A PRP injection for hair loss works by causing the blood to stimulate hair growth. If your hair roots or follicles are healthy, growth will occur naturally and healthier. Hair follicles survive in the nutrients they receive from the blood. If platelets are introduced by administering a PRP injection in the area affected, it will amplify the body’s natural ability to heal wounds. The same principle helps stimulate the follicle growth, and prevent hair loss.
PRP Injection Procedure
PRP treatment works in three stages.
About 60-100 ml of blood is drawn from your veins. The procedure is similar to undergoing a routine blood test. Your blood is collected by a perfusionist or nurse and put in a special container. The container, along with your blood is put in a machine called a centrifuge and spun for about 15 minutes. After the spinning process, your blood components will have been separated. Concentrated platelets will now be separate from your normal whole blood. PRP which has an abundance of growth factors and stem cells will subsequently be ready for application on the scalp. The objective of this procedure is to enhance the effectiveness of PRP treatment for hair loss.
Concentrated platelets will then have to be applied to the region on the scalp experiencing hair loss. Your physician will prepare the scalp for a PRP injection and the scalp will be stimulated to activate the healing process. Topical anesthesia will be applied to the area of the scalp where the injection will be inserted. A special micro needle roller will then be used to prepare the scalp for inserting the PRP injection. The needle roller enables the micortrauma on the lower layer of the scalp which helps induce growth and repair cells into action. The roller uses 192 titanium made needles to pierce and open the skin to create several micro wounds. Because of the less pressure it uses, pain is minimal. Concentrated PRP will be injected into the different areas of the scalp.
The rolling device used for a PRP injection for hair loss is among the newest medical breakthroughs for physicians to use as it causes much less pain compared to similar devices previously used in the past. The device also offers a much quicker way of performing the hair restoration procedure.
Photodynamic treatment and occlusive dressing are applied to the injected area to help further increase the effectiveness of PRP. A patient may experience mild discomfort during the procedure. After the procedure you can almost immediately resume to your normal activities, but your scalp will need protection from the sun’s rays and excessive irritation.
There are many benefits associated with using PRP injections for hair loss treatment. Growth factors from concentrated platelets have been shown to generate hair growth, make transplants growth healthier and thicker, and thicken thinned hair.
As previously mentioned, platelet rich plasma for hair loss is not ideal for everyone. People with infections on the scalp as well as those with diabetes, clotting disorders and those on immune suppressive drugs and aspirins are not recommended to undergo this procedure.
In addition, if hair follicles are completely gone, the procedure may not work and patients will need to seek other alternatives to restore their hair.
Post Procedure
The procedure ranges between 60 and 90 minutes, depending on the amount of hair restoration required. Because of the inflammatory process initiated at the site of the wound, the patient may experience mild pain or minimal discomfort where the PRP injection is inserted. After the procedure, patients should avoid taking any ant-inflammatory drugs because they may affect the healing process. Patients will generally undergo a battery of treatments before they can start seeing any changes. Some patients may just need one procedure once a year.
PRP Boost
Many cosmetic surgeons are mixing ACell (Matri-stem) with PRP as a form of treatment for certain hair loss patients who exhibit slow and hereditary induced hair loss or those who suffer different types of hair loss including the thinning or hair.
This form of treatment has exceptional regenerative properties, and works by gathering huge amounts of stem cells to where the injury is located. It provides proteins and growth factors required for tissue regeneration. It doesn’t require tissue harvesting, but PRP is harvested into tissues. ACell and PRP combined is thought to regenerate hair in people experiencing genetic hair loss.
ACell comes in powdered form, and when concocted with PRP, its injected onto the affected area on the scalp. The combined ingredients work as an evolutionary hair accelerator.
However clinical research and studies for these potential hair loss solutions haven’t been concluded, although previous procedures performed on different patients proved to be successful. Before opting for this therapy, you need to consult with your physician and do some research on scientific data results before undergoing this therapy.