Hair loss prevention and hair restoration solutions are some of the most commonly advertised treatments. Open your spam folder and you’ll probably find one in less than a minute. Naturally, this makes people wary of seemingly magical hair restoration treatments, but PRP treatment is one that truly works. At Orlando Dermatology Inc. in Orlando, FL, we use PRP to bring your hair back using all-natural methods.
Can You Really Achieve Hair Restoration With PRP Therapy?
The key ingredient in our hair loss treatment is Platelet-Rich Plasma or PRP. Chances are you’ve read something about PRP already, but what you might not know is that PRP has been in use for several decades! Only recently have cosmetic treatments emerged using PRP, but the data shows that PRP does work to combat hair loss and many other conditions.
What is it about PRP that makes it so useful? For one, it’s completely natural. PRP uses your body’s own healing mechanism, resulting in natural restoration of your hair. This also reduces the chances of complications to nearly zero.
Another advantage is that it’s very easy to apply. Treatment sessions can be finished in less than a couple of hours. They’re also much more affordable than other treatments. If it sounds too good to be true, just consider how PRP works.
How Does PRP Work?
To understand how PRP works, and why it can restore your hair, it helps to understand what PRP is actually made of. As its name suggests, PRP is composed of two of the primary components of your blood: Platelets and plasma. Plasma acts as a transporter, while the platelets produce the healing effect that we want from the treatment.
However, just pouring platelets and plasma on your scalp won’t have much of an effect. The “R” in PRP is extremely important. When platelets are concentrated, they release growth factors. These growth factors tell healthy cells in your body to reproduce, while also flagging any damaged cells so that your body can remove them and replace them.
When we use PRP to treat hair loss, what we are really doing is helping your surviving strands of hair to multiply and replacing your damaged roots with healthier cells. The end result is a healthier head of hair without surgery, transplants, or plugs. It’s really your hair!
Is PRP Really Effective?
The science supports PRP for a variety of applications. If we just look at hair loss, there are several studies that have demonstrated a significant positive result from PRP use. For instance, this 2014 study concluded that PRP injections were a great option for treating androgenic alopecia (male-pattern baldness), with high patient satisfaction reported in the study.
The researchers were very thorough. They measured hair quality in several ways. They took macroscopic photos of sections of the patients’ scalps before and after the treatment in order to measure the exact number of active hair follicles. They also tested the strength of these hairs by doing a pull test. By the end of the study, most of the patients passed the pull test, meaning their hair did not come out with a significant tug.
Hair density increased by about 30%! All it took was a few sessions to see these results in just two months. Few other hair loss treatments can provide the results PRP delivers.
A Typical PRP Hair Loss Treatment
So, what does a typical PRP treatment look like? PRP therapy is actually quite simple. When you arrive at our office, you’ll first have a sample of blood drawn from your arm. We put this sample in a centrifuge which separates the platelets and plasma from the sample. We repeat this process until we have a highly concentrated volume of PRP.
From there, we apply some topical anesthetic to your scalp so that you do not feel the injections of PRP. We then use a very small syringe to apply the PRP along the problem areas on your scalp. This requires many tiny injections, but the process takes less than an hour.
From there, all you have to do is wait. PRP begins to work immediately, however you may not see results for a few days. Within a couple of weeks, you will see a noticeable improvement in the quality of your hair. Some patients even notice that their hair continues to improve over the course of the next couple of months.
Am I a Good Candidate for PRP Treatment?
If you’re wondering if PRP is right for you, the answer is almost always yes. There are very few contraindications that would prevent a person from receiving PRP treatment. You may be asked to refrain from taking certain medications in the week leading up to your treatment, and we often recommend a healthy diet during that time as well.
People with advanced liver conditions may not be able to produce enough platelets for us to create PRP for the treatment. However, even in these cases, there are ways to make PRP treatment possible. If you are interested in our PRP hair therapy, call Orlando Dermatology Inc. in Orlando, FL today. We can answer any questions you might have and schedule a consultation.