Is PRP a better treatment for alopecia areata than Steroid injections?

In my opinion, PRP and intralesional steroid injections work equally well for treating alopecia areata. We will often treat failures with one modality with the corresponding other modality.PRPHAIRMD.COM 

Hair loss 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. In our office, we combine prp with progesterone for best outcomes. Hair transplantation is an alternative. See an expert. Best, Dr. Emer

Great question. PRP is not better but in some cases may be just as good. Steroid injections when done properly are quite safe - especially for small areas.

Thank you for your question!  From my personal experience, steroid injections work really well for alopecia areata (AA), and are the gold standard for treatment of AA.  One treatment may be all that you need.  With that being said, depressions can occasionally occur with steroids depending on the concentration used, but resolve with time.  PRP also seems to work well for alopecia areata.  Both work differently, with steroids suppressing the immune system and preventing T cells from affecting the hair follicles, while PRP provides the growth factors for hair regrowth.  Keep in mind though that PRP treatments will be more expensive than intralesional steroid injections.
All the best,
Dr. Bobby

I would first recommend a thorough evaluation from a qualified hair restoration physician to confirm AA. In my practice we routinely use steroid injections as a first line therapy. They are supported by robust evidence, can work very well even after a single treatment, and are very affordable. There is a risk of thinning of the skin however if done on the right areas of the scalp and if not done too often in the same area, then in my experience the results are very satisfying. Though safe, PRP for use in AA is an emerging science is not proven to be more effective than steroids.

Hi,thanks for the question.ILS (intralesional steroid injections) for alopecia areata is the gold standard treatment for alopecia areata. At times a single injection may be good enough.The cost of steroid injections is much lesser than PRP therapy.

While there is only one really good study comparing the two treatments it does seem that PRP is effective for alopecia areata in most people with great results. That being said the gold standard for alopecia areata is kenalog (steroid) injections. The side effects are usually quite minimal with the exception of some depressions due to the kenalog that will resolve. In my opinion PRP is definitely an option for alopecia areata but with the available evidence is hard to say it is better than kenalog. The cost of PRP would likely be significantly more than kenalog injections which is another consideration that must be taken into account.