PRP treatment for hair loss

Tired of seeing your hair in the brush and on the bathroom floor daily? Hair fall is a very common problem from which at least 80% of the population suffer. Losing 100 strands per day is common for everyone and is considered normal but if you are losing hair in a bunch then you are suffering from hair fall problems.

Losing hair and going completely bald can affect your self-esteem and confidence. Some people also suffer from anxiety and depression when they lose hair. In most e cases people rely on medication more than surgeries or procedures to bring back their hair growth. But medicines don’t work all the time.

A method called PRP or platelet-rich plasma is a procedure in which blood is drawn from your arm or any other body part and the platelets from the blood are separated and injected into your injured tendons. This is a very simple method and does not require a lot of procedures. It’s a safe surgery that is said to be efficient towards hair loss. Our cells are regenerating cells which means they replace the dead cells quickly with the new ones. So it’s our own body’s healing mechanism.

This method is generally used when the person is suffering from total hair loss or male pattern baldness.

How does PRP work?

Injecting the platelets found in-person the blood and activating growth factors can improve the blood supply to their follicles and increase the thickness of their hair shafts. But hair growth does not happen overnight, it takes time and patience because it’s a sensitive procedure. Let’s discuss the procedure.

The procedure requires a lot of sittings. It can vary from 30-60 minutes depending on the patient.
Patients need to come once a month for 3 to 6 months.
First they take a blood sample from your arm and put it in a test tube.
Then they put it in a centrifuge (a machine that spins the test tube rapidly and separates the fluids).
Then after 9-10 minutes of spinning the blood is separated into 3 layers.
Platelet poor plasma
Platelet-rich plasma
Red blood cells
The PRP is taken out in a syringe and then injected into the scalp or into the injured tendons where hair needs to be grown.

Most patients don’t feel any pain or discomfort and return to their work the very next day. And some prefer to take rest for some days. This procedure doesn’t require any external help but some habits need to be prevented like smoking and drinking. Make sure you take a balanced diet enriched with all vitamins and macronutrients.

Is PRP treatment for hair loss effective?

Some studies showed that people suffering from androgenic alopecia saw some improvement in their hair growth after injecting the PRP multiple times. PRP is not a cure for conditions that cause hair loss but for hair loss problems. It is not proven 100% effective but it can do some good for people suffering from total baldness or alopecia.

It is said that PRP contains two proteins that promote hair growth and new hair. It helps your blood to clot and encourages cells to grow. The result may vary from person to person as it depends upon the blood health of the individual. It depends upon the healing power of the blood.

PRP overall cost

PRP consists of three treatments in 4-6 weeks and it needs maintenance every 4-6 months. It can cost up to 1-2 lakhs for the three treatments with one injection costing 40,000-50,000. Pricing depends upon a lot of factors which includes:

o Quality of equipment

o The addition of any nutritive components

o Clinic from which you are taking the treatment

Side effects of PRP treatment

As PRP consists of injecting the patients’ blood so it has some side effects. Some of the side effects are:

Swelling on the injected area
Mild pain
Itching
Temporary bleeding at the injected site
Headache

PRP is not a permanent fix. A lot of maintenance is required.

If you are still not able to control your hair loss then there are some alternatives to PRP. They are:

1) Minoxidil topical solution

Minoxidil is a powerful peripheral vasodilator that is considered an effective topical solution. Minoxidil Topical Solution stimulates hair growth, and hence it is used for hair fall control, treating MPB (Male pattern baldness).

2) Anti-hair fall shampoo

It nourishes your hair and scalp with no harmful chemicals (Parabens and Sulphate free). The shampoo helps to strengthen your hair, improves the texture of your hair, and reduces hair fall.

3) Biotin tablets

The biotin tablets are enriched with multivitamins which help in hair growth and improve metabolism. Biotin tablets include a total of 10 vitamins in it. The tablets reduce hair fall, improves scalp health, promotes hair growth and makes your hair stronger & healthier than before.