Platelet Replacement Therapy has long proved a valuable tool in the medical world, but has it’s more recent arrival in the world of hair loss been good value?
What Is PRP?
Let’s try, as far as possible with a 21st Century treatment, to keep the science out of this and stick to the basics. With a better understanding of how these processes work it was established that particular growth factors played a part in the healing process. These growth factors are found in high concentration in platelets, carried in your blood. By taking blood from the patient and then putting it in a centrifuge, to separate the components, the laboratory ends up with a concentration of the patients platelets. The result is a plasma that is five times richer in platelets than the patients blood. The theory behind PRP is that by injecting the resulting solution into a patients scalp it might be possible to galvanise regrowth of hair.
History
Since it’s introduction, in Italy in the 1970’s, the therapy has gained popularity. It was in the mid-nineties though that it really began to surge in the variety of it’s application. Today it is used to aid recovery in a wide range of diseases and injuries: Bone repair; Osteoarthritus; Nerve injuries; Chronic tendonitus; Dental surgery; Plastic surgery… to name a few. Exactly when it made it’s first entry into the world of hair loss is murky, but it was almost certainly a forward thinking transplant surgeon hoping to achieve a swifter recovery… which for a transplant surgeon equates to a faster path to the transplanted hair becoming normalised, a process than take many many months. In the world of hair loss PRP has now become an increasingly popular option, for those with deep enough pockets, for balding men hoping to achieve regrowth.
Efficacy
Rare among hair loss treatments there have been small scale but extremely successful trials, these things are relative of course. In an Indian study back in 2014, using eleven men, the “average mean gain” showed an improvement of around 30% in density. Just as importantly a pull test, which is exactly what it sounds like, indicated the hair was also much stronger and healthier. This compares favourably to alternatives. The Indian study saw 4 injections two weeks apart, this is less than many hair loss clinics will offer.
HIS Hair Clinic
PRP deserves its place in the arsenal of weapons in the fight against hair loss and we hope it can be developed further to provide ever better results. In the meantime if you want to discuss your personal hair loss situation with one of our friendly team of experts simply complete the contact form at the side of the page or click here to find your nearest clinic.
