Stand alone PRP is a great tool for treating hair loss in both males and females, as long as you are a good candidate and have reasonable expectations. A patient with more advanced hair loss is not a great candidate; PRP can not create new hair follicles. The best candidates have mild to moderate hair loss and their microscopic hair analysis shows a significant number of miniaturized follicles (thin wispy hairs on their way out), which can be reversed with PRP. I have seen great results reversing periods of severe hair shedding as well, which can happen from being prescribed too much Testosterone, or from stress, childbirth, surgery, or traction from braiding or hair extensions. Most importantly, you must combine PRP with all the other treatment modalities in order to achieve great results... Minoxidil, Finasteride (or Spironolactone for non-menopausal females), and Low Level Laser Therapy are a must for all of my patients. The things you do every day are very important. If you are not willing to treat your hair loss on a regular basis, then you will not see the ideal results that we seek using PRP. Also, my advice is to start medical therapy for 1-3 months before PRP. This will not only give you better results, but also will reduce the risk of getting any shock loss from the procedure. Most of our patients do PRP once per year for maintenance, after three treatments the first year separated by 1-3 months. Make sure your treating physician is experienced and using a quality centrifuge along with high dose ACell. ACell is critical for best results. It is used in plastic surgery to help grow skin and in orthopedics and oral surgery to help grow bone. It is an extracellular matrix of growth factors and peptides which acts as a framework upon which the PRP can work and which helps stimulate new microcirculation and recruits other progenitor stem cells. ACell is porcine; there is another option if this is an issue. Summary: 1) Get a microscopic hair analysis from an experienced hair restoration physician, and make sure you have a significant number of reversible miniaturized follicles. 2) Start medical therapies as soon as possible, including minoxidil, finasteride or spironolactone, and laser hair therapy. 3) Make sure your physician is using a quality centrifuge with at least two spin cycles (we use three). Make sure they are experienced so that your anesthesia is performed in a safe, effective and comfortable manner. 4) Make sure you are receiving PRP along with an extracellular matrix (ECM) like ACell; this is a must. If someone is offering you a $600-$900 PRP procedure, they are not using ECM and please run away. 5) Make sure you have reasonable expectations before investing your hard-earned money. You should expect improved thickness of your existing miniaturized hair, as well as reduced shedding. It will not grow new hair follicles, and, by itself, it will not save your hair. You need a comprehensive treatment plan with the help of an experienced hair restoration physician. 6) If you have more advanced hair loss, no worries. Start medical therapy today to stop the loss (and save your donor hair), and use PRP along with a hair transplant for even better results. Best to your health, Graydon Cummins, MD
