More and more patients are learning about the benefits of PRP for hair loss and the list of studies showing benefit has grown. Traditionally PRP has been used as a nonsurgical treatment done in the office to stimulate hair growth. A more recent trend is to use PRP during the hair transplant to minimize hair shock and improve the overall result.
Like with much of PRP, the claims have gotten a little ahead of the science. PRP stands for platelet rich plasma. It is obtained from your own blood and extremely safe. It has been used now with success for a wide variety of medical conditions. For hair loss patients, PRP is high in growth factors that can help with hair growth. Studies have for the most part shown benefit with these treatments when injected into the scalp in the office to stimulate hair growth. We also have seen some nice results in our own patients, but also have some that have seen not as much of a response. While it appears that PRP can stimulate real hair growth for some patients, we are all still figuring out who are the best candidates, what is the right formula and how many treatments be performed.
A more recent trend is to use PRP for hair grafts during the hair transplant procedure. One recent study demonstrated less hair shock and better graft take when using PRP during the procedure. PRP contains high amounts of growth factors to help with healing and stimulate new grafts to grow. Future studies will be needed to confirm these possible benefits.
We are excited to be able to offer PRP during our hair transplant procedures for those patients interested. Other than a quick blood draw, there is no downside to this technique. The hair transplant is done in the same fashion, but the grafts are soaked in this growth stimulating serum prior to implantation. Hair transplantation is already a procedure with a high success rate. We look forward to seeing even better results as we incorporate PRP into our procedures.