How Can PRP Restore Hair Loss?

Your hair is an important part of your body image. A woman’s hair is known as her “crowning glory” and a central part of her sensuality, and a man’s thick hair signals health and vigor. 

If you’re experiencing hair loss, you’re searching for answers. You may have negative feelings about yourself. Premature loss of hair in both men and women can cause psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and loss of self-confidence. 

Dr. Jack Hensel Jr., board-certified plastic surgeon with Lowcountry Plastic Surgery Center in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, provides platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for men and women with thinning hair, performs hair transplants and uses PRP to aid transplant healing and hair growth. 

Deciding if PRP is right for your hair loss

Dr. Hensel reviews your medical history and discusses options for hair loss with you during your consultation. If you want to use platelet-rich plasma to enhance your hair, we recommend getting your blood tested to determine if you have an adequate amount of healthy blood platelets. 

If you’re on blood thinners or smoke, you may not qualify for PRP treatment for hair loss. If Dr. Hensel thinks you’re a good candidate for PRP, it’s a simple in-office procedure.

What happens during a PRP appointment for hair loss?

We draw your blood and place it in a machine called a centrifuge. It separates your blood platelets from other substances in the blood, then injects the concentrated mass of platelets into the area where your hair is thinning.

How many PRP injections do I need to stimulate hair growth? 

We schedule you for several injections within the first 3 months, with follow-up injections as needed. You may need follow-ups in 3, 6, and/or 12 months. 

Is PRP for hair loss effective? Will I have more hair? 

Preliminary studies show that PRP is effective for hair loss. However, the studies have been very small to date, so data is limited. 

Researchers are studying how PRP helps you grow more hair. Studies with a small number of participants show that the patients grow a greater number of hairs, with improved strength in hair roots and thickness. 

Your PRP injections rush healthy nutrients in your platelets to your hair follicles; in small studies, this seems to stimulate hair growth and increase thickness of your hairs. Scientists also think that PRP may cause an increase in hair follicles that produce healthy hair. 

PRP has been used for healing purposes in medicine since the 1980s. It’s being increasingly used to help hasten healing in soft tissue injuries and to aid some forms of arthritis. More research is needed on PRP for hair loss, but early results are promising. 

PRP with hair transplants

We also use PRP to help stimulate hair growth as part of the hair transplant process. We use the NeoGraft minimally invasive hair transplant procedure that extracts follicles and then transplants them where they’re needed. 

Call Lowcountry Plastic Surgery or book an appointment online today for a consultation on your hair loss. We can help restore thinning hair.