No matter your age, gender or race, I’m sure you can agree that “having a good hair day” can instantly brighten your mood. I mean, think of the last time you truly had a good hair day. Whether that was a couple of years ago, or a couple of weeks ago, didn’t you feel amazing? Unstoppable? Like you can conquer the day, week, or year ahead?
For some, waking up with thick luscious locks is their daily reality, while for others, they experience the complete opposite. At the end of the day, although we all shed an average of 100 hairs daily, our unique body’s adapt differently to aging, stress, hormonal changes, medication and even different hair styling methods (ig: hair extensions, and use of styling tools), which can all lead to hair loss1. This is due to either a change in the hair follicle morphology and/or damage to the hair follicle itself.
The good news is, although hair loss may sound scary and irreversible, there are treatments to help combat excessive hair loss such as PRP injections.
What are PRP injections?
You may have heard about PRP injections before and its seemingly futuristic method of:
- drawing your blood
- having it circulated in a centrifuge
- injecting the separated platelet-rich plasma into your scalp to promote hair growth2
But how do PRP injections really work?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy commonly known as PRP, is an effective treatment for hair loss that uses a patient’s blood to improve hair growth. Through this process, hair growth is stimulated by stem cells in the hair follicles, which aid to induce the proliferative anagen phase3, the first phase of hair growth which is also known as the active phase3. To do so, blood is drawn from a patient’s arm, circulated in a centrifuge to separate the platelet-poor plasma, platelet-rich plasma, and red blood cells. Once this 10 minute centrifuge process is complete, the platelet-rich plasma is injected in the scalp to promote hair growth.
How often do you do PRP for hair loss?
Now that you have a basic understanding of what PRP injections are, let’s dive into the treatment process and its common timeline.
Just like most medical aesthetic treatments, platelet rich plasma injections require a bit of a commitment on your end. But don’t you worry… the results are well worth it!
For best results, your medical aesthetic treatment provider will suggest regular monthly treatments until improvement is seen. At that point, you will still be required to go in for annual touch ups, up to as many as 3 times annually depending on your body’s unique response to the treatment.
Is PRP safe?
Just like any medical treatment, it is always a good idea to weigh the pros and cons. You may therefore be asking yourself “is PRP safe”?
Fortunately for you, PRP is an extremely safe treatment, making it a much easier decision for you. As previously seen, PRP uses your own blood to treat your hair loss. As a result, using PRP for hair loss is inherently safe and therefore safe of transmissible disease1.
Now that we have weighed out the pros of PRP, and determined its risk factors to be at a minimum, I know you want to know what you should expect after prp hair treatment. Some possible symptoms you may experience following your treatment are:
- Pain
- Redness
- Headaches
- Temporary hair shedding
At this point you may have decided that PRP is a good solution for you, however, it is important to consult with your doctor prior to treatment, and to ensure they know of your medical history. If you suffer from bleeding disorders and/or an autoimmune disease, it may affect your ability to seek this specific treatment.
PRP Hair treatment success rate?
GREAT!
You made it this far, and now you want to know if PRP for hair loss actually works…
The simple answer is, YES.
PRP has been proven to promote:
- cell growth
- hair counts
- hair thickness
- The strength of hair for those suffering from hair loss and alopecia
With that being said, researchers and health professionals have yet to identify the exact success rate, since each hair loss treatment is unique and could be influenced by many factors5 such as the aging, stress, hormonal changes, medications and different hair styles, as previously mentioned. Therefore, yes, PRP is successful, but the level of success can differ from patient to patient.
As you can see, PRP can be a great option for you to combat hair loss. Not only is it a safe alternative that uses your own blood to promote cell and hair regrowth, but it is a successful treatment that only requires annual touch-ups following the initial treatment.
How can I access PRP treatment?
Now that you are ready for luscious locks, and excited to feel amazing, unstoppable and like you can conquer the year ahead, I know you are thinking to yourself “where do I go from here?”
To access PRP treatment, consult with your dermatologist and/or healthcare professional. If you are located in the Vancouver, B.C area, click here to book an appointment with Dr. Shehla Ebrahim, a skin care physician who specializes in PRP in Vancouver.