PRP or platelet-rich plasma injections are gaining immense popularity for various conditions, especially hair loss. In this treatment, a patient’s blood cells accelerate healing in a specific area. Platelet-rich plasma is derived from whole blood through centrifugation, removing the red blood cells. Another name for platelet-rich plasma is autologous condition plasma which is the concentrated source of blood plasma and contains different growth factors and cytokines.
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Since PRP treatment for hair loss is a relatively new approach, many people ask whether this treatment works, even when some scientific evidence suggests that this treatment promotes hair growth. In this article, we will describe every detail of PRP treatment for hair loss and share what researchers say about the effectiveness of this treatment.
If you are suffering from hair loss and considering platelet-rich plasma treatment, this article will help you make an informed decision. So, without further ado, let’s dive deep into platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair loss and its effectiveness.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma
Platelet-rich plasma treatment is a new modality in cosmetic treatments, especially hair transplants, but the term is quite famous in treating injuries. Many famous athletes, including tennis star Rafael Nadal, golfer Tiger Woods and several others, have received PRP for sprain, chronic tendon injuries, and more.
Platelet-rich plasma is quite common in the abovementioned conditions, especially when medications, physical therapy, or even surgery cannot treat them. Some athletes even have given credit to PRP for being able to return to mobility quickly.
Even though PRP has received extensive publicity recently, there is still a question lingering in some minds- what is platelet-rich plasma?
Let’s Try And Understand The Term Very Well.
Our blood is mainly a liquid containing small solid components such as red cells, white cells, and platelets. Platelets are best known for clotting blood. In layman’s words, when we have an injury that causes us blood loss, if you ever noticed how the blood secretion stops after a while automatically, that is because of platelets.
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However, the platelets are also made of different proteins known as growth factors that play an essential role in healing injuries.
More platelets are present in platelet-rich plasma compared to what is found in our blood. And therefore, in platelet-rich plasma, the concentration of growth factors is also 5 to 10 times greater than that typical.
Though we will talk about the process of PRP preparation in the later section, superficially, we can discuss that now. The platelets are separated from other blood cells, and their concentration increases during centrifugation. And in platelet-rich plasma treatment that platelets are injected into the injured site.
Now Let’s Discuss The Preparation Of Platelet-Rich Plasma
The utility of platelet-rich plasma treatment has impacted various fields of medical science, including dermatology and cosmetology. From managing chronic ulcers to trichology and aesthetics, the role of platelet-rich plasma for wound healing is crucial. Now that platelet-rich plasma treatment is gaining more and more popularity every day, there is still confusion about proper terminology alongside different variations in platelet concentrates.
Undoubtedly there are different protocols for the preparation and standardization of PRP. However, since we promised to tell you every detail about PRP treatment, we reviewed all the principles and preparation methods, placed our perspective, and obtained enough information to help you figure out the exact preparation method for platelet-rich plasma.
The scientists classified different variations of platelet concentrates, and therefore, different preparation methods have also been defined depending on the cell content and fibrin architecture.
- The purest form of platelet-rich plasma, Called P-PRP or leukocyte PRP products, is prepared without leucocytes, and the fibrin architecture is shallow in density in this PRP.
- L-PRP or leukocyte and PRP products are prepared with leukocytes and a low-density fibrin network. This category has the most prominent commercial and experimental existence.
- Pure platelet-rich fibrin or P-PRF is a leukocyte with platelet-rich fibrin preparation made without leukocytes and with a high density of fibrin network. This product is not used for injections and is mainly found to be used as traditional fibrin glues.
- L-PRF Or leukocyte and platelet-rich fibrin is prepared with leukocytes with a very high density of fibrin network.
However, during PRP treatment PRP is obtained from the sample of a patient’s blood drawn at the same time as the treatment. From a 30 cc venous blood draw, 3-5 cc PRP can be yielded depending upon the individual’s platelet count of an individual, the technique employed, and the device used. After the blood is drawn, an anticoagulant is used to prevent the activation of platelets before its use.
However, the blood collected is processed through a method called differential centrifugation. The method adjusts acceleration force to sediment different cellular constituents based on a different gravity. In the process, red blood cells are separated by second centrifugation in which platelets are concentrated and suspended in the smallest final plasma volume.
The first spin of the centrifugation is performed to separate the RBCs from the remaining white blood volume. After the first spin, the white blood is separated into three layers; the upper layer contains most of the platelets and white blood cells. The middle layer is rich in white blood corpuscles, and the bottom layer consists mainly of red blood cells.
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The upper layer of the founding is transferred to an empty and sterile tube to produce pure platelet-rich plasma. The thin intermediate layer known as the buffy coat is transferred to an empty sterile tube for the production of leukocyte-rich platelet-rich plasma.
In leucocyte-rich PRP, a second spin occurs in which soft pellets are known as erythrocyte platelet form at the bottom of the tube. The upper portion of the volume, which is made of platelet-poor plasma, is then removed, and the pellets are homogenized to create the platelet-rich plasma.
How Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment Came Into Play For Hair Loss In India?
The description and concept of PRP started in the field of hematology. In the 1970s, hematology practitioners innovated the term PRP to describe the plasma with the platelet count above the peripheral blood. The initial use of PRP was as a transfusion product to treat thrombocytopenia.
A decade later, platelet-rich plasma was introduced in maxillofacial surgeries. Since fibrin had the potential for homeostatic properties and adherence, PRP, with its anti-inflammatory characteristics, was introduced to stimulate cell proliferation.
Later PRP treatment was predominantly used in the musculoskeletal field, especially in sports injuries. And when famous sports people started using this treatment, it attracted the media’s attention and was extensively used in different medical fields.
The other fields that started using PRP treatment included cardiology, gynecology, ophthalmology, urology, and plastic surgery.
Since we are talking about the application of PRP in dermatology, especially in trichology, to deal with alopecia, let’s now know how PRP treatment for hair loss came into existence.
After the prevalent use of PRP in different other medical fields, a study was performed in cosmetic dermatology to demonstrate that PRP has the potential to stimulate human dermal fibroblast production that increases type 1 collagen synthesis. Additionally, histological evidence was established to prove that PRP can induce soft tissue augmentation, new collagen deposition, and adipose tissue formation when injected into the deep human dermis and immediate sub-dermis.
In 2016 PRP treatment started being considered a therapeutic tool for promoting hair growth and a new treatment module for alopecia in alopecia areata and androgenetic alopecia. Several studies were found to advocate the positive effect of PRP on androgenetic alopecia, which is the best way of providing scientific evidence for treatment and its potential efficacies.
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What Is Done In PRP Treatment Hair Growth?
Platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair loss is a 3-step medical procedure in which the blood is drawn, processed, and injected into the patient’s scalp. However, some specific medical communities believe that PRP injections naturally trigger hair growth and maintain it by promoting better blood supply to the hair follicles that increase the thickness of the hair shaft.
The 3 step process of PRP therapy for hair loss includes:
- Drawing blood from the patient’s arm and then putting it into centrifugation to separate different fluids of different densities.
- After 10 minutes of centrifugation, the blood is separated into three layers- platelet-rich plasma, platelet-poor plasma, and RBC.
- The platelet-rich plasma is then taken into a syringe and injected into the areas where the hair growth needs to be increased.
What Are The Risks And Side Effects Associated With Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment For Hair Loss?
Since PRP treatment has been proven effective for androgenetic alopecia, doctors typically use this treatment for the same condition that causes male pattern baldness. Both men and women can benefit from this treatment, but you also need to know that you may be at risk of some adverse side effects after the PRP injections. While most of the side effects are not severe or life-threatening, you should always consult a dermatologist if the condition worsens or persists.
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- Nausea
- Pain in the scalp
- Irritation
- Dizziness
- Injured blood vessels
- Injured nerves
Now, if we talk about the risk of PRP treatment for hair loss, the risks can be avoided by reporting all the medications you are on before the procedure, including the herbs and supplements. Sometimes some patients are denied suggesting PRP treatment in the initial consultation if the patient is:
- Are heavy smoker
- On blood thinners
- With a history of drug misuse or alcohol
The doctor may also reject you for treatment if you have been diagnosed with the following:
- Cancer
- Skin disease
- Hemodynamic instability
- Acute or chronic infections
- Liver disease
- Thyroid problem
- Sepsis
- Low platelet count
What IS THE SUCCESS RATE OF PRP TREATMENT IN India
Platelet-rich plasma treatment has considerably slowed hair thinning and restored her growth non-invasively. But since patients often want to know the success rate of PRP hair treatment in India before going for it, they must know that the overall success rate highly depends upon the patient. Extensive hair loss and other biological factors determine the success rate of PRP treatment in different patients.
However, in most cases, PRP injections were found to work effectively after 2 or 3 treatments since patience started experiencing a rate of hair thinning to be slow alongside some hair regrowth. In general, 4 to 6 treatments are suggested for PRP hair restoration, and the patients need to go for at least one touch-up every year to maintain the results.
The exact success rate of PRP treatment for hair loss is hard to be decided, but somehow it can be counted somewhere between 80 to 90% for average patients. PRP injections tend to work better in younger patients who have just started experiencing the effect of genetic hair loss and hair thinning. However, it is always better to discuss their individual experience with the success rate of PRP hair treatment in India with your provider.
Some factors may impact the effectiveness of PRP, such as if you have a smoking habit, if you are completely bald, or if your hair is falling due to other medical conditions or medication.
Let’s Look At A Systematic Review Of The Research On PRP For Hair Loss.
The findings appeared in different journals. The first analysis focused on 11 research papers in which 262 participants were involved with androgenetic alopecia. According to the authors, in most studies, it was found that the injections of PRP could effectively reduce hair loss and increase the diameter of hairs and density.
They admitted that though the treatment was quite controversial, there were no limiting factors that could deny the potential of the treatment.
In 2019 a study was featured to investigate the efficacy of PRP as a treatment for hair loss. For the study, a total of 460 people were hired. Most studies reported that PRP treatments help in hair regrowth among people with androgenetic alopecia and alopecia areata.
Another study found that PRP is a promising treatment option for hair loss, even in women. However, the team noted that in different studies, different preparation session intervals and injection techniques were involved in the variation in the effectiveness of the treatment.
To conclude, one must know that there is no standardized protocol for PRP injections; therefore, it is difficult to mention the exact success percentage of PRP treatment for hair loss.
Who Is An Ideal Candidate For PRP Treatment?
Since the success rate of PRP hair treatment depends upon some biological factors of the patients, it is better to know whether or not you are an ideal candidate for the treatment before opting for it. Moreover, not all medications and treatments are suitable for every person suffering from the same condition. A skilled and experienced hair transplant expert or restoration physician can evaluate you individually to determine if PRP treatment is optimal for your unique hair loss condition.
As noted earlier, PRP therapy is most effective for patients who are at the early stages of hair loss, have low-quality hair growth at some places of the skull where the active hair follicles can still be observed, have small patches of alopecia areata and last but not least are not suffering from any blood disorder, liver disorder, diabetes or skin issues.
What Is The Cost Of PRP Hair Treatment In India?
Before we tell you the cost of PRP hair treatment in India, it is better to know that every cosmetic treatment is expensive compared to medication. However, India’s average PRP hair treatment cost is relatively inexpensive compared to other countries. You can expect the cost to be somewhere between ₹4500 to ₹15,000 per session. The price of the treatment depends upon several factors, including:
The dermatologist’s experience: If the dermatologist you are opting for is an expert in PRP hair treatment, they will generally charge you more than someone who has just started trying their hands in this field. However, when it comes to cosmetic treatments, it is always better to go for an experienced dermatologist to avoid any severe repercussions following the treatment.
Quality of equipment used: The type of equipment used is also a deciding factor in the cost of PRP hair treatment. A well-equipped clinic with modern technology and equipment charges you more than clinics still stuck in back-dated equipment and technology.
The number of sessions required: 4 to 6 sessions of PRP hair treatment are suggested to achieve the desired result. However, some patients might need to opt for more sessions depending on their unique cases. The cost of PRP hair treatment in India is charged for sessions; therefore, when the number of sessions increases, the total cost of the treatment automatically increases.
Conclusion
Platelet-rich plasma treatment for hair loss is not a cure for the condition, and multiple sessions are required over time to maintain the derived results. However, since India has a commendable success rate, one can go for it after consulting with a dermatologist one-on-one. Your doctor might get a blood test to the quality of your platelets and check your hair health to see if you are a good fit for PRP injection therapy.
I hope this article motivated you and has given you are of hope to deal with the hair loss problem. Our website discusses evidence-based reviews and treatments to guide people for different cosmetic procedures for skin, hair, and overall health.
