Is it possible to maintain one's hair with PRP and Minoxidil alone? (no Finasteride)

Thank you for your question. I understand you’re 24-years-old with early onset hair loss. You began taking finasteride and minoxidil several years ago, but you’re concerned that finasteride is negatively impacting your life. You are currently looking for alternative treatments, and wondering if minoxidil and platelet-rich plasma can sustain your hair long-term.

I can certainly give you some guidance on this matter. To give you a little information about myself — I am a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and a Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon, practicing in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I am also a hair restoration specialist and the founder of TrichoStem™ Hair Regeneration Centers which offer an alternative non-surgical treatment for male and female pattern hair loss.

In terms of the medical therapies you’ve undergone, if you responded well to finasteride, then going off of it may affect the DHT sensitive hair follicles on your head. However, you are not alone because there are a number of men who are also either stopping finasteride or simply choosing not to take it at all, due to the risk of side effects. Minoxidil, on the other hand, is beneficial for thinning hairs, but does not stop hair loss progression. A person can regularly use minoxidil but their hair loss will continue to progress regardless.

We certainly have a lot of experience with platelet-rich plasma. We use it for a variety of indications, such as skin rejuvenation, acne scars, scar revision, general skin health, rehabilitation of injured skin from thermal energy devices, dark under eye circles, and even hair loss. In my experience, platelet-rich plasma alone is not enough to tackle hair loss. I have heard from patients who received platelet-rich plasma injections elsewhere that they would get the injections monthly, but usually by the fourth month they’d start wondering if they’ll need to keep getting these injections for the rest of their lives, and whether they can keep up with the maintenance needed.

At this point, they start looking for alternatives and usually come across our treatment called Hair Regeneration. Hair Regeneration is a non-surgical hair loss treatment we developed using the combination of platelet-rich plasma and Acellular matrix. Platelet-rich plasma is a concentration derived from your own blood containing important healing and growth factors essential for wound healing; and Acellular matrix is an advanced wound healing material that creates the effect of wound healing in certain areas of the body. In other words, if Acellular matrix were to be placed on an injured muscle, instead of scar tissue, it would induce healing within the muscle. From a biological standpoint, this is a remarkable display of the activation of the wound healing response of adult stem cells.

Acellular matrix was originally developed to help improve the results of hair transplants, by improving the healing of the donor area and improving graft survivability. An incidental finding of this treatment showed it could also thicken thinning hairs, and upon learning about this, we further developed this into the standalone Hair Regeneration treatment.

Hair Regeneration is more often than not a one-time treatment, but we will sometimes do a second injection for people who have moderate to severe hair loss somewhere around 12 to 18 months. The second injection is not a means of maintaining the effect of the treatment, but building upon the benefits of the first injection. So far, we have a success rate of more than 99% for men as young as 18-years-old, and women as young as 20-years-old. With the remarkable response, many people from all over the world are drawn to our offices to receive this treatment. One limitation of the treatment is it will only work on people with existing, thinning hair that can be salvaged. Once hair is lost and the person is completely bald, the treatment is ineffective.

We follow up with our patients for several years after the treatment, and after observing for as long as five years later, we’ve noted that people do not regress. What is also interesting is that the effectivity of Hair Regeneration does not rely on pharmacological support, so people can simply just choose to have Hair Regeneration without needing to take hair loss drugs.

I think it would be beneficial for you to learn about treatments like Hair Regeneration. I don’t mean to disparage any physician who uses platelet-rich plasma alone for hair loss, but our track record of using platelet-rich plasma in combination with Acellular matrix has certainly brought it to a whole new level. I suggest you meet with a hair specialist, learn more about your options, and then move forward with the intervention. Keep in mind that with Hair Regeneration, the earlier we catch somebody, the better the results will be.

I hope that was helpful and I wish you the best of luck!

This is a difficult question to answer. It is not possible to determine how much effect finasteride has had in retaining and growing your  hair. I do believe that the PRP could replace the finasteride , however it is not a certainty. My suggestion would be to start the PRP prior to discontinuing the finasteride. I would then consider discontinuing the finasteride  after having two to three sessions of PRP. Find someone who is a PRP expert. Hope this helps. Good luck.

Yes, the combination of PRP and Minoxidil would be a safe and effective way to maintain hair.  Many patients prefer this more natural approach to taking pills such as Propecia. Please consult an expert in hair growth.  Best, Dr. Green