PLATELET RICH PLASMA THERAPY FOR HAIR LOSS
How does PRP help in treating hair loss?
There are many benefits of using PRP treatment to promote healing for hair growth. Highly concentrated growth factors in the form of platelets have been shown to generate new hair growth, thicken thinned out hair, and make hair transplants grow thicker and healthier. If the hair follicles or hair roots are healthy, the growth of the hair is healthy. Hair follicles survive on the nutrition they get from blood supply. If we introduce platelets by administering platelet rich plasma (PRP) in the area of damaged hair follicles, it amplifies the body’s naturally occurring wound healing mechanism. Some doctors around the world believe PRP can be used to stimulate the growth of hair follicles preventing hair loss.It is important to know that not all PRP products are the same. The specific healing properties and overall effectiveness can vary greatly with the equipment and processes used to create the PRP concentrate. In fact, when PRP is processed using older techniques or inferior equipment, there can be a high concentration of contaminants that can negatively impact the results of your PRP therapy as well as an inconsistency in the concentration of growth factors and platelets. That is why we use the Harvest system for obtaining the PRP concentrate.
Procedure- How is PRP therapy performed ?
First, 60 ml of blood is collected from your vein. It’s very similar to having a routine blood test performed at your doctor’s clinic. The blood is collected and placed in a sterile FDA approved container designed to process out the platelets, stem cells and growth factors. The container is then placed in a centrifuge where your blood is spun for 14 minutes. When the centrifuge has stopped spinning, your blood components have now been separated. The concentrated platelets have been separated from your normal whole blood. The PRP that contains abundant growth factors and stem cells is now ready to be applied to the scalp.
The PRP now has to be applied to the scalp where hair loss has begun. It is important to prepare the scalp to receive the PRP. For this, the scalp is stimulated to activate the wound healing process. Topical anesthesia is applied on the portion of the scalp where PRP will be injected. To prepare the scalp for PRP application, a special micro needling roller device is used. The MTS Roller™ uses 200 very fine needles to pierce the epidermis creating micro wounds thereby stimulating collagen formation. The resulting ‘micro-channel effect’ also helps to infuse the PRP into the area thereby increasing the effectiveness. Since it uses less pressure, the pain is minimal. Immediately after using the roller the highly concentrated PRP is injected in many different areas of the scalp.
Acell plus PRP
ACell
(Matri-stem) can been mixed with PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) to augment the regenerative powers of the PRP.
ACell is the by-product of urinary bladder tissue of pigs that is stripped of all of it’s cells before introducing to humans. It has remarkable regenerative properties and works by recruiting huge numbers of adult stem cells to the site of injury. It provides growth factors and proteins necessary for tissue regeneration. It does not require the harvesting of tissue, but PRP is harvested into the tissue. A premixed combination of PRP and Acell is thought to both prevent and regenerate hair in people facing genetic hair loss.
Acell is available in a powder form, and when mixed with PRP, it is injected into the affected scalp. This combination acts like a hair evolution accelerator.
Post procedureThe procedure takes one to two hours depending on amount of hair loss. Since an inflammatory process is initiated at the wound site, there may be mild pain or discomfort felt by the patient at the site where PRP is injected. Patient are not advised not to take any anti-inflammatory medication since it may interfere in the natural healing process of PRP. Patients generally have to receive this treatment a few times before they can see any results. However, some patients may only have to receive this therapy once a year.
PRP does not pose any danger of allergy, hypersensitivity, or foreign-body reaction and it is a safe choice for many patients.Prognosis is generally good, but it varies from person to person. Most of the clinics practicing this therapy have reported almost 80% success rate.
However, not everyone is an ideal candidate to undergo this procedure. Patients who have an active infection in the scalp, history of a viral infection like shingles, diabetes, any clotting disorder, or patients who are on blood-thinning medications like aspirin and immunosuppressive drugs like cyclosporine are not candidates for this procedure.
Also, if hair follicles are completely lost, this procedure is less likely to help patients.
Examples of results using PRP WITH ACell
26 year old experiencing frontal and occipital hair loss. Patient elected to undergo ACell with saline injections (Prior to use of ACell with PRP) and postpone hair transplantation.
Follow up at 16 months.
Patient will continue to be monitored. (No future treatments scheduled currently)
29 year old with progressive genetic hair loss. Patient did not want hair transplant surgery or oral treatment with Propecia.
Treatment with Acell + Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) to possibly halt hair loss and evaluate in 6 months.
No further treatment until 1 year follow up.
Photos: (L) Before 7/13/10 & After (R) 1/18/11
52 year old man with class VI genetic hair loss pattern. Patient had prious hair transplant surgery with poor growth. He received injections with Acell plus Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
At 1 Year follow-up there is additional hair growth from the surrounding hair and from previous hair transplants. No apparent ongoing hair loss.
Photos: Before (L) 1/16/10, After (R) 1/15/11