue repair. At first, researchers who studied PRP’s healing properties believed that PRP could encourage hair regrowth by reversing what occurs with androgenetic alopecia. PRP is now a well-established method of promoting hair growth.

Are PRP Treatments Effective at Regrowing Hair?

PRP injections can address male pattern baldness, counter the negative effects of hair loss, and stimulate new hair growth. PRP treatments can also assist with boosting hair growth after the occurrence of hair replacement procedures.

PRP contains proteins that feature several types of growth factors to promote the development of new hair follicles and enhance how new blood vessels naturally form.

  • Epidermal growth factor (EGF).
  • Insulin-like growth factor (IGF). 
  • Interleukin (IL-1).
  • Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF).
  • Transforming growth factor (TGF).
  • Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEG). 

PRP treatments for thinning hair can also assist shrinking hair follicles to produce hair more effectively and develop new hair follicles. If new follicles are present, new hair may grow from them.

In 2014, a pilot study involved injecting 2 to 3 milliliters of PRP four times, two weeks apart, in 11 participants who didn’t benefit from oral finasteride or topical minoxidil treatments. Researchers found that the pace of hair loss declined significantly between the first and fourth injections of PRP.

PRP injection can indeed be a practical treatment for androgenic alopecia resulting in increased overall patient satisfaction from the procedure. 

While the effectiveness of stand-alone PRP injections as a treatment for hair restoration requires more research, PRP has proven effective with wound healing. Therefore, PRP treatments can be combined with FUE procedures.

Is PRP Safe for Treating Hair Loss?

PRP treatments for hair loss are relatively safe, especially when an experienced hair transplant surgeon performs these treatments. 

Plasma is routinely used in connection with surgical treatments. For example, doctors can use plasma to treat individuals with immunodeficiency diseases, genetics-induced emphysema, injuries, and burns. PRP treatments also deliver an immune boost via antibodies to individuals who face potentially life-threatening situations.

In the case of hair restoration, the safety concerns are much like other treatment procedures. Besides the need for using a sterile needle and syringe, the procedure involves minimal risk of infection. 

Mild risk factors associated with PRP treatments include headache, pain, redness, and temporary hair shedding. PRP may not be acceptable for individuals who have a history of bleeding disorders or autoimmune diseases.

What Are Some of the Possible PRP Hair Loss Treatment Side Effects?

PRP treatment presents the possibility of some side effects from injections and from the procedure itself. These side effects include the following:

  • Blood vessel injury on the scalp.
  • Infection at the site of injection.
  • Injury to nerves in the body.
  • Scar tissue developing from the injection site
  • Side effects from anesthesia such as bladder control problems, confusion, or muscle aches.

How Much Does PRP Hair Treatments Cost?

At The Hair Transplant Center – Virginia, we perform PRP hair treatments together with other hair transplant procedures for the cost of $1,000 per session. Our team conducts a series of three treatments for hair loss and offers PRP treatments as a minimally invasive stand-alone treatment for hair loss at the cost of $1,500 per treatment or three PRP treatments for the cost of $3,000.

Is PRP an Appropriate Hair Loss Treatment Option for Your Needs?

Although limited clinical proof exists to conclude that PRP treatments for hair loss will work for everyone, researchers believe that PRP treatments can indeed contribute to a renewal of hair growth. Other clinical researchers feel that PRP is a safe, effective method to reverse hair loss and promote new, healthy hair growth. 

While PRP is a stand-alone hair loss treatment option that we provide at The Hair Transplant Center – Virginia, our hair restoration specialists can use PRP treatments together with FUE hair transplant procedures to stimulate hair growth and scalp healing. 

How often a patient should receive a PRP treatment will depend on the individual’s condition and the results of an initial PRP treatment. Our hair transplant physician at The Hair Transplant Center – Virginia may recommend PRP maintenance injections every three to six months once hair loss is brought under control.

Contact us to learn which treatment or combination of treatments makes sense for your needs.

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