Is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatment for Hair Regrowth Effective?
The platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair regrowth promises a lot of beautiful things. It is so good to hear that it sounds like a miracle – like it is too good to be true. Are those things true; is the PRP treatment for hair regrowth effective?
This post focuses on the efficacy of the PRP treatment for hair regrowth. But it will also cover some of the other basic info about PRP treatment that you need to know. Let’s dive right in!
What is a PRP Treatment?
A PRP treatment is any procedure that uses platelet-rich plasma (PRP) to make the human body behave in a certain way to produce positive results. PRP is a natural substance found in the blood that enhances collagen growth and cell growth. When injected in a specific body area, that region reaps the concentrated benefit of PRP’s effects.
Platelets are part of the blood, along with white and red blood cells. The platelets are first responders to wounds; they help stop the bleeding and initiate healing.
In shorter words, the PRP in the blood contains proteins and growth factors that have reparation and rejuvenation properties. Injecting it anywhere in the body will produce desirable results, including hair growth.
How to Conduct PRP Treatments
Any PRP treatments begin with a quick blood draw. The healthcare provider then takes the blood sample and inserts it in a centrifuge to separate the PRP from the blood. A centrifuge spins liquids so fast that it separates the substances within the fluid.
After extracting the PRP from your blood, the healthcare provider injects it into the treatment area. The treated body region will reap the full benefits of a concentrated amount of PRP – healthier skin, more growth factors, higher collagen count, more elastin, expedited tissue healing, stimulated cell growth, reduced scar appearance, etc.
How PRP Treatment Works for Hair Regrowth
To understand how a PRP treatment helps with hair regrowth, we must discuss how hair loss happens. The primary cause of hair loss is damage to hair follicles. Although various factors might cause alopecia (the medical term for hair loss), its effect is the same – damaged hair follicles.
Scientists theorized that the rejuvenating effects of PRP could reverse the effects of alopecia. Damage to the hair follicles causes hair loss; PRP can initiate hair regrowth by repairing that damage.
Several studies saw the correlation between PRP injections and hair regrowth. Most of these studies aren’t sure whether the treatment is effective due to their limited tests. However, the effects of PRP injections are undeniable – they do help initiate help regrowth.
The increased collagen, healing proteins, and growth factors in the skin contribute to repairing and even increasing hair follicles. Collagen is a protein that helps build tissues such as ligaments, tendons (PRP injections are also famous for treating injuries), skin cells, and even hair follicles.
PRP Treatment Risks and Side Effects
A PRP injection injects the same platelet-rich plasma from your blood to treat various conditions such as injuries or hair loss. It has no added ingredients; it is very natural. Since the treatment uses the substance that your body makes, there is virtually no adverse reaction to the solution itself.
The possible side effects of a PRP treatment for hair growth are itching, swelling, headache, tenderness of the scalp, mild discomfort, and mild and temporary bleeding at the injection site. You won’t experience any allergic reactions due to the injected plasma. The risks of severe complications are only possible due to how the healthcare provider injects the PRP.
The potential complications boil down to infections or the platelet-rich plasma not getting to where it’s supposed to be because the healthcare provider is not experienced. The solution is to work with trained, qualified, certified, and experienced injectors. Zelda Swain, ARNP of Bloom Aesthetics, has more than nine years of experience injecting Toxins, fillers, and other injectables as a dermatology nurse practitioner.
What to Expect from a PRP Treatment for Hair Regrowth
We already discussed how the PRP procedure for hair regrowth goes, but what happens afterward? It takes a long time for hair regrowth to become noticeable because your body has to produce enough collagen and reparative proteins first. Then, those proteins begin to build new hair follicles; lastly, the hair starts growing from the follicles.
The time from the initial treatment to noticeable results range from six to twelve months. After that, the treatment effects can last years, depending on several factors such as genes, lifestyle, etc. The results will last as long as the new hair follicles remain undamaged.
How Many Treatments Do You Need for Optimal Results?
The number of treatments patients need to achieve their desired results differ. We recommend getting the treatment every four to six weeks until you see noticeable effects. After that, we recommend getting maintenance sessions once or twice a year.
Is There Downtime or Recovery Period?
Bruising and swelling are possible results of any injection. With a PRP injection, you may experience bruising and swelling within two weeks. However, you can take active steps to limit the risk of those side effects.
Avoiding blood-thinning foods, medications, and substances reduces the risk of bruising. Items like garlic, alcohol, aspirin, Ginkgo biloba, and more are examples of blood-thinning foods or drugs.
Fried foods, refined carbs (i.e., white bread and pastries), sodas and other sugary beverages, and red meat are examples of foods that increase the risk of swelling.
If you want to learn more about pre and post PRP treatment dos and don’ts, make an appointment with a professional.
Find Out More About PRP Treatment for Hair Regrowth
Speak with Zelda Swain, ARNP of Bloom Aesthetics, to learn more about PRP treatment for hair regrowth. You can reach her via phone at (509) 990-3054 or email at bloomspokane@gmail.com. You can locate her office at 1227 W Summit Parkway, Suite A, Spokane, WA 99201-7003 or 16201 E. Indiana Ave. Suite 2260, Spokane Valley 99216. Zelda is available from Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 6 PM and Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM.
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