Would PRP procedure help hair thinning from a Keto diet?

Question

I am a 31 year male, and have had male pattern baldness for a decade. I've been taking Finastride & Rogaine for 7 yrs and did my first FUT in September. In December, I started the Keto diet and lost around 10 pounds. I noticed that my hair has suddenly got a lot thinner in the past few weeks. I had never experienced anything like this before. Given that hair thinning is a common side effect of Keto, would a PRP procedure be effective in reversing the hair thinning if I stop this diet immediately?

Jason Emer, MD · Answer

This needs an in-person evaluation. I suggest seeing a hair loss expert now to evaluate and go over your condition and provide you information about your best treatment options. There are great non-invasive options like prp/progesterone and/or hair transplantation. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Jeff Rapaport, MD · Answer

In  my opinion, any diet, including the keto diet, can precipitate Telogen Effluvium. Stopping the diet is the first step. PRP can get the hair to recycle into the Anagen phase and treat any overlap with pattern hair loss.Jeff Rapaport MD FAADRealself Verified All-star

Jacquelline Leva, DO · Answer

You can use prp certainly to make hair denser and increase growth. I would say the biggest issue is extreme diet change and extreme weight loss Can always cause to get sudden shedding 3-6 months later. The condition that usually follows is telogen effluvium usually self resolves if habit is changed try eating balanced diet similar to Mediterranean diet, dash diet. I would try going back on rogaine too so that your hair follicles are set for growth

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Your story is interesting. Of course you need an up close examination. Pretty unlikely with your story that your keto diet really has much to do with this. Your surgery and post op complications and telogen shedding and shock loss and inflammation is way way way higher on the list of causes. See an expert. You need some blood tests for sure including CBC, thyroid studies, zinc, iron panels and others too. Don’t assume please a 10 pound keto diet had a huge effect on a 31 year old male

Tracy A. Darling, MD · Answer

PRP is very effective as a treatment for male pattern baldness.  In order to evaluate the efficacy of PRP in your situation, we would need to do a physical evaluation to see the density of the hair follicles.  As long as the density is still there, it should help.  As to the Keto diet, I cannot comment either way until I saw more detailed information.  We have patients on Keto as part of our weight loss program and we have not had anyone experience hair loss as part of that. However, certain people do not tolerate the high level of fats so their is the possibility that there could be advise side effects.  Typically Type A blood types have a much more difficult time with Keto diets.  They do not handle red meat and animal protein as well and as such struggle with a Keto diet.  Hope this helps.

Would PRP procedure help hair thinning from a Keto diet?

Answers (7)