Is PRP treatment recommended post FUE?

Question

Is PRP treatment recommended post FUE? and When? I heard about some physicians do a session the day following the operation. What is the recommended number of sessions? Thanks!

Jae Pak, MD · Answer

Short answer is no. For a longer answer see Dr. Rassman's answer below. You will likely pay for something that may not work.

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

Platelet Rich Plasma is believed to have certain growth factors which may stimulate cell division, and hence the renewal of tissue. However this is not a requirement or a necessity to achieve the expected growth following an FUE hair transplant.Successful results following a hair transplant procedure depend on the experience and skill of the surgeon.  He or she must be able to select the right grafts which will not be subject to miniaturization. Also how the follicles are handled and treated will matter for their long term survival.While the use of PRP may seem like a good idea in theory, there is no research which supports its ability to improve the growth and overall results of a hair transplant procedure. Instead, it would be best to examine the past work (across ten or more patients) of the doctors you are considering.

Jeff Donovan, MD, PhD · Answer

Hi AbdulllWe don't know all the answers about PRP at the time of hair transplant yet. PRP at the time of transplant may protect existing hair and may help graft survival. Some repeat in at 3 or 6 months. A 2005 study by Uebel 
looked at 23 patients whose hair transplant grafts were enriched with
PRP or not enriched at the time of transplant. 1 year after the patients surgery it was found that there was a 15.7 % increase in density. Uebel C. Hair Transplant Forum Intl 2005We 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. In addition to Uebel's studies, 7 additional studies help guide the 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 change
2) 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 RESEARCH STUDY 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

Ali Emre Karadeniz, MD · Answer

There is no sufficient scientific data that PRP enhances hair growth at the recipient or healing at the donor area after FUE. There is no harm in doing it, but in my opinion it is mainly a marketing tool and a practical way of making extra money without much effort for hair clinics.

Rashid M. Rashid, PhD, MD · Answer

In a medical search of the evidence based literature, no large studies support the benefits of PRP.  However, it probably will not hurt you.  Some small studies do exist but not yet of the highest standards of proof.

William Rassman, MD (retired) · Answer

At the recent International Society of Hair Restoration Surgeons (ISHRS annual meeting), the subject of the use and value of using Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) came up. Over the years, there have been many poorly researched reports on the use of PRP. Not only at the meeting did the papers reinforce the lack of value for using PRP, but the uses by those who advocate it make me wonder if this is a money thing for the doctor’s income. In performing PRP, the doctor draws blood from the patient and then spins the blood down to reveal the part of the blood that is known to be rich in platelets. It is not a complicated or a costly process. Platelets are the part of the blood that allows blood to clot when you cut your arm, or your beard when you shave. Not only is it valuable in clotting, but it supplies important elements for the healing process. The theory goes from there that if it helps healing from when you cut your face or arm, it must have strange healing powers, including stem cells that are derived by the platelets. I cannot say the results of any of the newest papers impressed me in any way.So you might ask: Why do the doctors recommend using it? I really have a problem with answering this the way I feel, but I will tell you that most doctors who use it charge about $1,500 for a treatment of taking and returning your own platelets back to you. That is a good motivation for the doctor, but not necessarily for the patient (unless the patient don’t care much about the $1500).I am personally not sure if I would try it on myself or even offer it for no significant expense since I have not been convinced of it’s scientific value. Anecdotal results are mostly what is out there.

Is PRP treatment recommended post FUE?

Answers (6)

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