Is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) an Effective Hair Loss Treatment?

This question, from a member of our hair loss social community and discussion forums, was answered by Coalition hair transplant surgeon Dr. Carlos Wesley:

I am a 3 to 4 on the [tag]Norwood Scale[/tag] for [tag]hair loss[/tag] and I am exploring the option of getting PRP. Has anyone had good [tag]hair growth[/tag] results?

[tag]Platelet rich plasma[/tag] ([tag]PRP[/tag]) is a treatment that has certainly shown promise in our field of [tag]hair restoration[/tag]. Probably the most important criteria in determining its beneficial effect is appropriate patient selection. The main challenge in presenting objective data worldwide is that there is so much variation regarding concentration used and technique of PRP creation and delivery. During last year’s [tag]ISHRS[/tag] meeting in San Francisco, five respected [tag]hair transplant[/tag] surgeons on a PRP panel all revealed that they use completely different techniques and methods of harvesting PRP.

Dr. Carlos Uebel in Brazil published quite a thorough study in 2006 in which he demonstrated the benefit of PRP as a storage solution during hair surgical procedures. We have found the same trends to be true: improved survival and hair caliber post transplantation.

As far as a stand-alone injection procedure, it can be incredibly effective in the correct patient. Our examination last year revealed that (although PRP’s benefit is not gender specific) women often respond best. It is important to have proper evaluation prior to undergoing PRP. What I mean by this is patients with evidence of miniaturized hairs and/or dried perifollicular keratinocytes often respond well.

I’ve been asked to write about PRP in hair restoration in the upcoming [tag]Hair Transplantation[/tag] textbook and will keep you all updated on the trends I find though out the world.

Dr. Carlos Wesley
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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
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