Can PRP for hair loss actually cause you to lose more hair? My hair looks worse now than it did before the treatment.

PRP is taken from your own blood spun in a centrifuge with nothing added re-injected back to your scalp.  Its acquisition cost is negligible to doctors but doctors will charge thousands of dollars for it. We offered this at no-charge (FREE) for over a year in one of our clinics to our surgical patients.  Patients did NOT see overwhelming results.  There is no definitive proof that PRP will work for hair growth. There may be published studies on few individuals and convincing testimonies from patients. This does not mean it will work for you. So many people will spend a few thousand dollars to try it. My stance has been it is a buyer beware market. If you understand that there is no cure for genetic balding, you can be a better consumer. You don't have to be a fatalist but you can be smart about what to expect.In some instances it may cause hair loss or adverse reaction.  Look up "PRP consent form" on Google.  It is what each patient must sign and acknowledge before undergoing treatment.

When you start treatment for hair growth and you use medications or injections such as prp for hair growth in order to shed dormant hair you may experience temporary shedding. Combination treatment and sooner rather than later works best, make you don't have more than 15 percent hair minturization as this can make treatment difficult.

This can certainly occur after an effective treatment is begun and can continue for some time as the current hair shafts shed in order to allow the eruption of a new healthier shaft.  I would suggest a combination of treatments, especially during this time.  In my practice I find patients do best with PRP treatments when combined with a minimum of topical or oral minoxidil and possibly finasteride or spironolactone depending on the patient. 

Anything that stimulates hair growth can cause shedding. Minoxidil, laser, finasteride, PRP - they can all causes shedding. We no longer live in a world where we wonder if PRP works. We have now entered an era where we have evidence it does something and now need to figure out how well it works and who it works in.  7  studies help guide our field: 1) Schiavone et al 2014 Number of patients: 64 patientsDesign: PRP every 3 months Results: At 6 months, 40.6% to 54.7 % had clinically significant change2) Cervelli et al 2014 Number of patients: 10 patients18 mL bloodDesign: Randomized half head study Results: Significant increase in terminal hairs at 3 months 3) Gkini MA et al Number of patients: 20 patientsDesign: 16 mL blood; 3 treatments q 21 days and at 6 months Results: Hair increased; 7 out of 10 satisfaction rating4) Park et al Number of patients: 1 patientDesign: Weekly treatment x 4 week Results: Hair grew faster5) Kang JS et al Number of patients: 13 patientDesign: One treatment Results: Improved number of hairs and thickness 6) Khatu et al, 2014 Number of patients: 11 everyDesign: 2 weeks x 4 treatmentsResults: Improved thickness & hair counts by 22.09 FU per cm2 7) Betsi et al 2012 Number of patients: 42 Design: 16 mL bloodResults at 3 months; High patients satisfaction 7 of 10; Improvement in hair volume REFERENCE LISTCervelli et al. The effect of autologous activated platelet rich
plasma (AA-PRP) injection on pattern hair loss: clinical and histomorphometric
evaluation. Biomed Res
Int. 2014;2014:760709.



Gkini MA et al. Study of platelet-rich plasma injections in the
treatment of androgenetic alopecia through an one-year period. J
Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2014;7:213-9.

Kang JS et al . The effect of CD34+ cell-containing autologous
platelet-rich plasma injection on pattern hair loss: a preliminary study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 2014;28:72-9.

Khatu et al, Platelet-rich plasma in androgenic alopecia: myth or
an effective tool. Cutan Aesthet Surg. 2014;7:107-10.



Park
et al. Letter: Platelet-rich plasma for treating male pattern baldness. Dermatol Surg. 2012;38:2042-4.

Schiavone G
et al. Platelet-rich
plasma for androgenetic alopecia: a pilot study. Dermatol Surg. 2014;40:1010-9.

Uebel CO, et al. The
role of platelet plasma growth

The answer to that question is yes, I have seen patients present that have had PRP done and reported hair loss from it. I am not a believer in this treatment as there is no evidence that it works.  See web reference below.