hair loss treatment with platelet-rich plasma

Apart from the hair transplant, which is a surgical procedure, there is a beneficial and innovative method being used by hair doctors lately. This method is the platelet-rich-plasma therapy.
Platelet-rich plasma therapy is also called PRP therapy. This is a non-surgical medical treatment for hair loss to promote healthier, thicker, and denser hair growth.

 

What is platelet-rich plasma?

Platelets are an army of cells that circulate in the blood. These blood constituents control bleeding and increase immunity, but they also contain more than 1,500 growth factors and unique proteins that facilitate wound healing and tissue repair.

 

 How is the process done?

 This treatment is done in three steps

• a person's blood is drawn,
• The blood is processed to get plasma with a higher percentage of platelets
• The plasma is injected into the scalp

PRP therapy is not a new one, but it has been in use since the 1980s for speeding up recovery in the case of injured tendons, ligaments, and muscles. The hair doctors have been successfully applying this technique for hair growth for quite some time.

How does PRP help hair growth?

Platelets contain densely concentrated growth factors in it, which are known to stimulate new hair growth. When a hair transplant Surgery is done, follicles are grafted in bald areas. These grafted hair follicles lose the hair first and then grow hair in the next subsequent hair cycle. The platelet-rich plasma in the scalp increases the ingredients required for hair construction. It makes hair transplants grow thicker and healthier hair.

How long do the benefits of PRP treatments last? 

According to published reports, PRP tends to improve hair caliber and hair growth for about four to six weeks, requiring repeated treatments once a month for three months. Up to three injections may be given within a six-month time frame. These are usually performed at 4-6 weeks apart if needed. Both ultrasound and MRI images have shown definitive tissue repair after PRP therapy, confirming the healing process.

What is the cost of platelet-rich plasma therapy?

PRP therapy requires three sittings, usually. The cost in India varies between 20,000 to 25000. If the patient undergoes a hair transplant, it might be included in the whole cost package of the operation. In the initial consultations, one must discuss the PRP treatment with the surgeons to enhance the final result of the transplant surgery.

Can PRP grow new hair?

Researchers can regrow hair in balding patients with a series of injections, but results vary in men and women. It can certainly help because there are no side-effects involved. PRP is derived from one's blood. One can do one's research and ask the doctor for the names of patients who have benefitted.

What are the risks of PRP?

Since PRP is extracted from your blood, it is an autologous procedure; there is no chance of having an allergic reaction. The only possible risks could be local infections or pain/ discomfort at the time of injecting.