PRP is the short form of Platelet- Rich Plasma. PRP for hair loss is a hair loss treatment. Doctors extract the patient’s blood, put it into a centrifuge to be divided into various blood components such as red blood cells, platelet-poor plasma, and platelet-rich plasma. The doctor then takes the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) using a syringe and injects it into the affected area.
This blood component, PRP, is said to accelerate the growth of hair follicles since it increases the supply of blood and cells responsible for hair growth around the affected area leading to an increase in the thickness of natural and new hair shafts. It is fit for both males and females to regrow their hair in different body parts.
Many doctors have been using PRP hair treatment in various patients who have hair loss problems and want to stimulate the hair follicles to grow or stop the further loss of hair. This treatment can be more effective when the hair loss is caused by androgenetic alopecia, making hair shrink and fall out.
This article will enable you to have full knowledge on PRP for hair loss treatment such as, how to identify its need, its effectiveness and probability of it working, the advantages and disadvantages for hair treatment, and the comparison of the result before and after performing the therapy.
How to identify The Need For PRP For Hair Loss Treatment?
When you are experiencing hair loss resulting from alopecia areata or androgenetic alopecia, you can settle at PRP to solve this problem. You should consult your doctor on the causes of your hair loss and ask whether PRP can be a suitable treatment for you.
During the consultation, the Specialist will tell you about various health conditions in your body and determine the risks that may result from PRP hair treatment. This will help you know the ability and chances of it to work for you. You should ask for the cost to see if you can afford it. If not, then try to identify another hair loss treatment that you are comfortable with.
Many people choose PRP for hair loss treatment since the risks associated with it are less since the doctors use your blood, and the healing process is always short because of the application of platelet, which helps in blood clotting and plasma that contains a high amount of proteins in stimulating the growth of hair follicles.
Does PRP Work for Hair Loss?
The doctors and researchers are not a hundred percent sure of the suggestion of PRP hair treatment. This is because they have only tried it on few people who have recorded positive results. The researchers say the most likely people to benefit from this procedure are those whose hair is caused by androgenic alopecia. This hair loss condition comes from family genes.
When the researchers researched this hair loss treatment, they noticed positive outcomes on various patients. The research took place in 2014, 2015, and 2019 where they used 11, 10, and 20 people respectively each year.
In 2014, the injection of some PRP into the affected scalp after every two weeks for three months improved the growth of hair follicles, leading to healthy hair growth.
In 2015, there was an improvement in the hair roots greatly, the growing thick hair, and the growth rate. This made the record a positive change in the study.
In 2019, the researchers compared those who used PRP for hair loss to the patients using other hair loss treatments. They found that PRP had better results than other treatments, such as using drugs like Minoxidil.
Due to less research on PRP hair treatment, researchers have not concluded and recommend that it is the best option for hair loss treatment.
How Effective is PRP Treatment?
Following various positive results that researchers have recorded on PRP for hair loss treatment, we can say that PRP hair treatment is a good option to choose when one is experiencing hair loss. Though the research is not adequate to prove its effectiveness, many doctors suggest it for hair loss treatment.
Unlike other hair loss treatments, doctors say that PRP can immediately restore hair and stimulate the growth of hair follicles in the whole affected area when the procedure is performed well. Before using this treatment, you should consult your doctor to know whether it can be effective for your hair loss problem.
Advantages of PRP Treatment
- i) It takes less time to notice the results;- When you perform a PRP for hair loss treatment, you will likely record the results within less time than other treatments.
- ii) Less pain is involved;- Unlike other surgeries and therapies, PRP hair treatment does not have much pain when an experienced doctor performs it.
- iii) It ensures the patient’s safety;- The doctors use the patient’s blood to perform the therapy, reducing the risks of contracting various blood-related diseases.
- iv) Improvement of skin appearance and confidence;- PRP hair treatment enhances self-confidence and improves skin appearance since the hair can regrow, become thicker and healthy in the whole body.
- v) PRP is an effective hair loss treatment; This is because of different positive results that researchers have recorded.
- vi) It is a convenient and reliable hair loss treatment since the patient can go back to their daily routine a few hours after the procedure.
vii) PRP hair treatment is versatile for hair growth and the replacement of hair follicles in the scalp.
Disadvantages of PRP Treatment
i) Itching of The Scalp.
When you use PRP for hair loss treatment, your scalp may be itchy a few days after the procedure, and this is the first disadvantage that many people have experienced.
ii) Headache
People who practice PRP for hair loss treatment have complained of mild headaches a few hours after the therapy.
iii) Bleeding at the Injected Area
One can have temporary bleeding at the injected area, which stops after some time. The bleeding is due to the injection procedure that the doctors perform on the scalp.
iv) Pain at the Injection Area
When you choose PRP hair treatment, be assured to experience some pain during the therapy. If you can survive the mild pain, then you are good to go for it.
v) The Swelling Of the Scalp
You can also suffer from the swelling of the scalp as a result of PRP hair treatment therapy. If the swelling exceeds, you should consult your doctor on what to do before it worsens.
vi) Tenderness of the Scalp
The scalp may become tender before the hair follicles appear on the injected area in some patients.
PRP for Hair Loss Before and After
Doctors have shown the results of the patients before and after the therapy, and they conclude that the average growth of hair follicles moves from 71 to 96 inches. This is why they recommend it for treating hair loss in many patients.
Conclusion
PRP hair treatment is a good option when it comes to hair loss conditions. You should consult your Specialist before performing the therapy to know if it suits you. PRP for hair loss is effective, maintain the injection period every four to six months and follow the doctor’s prescription.
