Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a concentrate of blood platelet cells derived from the patient’s blood. The role of platelets is to develop clots to stop bleeding when the skin is wounded. However, they also secrete different types of growth factors which help promote cellular reproduction. Treatment with platelet rich plasma for hair loss is now being offered to individuals suffering from pattern baldness. And this leaves many people wondering if this therapy can actually help grow hair. In the video below, Dr. Umar addresses this very question.
How Platelet Rich Plasma for Hair Loss Treatments Are Performed
During a PRP treatment, about 30 mL of the patient’s blood is extracted and processed in a centrifuge. This separates the blood into three distinct layers:
(1) platelet rich plasma
(2) platelet deficient plasma
(3) red blood cells
The platelet-rich plasma is then isolated and applied to a target area for treatment. For hair loss sufferers, wounds on the scalp are created in order to administer the platelets.
Does Platelet Rich Plasma Work for Growing Hair?
As Dr. Umar explains in the video, research findings do not validate the effectiveness of PRP.
There is no solid evidence which shows that growth factors from the platelets actually help rebuild follicles so that they can start growing hair again.
Before and After Pictures of PRP For Hair – Why Do Some Patients Show Growth?
Certainly, one could find many internet photos of patients who seem to have benefitted from platelet-rich plasma for hair loss.
However, these images are not convincing forms of evidence for platelets being responsible for new hair growth.
As discussed earlier, one of the first steps of a PRP hair treatment is to form wounds on the scalp. When the skin heals itself, it also produces new hair follicles during this process.
It may be that the hair growth seen in before and after patient images can be explained by wounding the skin, and not the platelets themselves.
Will PRP After a Hair Transplant Improve My Growth Yield? Dr. Umar Answers This Question for Los Angeles Patients
Many hair transplant providers endorse PRP treatments for better growth yield after surgery. The idea is that growth factors from the platelets can improve the state of the hair follicles once they are implanted.
As Dr. Umar explains, the basis for needing post-op PRP treatments is completely invalid. The hair transplant practitioner has the responsibility of ensuring the quality of the grafts before they are placed in the recipient area.
First, the surgeon must be skilled enough to select healthy, viable hair follicles over those that have already started to miniaturize. Secondly, they must be able to avoid errors and risk factors that undermine the quality of the grafts. These include mechanical misalignments of the surgical tools used as well as air exposure, the number cause of graft failure.
Applying platelet rich plasma will not reverse the mistakes made through the poor selection or handling of the hair transplant grafts.
In conclusion, anyone who is considering platelet rich plasma for hair loss should carefully think about whether there is a clear mechanism of action that makes sense. Simply mixing general cell growth factors together with hair follicles is not sufficient for actually rebuilding hair growing processes. It is also important to take a deeper, more analytical look at patient photos and to consider rational possibilities that explain the results shown.
If you are in the Los Angeles area and would like to speak to Dr. Umar about undergoing hair transplantation, click the button below to sign up for a complimentary consultation.
