What is the best procedure for restoring hair loss caused by Male Pattern Baldness? (Photo)

Question

I'm a 25 year old African American male. I've been thinning for approx 2 years now due to what I believe is Male Pattern Baldness. Iunderstand that it's important to get a diagnosis first but suggesting that it is MPB causing my hair loss would the PRP procedure be beneficial at all ? From what I understand PRP will help make the thinning hair I already have stronger but wont prevent hair loss itself. With that said what is the best way to strengthen my thinning hair and prevent future balding ?

Frank P. Albino, MD · Answer

Male pattern baldness is usually best treated with a number of different treatment modalities to optimize results.  PRP to the scalp has been shown to reduce hair loss, improve the thickness of your current hair, and provide modest new hair growth.  It is not a miracle treatment and does not work for everyone. But PRP has shown  improvements for many patients.  Most people require 3 treatments spaced 4 to 6 weeks apart. Results typically start at 3 months following treatment. 
In addition to PRP there are other medications such as rogaine and propecia which may prove beneficial. Many patients start propecia and undergo PRP to the scalp to maximize the potential from either option alone.  
Not everyone is a good candidate for this treatment so please see a Board Certified or Board Eligible Plastic Surgeon to evaluate if you may benefit. Good luck!
  
This content is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment provided by a qualified healthcare professional.  You should always seek the advice of your physician or healthcare professional for any questions you have about your own medical condition.

Sanusi Umar, MD · Answer

PRP results will vary across individuals. Hair growth may occur, but perhaps not to desirable extents. Hair transplantation (when performed by the right surgeon) offers a much more reliable approach to restoring hair growth. Black patients require a more specialized approach due to the curvature of their follicles and the thickness of their dermal scalp tissue. These factors tend to cause high graft damage rates and poor growth. My office at the Dr.U Clinic has developed specialized hair transplant devices designed for the needs of African Americans. Here is an example of a male patient who restored the youthful coverage that he wanted following his surgery with us.

David Deutsch, MD · Answer

As you said the first step is to establish a diagnosis,which most likely is Androgenetic Alopecia.It appears you have a fairly widespread pattern so at this point the most important thing would be to stop further loss and maintain the hair you have.This can best be accomplished with Minoxidil and/or Finasteride.Low Level Laser therapy and/or PRP may also be helpful as a "secondary" layer of prevention.I would recommend a thorough evaluation by a Dermatologist or experienced Hair Restoration surgeon.

Jeff Rapaport, MD · Answer

in my opinion, PRP is effective in decreasing hair loss, increasing the size of the hair shaft, and possibly regrowing hair that has been lost in the last 3 to 5 years. It is not FDA-approved. In addition there are other FDA approved treatments such as finasteride, minoxidil and low level laser that can augment the treatment. Find a PRP expert. Ask to see photos.PRPHAIRMD.COM

Karl Hekimian, MD · Answer

There is no one "best" treatment for everyone.  I suggest an in-person evaluation by a hair restoration expert for a full examination, review of your family history and discussion of you short-term and long-term desires and goals.  You can then discuss options such as PRP, laser therapy, minoxidil (Rogaine), finasteride (Propecia) and hair transplant surgery to see which one(s) are best for you.

Richard E. Moore, MD · Answer

Thank you for your question and posting your photos. I would recommend a combination of therapies to preserve and restore your hair. Reducing the effects of DHT with a medication such as finasteride combined with minoxidil, low level laser therapy, and PRP would give you the best results. With most patients, we can get them to do 3 treatments. I always urge the treatments that they will be most compliant with. I hope this was helpful - Dr. Moore.

Michele S. Green, MD · Answer

A combination treatment is best to treat male pattern baldness.  Some patients will chose to use Rogaine, others Propecia, and many others PRP for hair loss. It is important to get a formal evaluation by a board certified dermatologist including blood work to recommend the best course of treatment.  Best, Dr. Green

Amiya Prasad, MD - Account Suspended · Answer

Thank you for your question. You’re 25-years-old, submitted several good photos of the top of your scalp, and state you’ve been losing hair the past 2 years, and are aware about PRP of maybe having a stimulatory effect to strengthen existing hair. You want to know the best strategy to help your thinning hair and prevent future balding.
I can share with you my approach to helping patients like yourself in our practice. A little background: I’m a Board-certified cosmetic surgeon and Fellowship-trained oculofacial plastic and reconstructive surgeon. I have been in practice in Manhattan and Long Island for over 20 years. I am also the founder of TrichoStem™ Hair Regeneration Centers, a system we developed over the past 7 years using PRP and Acellular matrix, and other modalities to help people with male and female pattern hair loss. I can share with you certain conclusions I have come to based on this extensive experience.
Over the course of time, we have learned of the invaluable benefit of Hair Regeneration and as you refer to as this stimulatory effect on hair growth that can be significant with PRP and Acellular matrix. In patients your age, we certainly had dramatic improvement in outcomes. However, you’ve focused in on the one significant challenge which is the genetics. Your genetics clearly demonstrate a fairly aggressive rate of progression. For some perspective, in the early years of developing this, we looked at people at different stages of hair loss and saw the overwhelming majority of patients responded to the treatment of just the injection alone. However, with time, we got to see different clinical trajectories. 
With PRP, and separately with Hair Regeneration, we can stimulate growth and make a big impact. However, with younger patients with aggressive progression, there are certain concepts I think are important to consider. Is it possible that genetically, your hair growth cycles are going to be limited? In other words, how many times will your hair grow before it stops growing altogether? Another perspective is the relative sensitivity of hair to dihydrotestosterone or DHT. 
For many patients, especially during the early years of the fears about sexual side-effects, a lot of our patients were able to use our procedure as an alternative to finasteride successfully for 3-4 years after we did our injections. However, for a younger person, I think well beyond what’s going to happen in a 3-5 year timeframe. I feel particularly challenged if someone’s genetics is so aggressive. Often, I do have a discussion with our younger patients about a DHT blocker like finasteride, and provide them information in context of current state of knowledge based on published data about finasteride, and whether there is potential value.
Unfortunately, there is no cure for hair loss. What you are facing is an aggressive pattern that without any intervention, will naturally lead to the permanent loss of your hair. When I am treating younger people, I have seen patients who even with a DHT blocker, even with Hair Regeneration, PRP, multiple treatments, they will still lose hair. There are some people who have aggressive patterns who are able to prolong the lifespan, but the effects may be limited by the genetic programming.
Compliance with DHT blockers is also a challenge. A lot of men who take DHT blockers will stop taking these drugs for a variety of reasons. You are in that group of younger people with rapid rate of progression. Seeking a doctor who’s going to provide you guidance in terms of management, and understanding the limitations of any strategy is still based on genetics, and some unknown variables until you actually try the clinical intervention. The art of medicine is ultimately to treat, and observe. The way I look at it, in a younger person, you do everything you can to slow down this rapid progression. Ultimately, you want to get maximal coverage for the maximum time based on your genetics, which is the current reality. I hope that was helpful, I wish you the best of luck, and thank you for your question.This personalized video answer to your question is posted on RealSelf and on YouTube. To provide you with a personal and expert response, we use the image(s) you submitted on RealSelf in the video, but with respect to your privacy, we only show the body feature in question so you are not personally identifiable. If you prefer not to have your video question visible on YouTube, please contact us.

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