Platelet-Rich Plasma and Its Effectiveness in Hair Regrowth
Hereditary hair problems are becoming more and more common every day, and affect approximately 80 million individuals in the U.S. alone. Numerous people battling thinning hair or sudden balding are turning to medical professionals for help. Historically, physicians have successfully stalled or reversed hair loss by performing hair transplants or prescribing medication. However, most of these methods came with negative side effects including itchy scalp, sexual dysfunction, a long recovery period, and more.
One new treatment that has been rapidly gaining popularity, and is known to have minimal side effects, is the use of platelet-rich plasma. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a three-step treatment that is used to promote hair regrowth. This treatment involves the drawing and processing of a person’s blood and then injecting it into their scalp. Many experts in the medical community believe that PRP injections effectively trigger hair growth and also maintain that new growth by increasing the thickness of the hair shaft and increasing the supply of blood to the hair follicle.
Recent studies suggest that this new hair treatment that involves the use of PRP plays a beneficial role in hair regrowth. One case study called The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Hair Regrowth: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of this treatment. In this trial, the results of a placebo-controlled, evaluator-blinded, randomized, half-head group study were reported to be compared with the aid of semi-intrusive methods like automated trichogram and hair regrowth using PRP versus placebo.
Investigations were carried out to find out if PRP injections are clinically efficacious and safe for pattern hair loss. Half of the group was treated with placebo and the other half individuals with pattern hair loss were injected with PRP that was prepared using a small amount of blood. These treatment procedures were executed after every 30 days and were followed for 2 years. 3 patients were excluded out of the 23 that enrolled.
After executing 3 full treatment cycles, significant improvement was observed in the mean number of hairs of the patients and during treatment, no side effects were noted. Increase in the number of hair follicles and epidermis thickness was also seen with microscopic evaluation. Four patients reported progressive hair loss after twelve months, which was more evident after sixteen months of the treatment. Those patients were then re-treated.
The data of this case study clearly highlights the absence of major side effects and positive results of PRP injections on male pattern hair loss. It was concluded that PRP might serve as an effective and safe treatment option for hair regrowth.
