Keeping Up With the Kardashians just kicked off its 17th season by tackling a major beauty concern: Kourtney Kardashian’s hair loss. “Kourtney, you have a really big spot on the top of your head,” Kim Kardashian West tells her sister during the season premiere. “Kourtney, oh my God, I’m afraid for your life.”
While Kardashian’s hair loss is certainly far from life-threatening, she still wasted no time in treating the balding patch, which she says was caused by a too-tight ponytail. Traction alopecia—a type of hair loss caused by the repetitive pulling of hair—is the technical term for Kardashian’s hair loss, and it’s common among women who wear tight hairstyles. In an effort to reverse the effects of the damaging ponytail, Kardashian headed to Beverly Hills, California, facial plastic surgeon Dr. Jason Diamond for help.
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Dr. Diamond’s preferred course of treatment for Kardashian was platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. PRP, a fluid isolated from a patient’s own blood, is rich in growth factors that promote healing and contribute to essential cellular growth functions. “The benefit of PRP is that we take your own blood, spin it [in a centrifuge] and then inject the part that’s richest in growth factors back into your body,” says Brookline, Massachusetts, dermatologist Dr. Papri Sarkar. “In dermatology, it has primarily been used for facial rejuvenation and hair loss.” New York City dermatologist Dr. Michele Green also adds that PRP “works effectively by repairing blood vessels, promoting cell growth, healing and stimulating collagen production.”
Various studies have shown that PRP can be a promising solution for certain forms of alopecia—specifically, androgenetic alopecia (genetic hair loss) and alopecia areata (hair loss caused by an autoimmune disorder). However, experts assert that more extensive studies need to be conducted to measure effectiveness, since there is currently no standardized protocol for PRP injections.
During Kardashian’s PRP appointment, Dr. Diamond tells her that she’ll most likely need “two or three series, maybe once a month, for the next three months” before she can expect regrowth. Dr. Green, on the other hand, says more treatments than that may be necessary for some patients, noting that most patients start seeing visible results after about four treatments. “It depends on the severity of the condition and the treatment combination, but I usually recommend four consecutive monthly treatments of PRP injections, followed by maintenance treatments every four to six months,” she says.
While Kourtney chose an in-office solution to her hair loss, Dr. Green affirms that there are other options available for patients who aren’t too keen on heading straight to a doctor. She recommends topical treatments that contain minoxidil—an ingredient found in products like Rogaine—and supplements like Nutrafol ($88) to promote hair growth. A recent study reported an improvement in hair regrowth for patients with traction alopecia who were treated with 2% minoxidil. But to prevent the kind of hair loss Kardashian is experiencing altogether, simply forgo that tight ponytail. Your hair will thank you.
