Recovery expectations after PRP for thinning hair?

Question

I am very fair and blond. Will I have red marks, scabs, or visible swelling after PRP injections? I read about one patient who experienced swelling in her forehead and recommended wearing a headband after treatment. Is this common and would you also recommend a headband for prevention? Thanks in advance.

Jeff Rapaport, MD · Answer

The recovery after PRP depends upon the protocol that is used by your PRP expert. We use a subdermal Depot injection technique which I developed. This does not usually lead to swelling as there are fewer injections and they are spread over the scalp.. There may be small bumps on the scalp as well as occasional needle entry points. We encourage people to take a warm shower the night of the treatment to decrease any tenderness and remove any marks. We do not use Acell or extracellular Matrix. This can lead to increased swelling, shock loss and allergic reactions. In summary, our patients do not need headbands!

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

Prp is effective, but I have a very specific protocol, every 3-4 weeks for 6 months with prp therapy.  I also add in progesterone to speed the healing process.  After that the injections are tailored down.  You should also be on viviscal and other growth promoting ingredients. See an expert for a formal evaluation. Best, Dr. Emer

Keith Scheinblum, MD · Answer

Your recovery will depend on the type of treatment you receive. We use insulin size needles for injections and freeze each area prior to injection with a chiller. Within 30 minutes of treatment there is no visible evidence of treatment . Most people go to work afterwards.

Ali Sadeghi, MD, FACS · Answer

Great question, and thank you for asking.  PRP injections will have minimal side effects and will be very temporary.  Raised areas from the injections should subside almost immediately.

Anteneh Roba, MD · Answer

Normally PRP for thinning hair does not cause any redness, bruising. If a lot of anesthetic is injected plus the PRP may cause swelling buts really not that much. There should be no downtime.

Kriston Kent, MD, MPH · Answer

Hi and
thanks for the question.
I have
been using PRP for thinning hair and hair loss for many years and usually there
is little to no downtime with these treatments. A small amount of generalized
swelling in the upper forehead is not unusual, but is usually not noticeable to
others. Though I have not seen scabs or red marks, the most common minor
recovery issue can be bruising in the upper forehead region. This is not due to
PRP, but simply due to the need to place the PRP with needles. Some patients,
especially fair blondes and redheads, tend to experience more likelihood of
bruising than others. We typically place numbing injections, as well as PRP via
injection. Therefore, an occasional bruise is not uncommon, but it is usually
small and does not last more than several days. Finally, I have not used a
headband for my patients, nor have I heard of other physicians doing so.
Theoretically, it could help with potential bruising, but could cause more
scalp swelling (due to reduced ability for the area to drain the fluid which
results from the healing factors in PRP). I hope this helps.

Kristin J. Tarbet, MD, FACS · Answer

We don't see many patients stating they have swelling in the forehead region. The biggest complaint I have heard from my patients is that they might have a headache for a day or two after the treatment. As far as what you can expect after the treatment you can expect some soreness, a headache, and minor/minimal bleeding.

James Vogel, MD (retired) · Answer

Your scalp may be pink to red after the PRP and since you are fair skinned this may last a few hours.  Small bumps may also be present immediately following the injections but should also subside quickly.  If a local anesthetic is used you are more likely to have mild-moderate forehead swelling.  Patients have less swelling when a cooling machine is used in place of local anesthesia.  Within a few hours and certainly by the following day you should have no apparent signs you had PRP done to the scalp, although tenderness may still be present.

Recovery expectations after PRP for thinning hair?

Answers (8)

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