Read answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) for hair loss.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is concentrated blood plasma which contains approximately three to five times the number of platelets found in normal circulating blood. In addition to the platelets, it contains growth factors and other bioactive proteins that aid in wound healing and hair growth.
PRP is used to halt or reverse miniaturization, the process that causes common baldness.
Patients can schedule appointments for weekdays and alternating Saturdays.
Your doctor uses PRP to stimulate the growth of follicles, thereby reversing the hair miniaturization (thinning hair) seen in androgenic alopecia (common baldness).
Platelet rich plasma offers an additional way to stimulate hair growth, especially in people who cannot use other forms of treatment. For example, it may be useful if someone is not a candidate for a hair transplant, or cannot use finasteride. It is also useful in the treatment of crown thinning where a hair transplant may not be appropriate.
We use the XCell PRP system – a single centrifuge technique – that allows the active biologic factors to be administered at the most effective concentration. The treatments are administered by a Bernstein Medical physician and take about a half hour. The physicians at Bernstein Medical will make sure that your type of hair loss has the potential to respond to PRP and, if appropriate, they will offer other medical and surgical options as well.
If PRP hair loss therapy is appropriate, we can begin your treatment at the time of your consultation. We will administer the next two treatments at 6-week intervals. You will be asked to return 3 months later. At this visit (6 months from your first treatment) your response will be assessed. If you show improvement, follow-up treatments will be given twice yearly depending upon your progress.
Patients usually see results in 3 to 6 months. However, the response time may be variable.
It’s done during a simple office visit; about 30-45 minutes.
Yes.
It works best where there is existing thinning hair.
There is an individualized response to this treatment with a spectrum of effectiveness. It does not work in all cases. Patients are monitored to assess the benefits of therapy.
Yes.
Yes, before PRP treatment you will need to have an evaluation by the physician.
If you are a candidate, the doctor may be able to perform the PRP procedure at the time of the consult. If the procedure cannot be performed at the time of consultation, you can schedule one very soon after.
You may have some very temporary soreness and swelling, but many patients experience nothing.
It depends on the area. The doctor will determine this at the time of the treatment.
There is some inconvenience in that you need to have your blood drawn and there may be some temporary swelling in the treated area. Platelet rich plasma seems to be extremely safe since we are using your own serum, but it is not successful in growing hair in all cases.
We are only using platelet rich plasma to treat hair loss on the scalp at this time.
We have found that ACell causes inflammatory reactions in some patients and feel that it is very important to use ACell on its own to best assess its benefits. PRP uses your own plasma. ACell is a foreign substance that comes from the bladder of a pig.
