PRP, also known as Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy, is a non-surgical treatment for alopecia, or hair loss, for both men and women.
PRP therapy for hair loss is a three-step medical treatment in which a patient’s blood is drawn, processed, and then injected into the scalp. PRP injections trigger natural hair growth and maintain it by increasing blood supply to the hair follicle and increasing the thickness of the hair shaft.
PRP therapy is a method of hair rejuvenation using a natural product derived from a patient’s own blood. PRP is a high concentration of platelets surrounded in its own plasma. A small amount of blood, similar to what is required for a basic lab test, is drawn from the patient and placed in a sterile tube that is spun in a centrifuge to separate the different components of the blood. Red and white blood cells are divided from the high concentration of platelets and the plasma (the clear fluid). The PRP is injected into the patient’s scalp which bathes the hair follicle in nutrients. This helps to stimulate the hair follicle, aid in hair regrowth, and inhibit further shedding.
PRP contains special cells called platelets, that can cause growth of the hair follicles by stimulating the stem cells and other cells in the microenvironment of the hair follicle.
Typically, one treatment is required each month for four months, and then one maintenance treatment is needed, every three to four months, to maintain the PRP benefits.