Do you have to fast before your blood draw for PRP injections?

Question

I am considering PRP injections to address my hair loss. Some people I know have had the procedure done and like the results. Both people I know received treatments at different locations and were told different things prior to their treatment. One person was told to fast and the other was told it was okay to eat the day of the treatment. In either situation, would this affect my PRP?

Nima Shemirani, MD · Answer

Hi @crf7! You are not required to fast prior to a PRP procedure. I do recommend avoiding NSAIDs or any blood thinning medications to optimize your PRP with the platelet counts and the growth factors. I hope this was helpful!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

PRP needs no fasting.  ensure PRP is injected with acell and you start theradome now.

You need a formal evaluation to see what type of hair loss you may have. when you have hairless its best to do a full hormonal workup for internal optimization plus scalp biopsies or scrapings to rule out any stress related, inflammatory, autoimmune or infectious causes of hair loss. In general most people with early hair loss have telogen (stress related) and/or androgenetic (normal aging) and both can be treated with in office treatments like steroid injections, PRP/acell, Exosomes and at home treatments like oral medications, oral vitamins like Viviscal, topical exfoliating sprays like Restorsea, and weekly growth factors like anteagemd.  See an expert for an evaluation. If hair loss is significant it may requires hair transplant (follicular unit translation).

Anshul Gambhir, MD · Answer

Hi, thank you for your question! Whether you fast or not it will not affect the outcome of the procedure. I would recommend eating before so that you do not become light headed during the blood draw. I would also recommend drinking 64oz of water the day before and the day of the procedure.

Yung Chen, MD · Answer

Blood test that require fasting is testing the clear plasma serum part of the blood. PRP is concentrating the platelets in your blood so eating should not affect the quality of the platelets.

Amrish Patel, MD · Answer

You do not have to fast before any PRP procedure, however, there are ways to optimize your PRP with the platelet counts and the growth factors. The biggest is avoiding NSAIDs and Aspirin/Plavix type products if you can and are on those medications. Intermittent fasting may help increase some of the growth factors that you will find in PRP. Again this is ways to optimize your PRP, but besides avoiding the medications, you do not have to fast before PRP injections.

Cristyn Watkins, MD · Answer

On the day of your procedure, eat a healthy breakfast and drink plenty of fluids!  Also be sure to drink plenty of fluids the night before  to allow for an adequate blood draw.  We also recommend that you discontinue anti-inflammatory medications or blood- thinning supplements five days prior to your procedure, but be sure to ask your physician which prescriptions are safe to stop.

Mary C. DuPont, MD, FPMRS, FACS · Answer

Hi,
Unless the practitioner is planning on giving the individual sedation, I would not recommend fasting before PRP injections.  It is best to eat a meal and be well hydrated so that light headedness from the procedure can be avoided. 
Best,
Dr. DuPont

Anthony Farole, DMD · Answer

There is absolutely no reason you need to fast before PRP withdrawal. Your platlet rich plasma is not affected by ingestion of food in any way. It is very odd someone was told to fast before blood was drawn. Perhaps there was a secondary reason for fasting such as general anesthesia or intravenous sedation before procedures.

Neil Verma, HBSc, MD, FCFP - Account Suspended · Answer

Fasting prior to having blood drawn for PRP is not needed. It is important to be well hydrated and not suffering from any illness prior to having the blood drawn to ensure the quality of the PRP is ideal.

Do you have to fast before your blood draw for PRP injections?

Answers (9)

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