How Long Does PRP Last for Hair Loss?

Are you looking around for the most effective hair loss treatments available out there? Then, one of the first questions you’ll likely have will be about the effectiveness of the treatment. Should your trichologist suggest that you try PRP for hair loss, you’ll want to know – how long does PRP last for hair loss? How many sessions will I need? How long before I start to see visible results?

PRP Results Can Vary from Patient to Patient

Given that PRP therapy uses a serum extracted from your blood, the results you attain will largely depend on your body’s healing abilities. If your scalp and follicles respond well to the treatment, the effects may last for a longer while. So, in response to your question – how long does PRP last for hair loss, the answer is hidden in your blood.

Before exploring how long does PRP last for hair loss, understand that every patient’s hair loss condition is unique. The reasons that are causing your hair loss may be totally different from the next patient. Here are some of the main causes of hair loss in present times.

• Side effects of certain medications or allergic reactions to some chemicals you’ve been using
• Genetic propensity as dictated by your DNA or androgenetic alopecia
• According to the National Alopecia Areata Foundation, close to 6.8 million people in the United States alone have alopecia areata, one of the prime causes of hair loss. Both men and women can develop this problem where the body’s immune system starts to attack the hair follicles causing them to shrink and stop functioning.
• Poor nutrition, over-styling, and environmental pollution including toxic chemicals in the air, food, and hair care products are causing people as young as 17 to 18 years old to start losing hair. While some may become completely bald by age 22, others may take around 20 to 30 years more to lose their hair completely.

Several Factors Can Influence the Outcome of Your Treatment

The outcomes of your treatment can depend on various factors only one of which is genetic propensity. At the time of discussing the procedure and the time frame of its effectiveness, here’s what you’ll learn.

PRP Contraindications 

• Dermatologists are careful about recommending PRP therapy and will likely run a battery of tests to make sure that you’re a good candidate for the treatment. They take care to clear you of any PRP injection contraindications that may result in the procedure being effective only for a short while.
• Doctors may ask you about any prescription drugs you’re taking or any medical conditions you may have. These factors may influence the results.
• Your doctor will also want to identify the root cause of your hair loss issues. For instance, if the cause is an excessive use of harmful hair products, you can slow some of the hair loss by stopping the usage. Or, if you have a skin infection, the dermatologist may treat the infection and possibly, slow the hair loss before getting you started on PRP therapy.

Following Post-Procedure Instructions

When you discuss with your doctors about how long does PRP last for hair loss, they will likely inform you that how well you follow the post-procedure instructions can affect the results. For instance, you absolutely must stop smoking and excessive alcohol while your body recovers. Refraining from using chemicals on your scalp can also speed the healing and extend the effectiveness of the treatment.

Supplementing PRP Treatment with Other Options

In case you choose to combine PRP therapy with other hair loss options, you might just get longer-lasting results.

• Tests conducted by the National Center for Biotechnology Information show that gently massaging the scalp with warm oils can stimulate the scalp to grow more hair. Check with your PRP practitioner before using this option.
• Results of research published on HealthLine clearly indicate that eating adequate amounts of proteins, vitamins, and minerals can nourish the scalp and hair follicles. Some good examples include vitamins A, C, and D, and biotin, a kind of vitamin B. Iron and zinc are other supplements you’ll need. If you can change your diet to add nutritious foods, the PRP treatment might last you longer.
• Exposing your scalp to Low Level Laser Therapy can stimulate blood circulation and enhance the effectiveness of PRP.

How Many PRP Treatments are Needed for Hair Growth?

As mentioned above, your dermatologist will devise a customized plan that matches your specific hair loss issue. For this reason, there is no single standardized protocol for PRP hair loss therapy. That is also why your doctor may not be able to answer clearly when you ask – how long does PRP last for hair loss.

Typically, doctors recommend that you opt for 3 to 4 sessions timed at intervals of 4 weeks each. You may also be asked to come in for a booster session, 6 months from the date of the first session. Depending on how well your body responds, you may only need a single shot every 12 to 24 months to maintain the positive results.

The Hair Mass Index Can Help Assess the Effectiveness of PRP for Hair Loss

When you ask your doctor – how long does PRP last for hair loss, she will likely talk about using the HMI. Doctors currently use the Hair Mass Index or HMI to test the effectiveness of the therapy. The HMI is a unit of measure acquired by using the HairCheck tool. This tool assesses a cross section of 2 cm x 2 cm of the scalp and gives you the number of hairs within the area along with the thickness of each individual strand. The HMI is one of the most accurate and sensitive measures to evaluate hair growth.

In addition to the HMI, dermatologists use the Trichoscan digital image analysis and hair pull tests to check how well the patient is responding. They may also take photographs of the scalp at different stages from various angles before and after the PRP treatment to assess the results. Of course, patient satisfaction is an important criterion to keep in mind.

How Effective is PRP Hair Treatment?

To find answers to questions like, how long does PRP last for hair loss or is the treatment actually effective, it is best to check with authoritative sources. The National Center for Biotechnology Information has results of studies conducted across the world that talk about how PRP really works.

Case Study 1

Doctors conducted tests on a group of 20 patients where each of the subjects received PRP therapy on one half of their scalps. The other half received a placebo. The patients were given 3 injections at intervals of 30 days along with a booster shot at 6 months. Researchers followed the progress of the patients over a period of 24 months in which the test subjects came back for checkups at regular intervals. The main factors under consideration were:

• Regrowth of the hair
• Possibility of hair dystrophy where the hair shaft seems to become more fragile
• Possibility of adverse reactions like itching or burning sensations
• Ki67 tests to check for the growth of new cells

As the treatment progressed, doctors noted these results using the Trichosan digital imaging systems:

• At the start of the treatment, the patients had 67.5 hairs per square centimeter with a density of 120.1 hairs per square centimeter. After the end of 3 months, the patients displayed 128.5 hairs per square centimeter with a density of 228.6 hairs per square centimeter.
• The epidermis of the scalp seemed to thicken with more keratinocytes and hair follicle cells. The keratinocytes are the cells that protect the scalp from infections and can later transform into hair follicles.
• Small blood vessels were seen developing in the scalp
• The patients had no side effects.

At the end of 12 months, 4 of the patients showed a relapse and started to have hair loss. They received booster shots of the PRP serum.

Case Study 2

Researchers signed up 11 patients from the age groups of 20 to 40 years with different levels of hair loss. In all, the patients received 4 sessions of PRP therapy timed at intervals of 2 weeks. While the patients came in for regular checkups, the final evaluation was conducted at 3 months after the first session. Here’s what the doctors found:

• Before the treatment, the hair pull test yielded an average of 10 strands of hair. But, after the treatment, the hair pull test ceded only 3 hairs on an average.
• Pictures of the scalp taken before and after the therapy showed better coverage of the scalp.
• Doctors marked a specific area on the scalp. Before the treatment, the section had 71 follicles. After the treatment, the same area showed 93.09 follicles.
• Patients’ satisfaction rated at an average of 7.0 on a range of 1 to 10.

In response to your question, how long does PRP last for hair loss, you can expect that the positive results will last for at least 12 months. After this time, if needed, your dermatologist may recommend that you sign up for one more session.

How Long Does PRP Last for Hair Loss?

To answer your question, you can expect that the results from your PRP therapy for hair loss will last for at least 12 months or more. Though, the outcomes depend a great deal on your body’s healing capabilities. You can also enhance and prolong the effects by taking good care of your body and following the directions of your trichologist carefully. As you can see from the case studies, PRP does work. Try the therapy and recover your lost self-esteem and confidence.

Do you have any more questions about the efficacy of PRP for hair loss? Would you like more information about how the therapy works? Contact us with your query and we’ll get back to you with responses. You can also call us at this number: (888) 981-9516 and talk to one of our expert consultants.

Have you tried PRP treatment before for a medical or aesthetic issue? Do you know of a friend or family member who has tried PRP? Did you get positive results? Were the outcomes long-lasting? Please share your thoughts with our readers using the comment box below.

 

References:

The Effect of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Hair Regrowth: A Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial 

Platelet-Rich Plasma in Androgenic Alopecia: Myth or an Effective Tool