How Long Does it Take for PRP to Work on Hair?
Hair loss is a very common problem for men and women alike. Receding hairlines, bald spots, and thinning hair are all issues that are common place as we age. With the advancements in technology and research, new treatments like PRP Therapy can make a huge improvement that was once thought impossible.
Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, for hair restoration is an innovative therapy that involves your own blood by-product to stimulate new hair follicles to grow and improve hair condition, color, and volume. This PRP treatment is used to accelerate healing of the scalp that helps restore hair growth. PRP is rich in growth factors that stimulate the growth of both existing and new hair follicles to regrow new, healthy hair.
How do PRP hair loss treatments work?
With PRP scalp injections, our skilled nurse draws blood from the client’s arm and treats it with a special medical device called a centrifuge. The spinning motion of the centrifuge separates the platelet-rich plasma from the other blood components.
While the blood is being processed, the client’s scalp is numbed with a topical anesthetic cream. The surgeon injects the PRP into the desired treatment areas of the scalp, thus giving that specific area a boost of your own natural healing and growth powers. Most people who opt for PRP require three treatments about four to six weeks apart. Each procedure takes 30 to 60 minutes and can be done during an office visit.
Dr. Tayna Perich explains how PRP Therapy works:
“We draw your blood, we spin it down and take out the PRP- which is basically the growth factors in your blood. Wherever we re-inject that PRP from your own blood, that area will then get a boost of regeneration. This helps to stimulate wound healing in areas that have a poor blood supply.
So, let’s say you cut yourself, there’s going to be a blood clot that forms at the level of the cut. That blood clot will attract your own stem cells to heal the cut in the soft tissue damage. Due to genetics, some areas of the body, commonly the scalp or joints, can have poor blood supply. This means those areas are not able to heal or regenerate in the same way as others. That’s where the hair loss comes in.”
Although more research is needed to determine exactly why PRP works so well for hair loss, experts theorize that the same plasma cell proliferation that promotes wound healing can stimulate the hair follicles and improve circulation to the scalp, thus facilitating hair growth and pigment.
How long does it take for PRP to work on hair?
The whole process takes about 30-60mins in office per treatment. Most people who opt for PRP require three treatments about four to six weeks apart to see the full results they are looking for. Additional PRP therapy treatments may be required if you have severe hair loss and depending on how well your body reacts to the treatment. Each person is genetically unique which leads to some having faster results than others.
After your initial treatment, patients generally start to see improvement after 2 weeks for new growth and for the existing hair, the stands can become thicker or see improved texture. As the body continues to utilize the new PRP in the area, after 3 to 6 months, the better results will be seen. Many of our patients are so impressed with the initial improvements, they can’t wait for their next treatment.
Generally you do not want to wash the area for the following 48 hours, however you can typically return to your daily life with no problems. You should have something to eat prior to the treatment since blood is being drawn. To keep this amazing new look staying strong, follow up treatments may be recommended every 4-6 months.
Who is a good candidate for PRP hair loss treatments?
PRP is an excellent solution for men and women who desire increased hair growth as well as returning pigment to grey hairs. Healthy adults who are looking for a more natural way to improve their hair loss are fantastic candidates to consider this route. Patients on any blood thinners are not ideal clients as the blood is already under so much stress. Those who smoke are also not advised for this treatment either.
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery found that PRP safely and effectively reduced hair loss for individuals who had androgenic alopecia, commonly called male pattern baldness. A follow-up study published in 2019 by the journal Aesthetic Plastic Surgery reported hair regrowth in almost 400 individuals who were treated with PRP for male pattern baldness.
Remember, this is not a foreign substance being put into your body, but rather your own platelet-rich plasma that was separated from your own blood! Therefore, there is no worry about putting something new into your body, although you may have some tenderness at the injection site initially after the treatment- just like the soreness at the site of pulling the blood from your arm.
PRP injections are only something you should get from a licensed doctor, like Dr. Perich. She can assist you in figuring out if this “home-grown” treatment is right for you!