PRP Hair Treatment
Platelet rich plasma, or often termed as PRP, is concentrated blood plasma (composition of blood) that contains approximately five times the number of platelets found in normal circulating blood. Apart from red blood cells and white blood cells, our blood also contains cells known as platelets. The function of platelets is to promote healing and aid in the clotting of blood at the site of a wound. Platelets contain growth factors that promote regeneration of the cells in the body. PRP has been used in medicine for the last two decades.
The benefits of platelets and the regeneration of tissue is widely known and accepted in medical literature, but its usage in recent medical conditions is currently being studied. The use of PRP to treat hair loss has the potential to change the way hair loss is treated around the world as it’s a revolutionary, new treatment for hair loss.
Platelets aid in clotting of blood which is the key to the body’s ability to heal wounds. The idea behind PRP therapy is that by increasing the platelet count in a wounded area, the body’s healing capacity in that area would be accelerated.
The injection of platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a technique using the body’s own blood to heal itself. Doctors incorporate its use for the growth of thinning hair, transplanted hair, and wound healing. Many patients have benefited from this form of treatment.
How Does PRP Help in Treating Hair Loss?
If the hair follicles or hair roots are healthy, the growth of the hair is healthy. Hair follicles survive on the nutrition they get from blood supply. If we introduce platelets by administering platelet rich plasma (PRP) in the area of damaged hair follicles, it amplifies the body’s naturally occurring wound healing mechanism.
Some doctors around the world believe PRP can be used to stimulate the growth of hair follicles preventing hair loss.
PRP Therapy Is Performed in Three Stages
First, approximately 60-100ml of blood is collected from your vein. It’s very similar to having a routine blood test performed at your doctor’s clinic. The blood is collected by a nurse or perfusionist and placed in a special container. The container is then placed in a machine called a centrifuge where your blood is spun for approximately 15 minutes. When the centrifuge has stopped spinning, your blood components have now been separated. The concentrated platelets have been separated from your normal whole blood. The PRP that contains abundant growth factors and stem cells is now ready to be applied to the scalp. The goal of this process is to increase the effects of PRP therapy in hair loss.
The rich concentration of platelets now has to be applied to the scalp where hair loss has begun. Therefore, preparing the scalp to receive the PRP is necessary. For this, the scalp is stimulated to activate the wound healing process. Topical anesthesia is applied on the portion of the scalp where PRP will be injected. To prepare the scalp for PRP application, we expect all patients to have showered the morning of their scheduled treatment. Please avoid using any hair products the day of your treatment. The PRP is injected very superficially into the scalp—primarily in the areas of concern.
Mild discomfort is expected during the treatment. You can return to your normal activity almost immediately, but your scalp needs protection from the sun and excessive irritation.
There are many benefits of using PRP treatment to promote healing for hair growth. Highly concentrated growth factors in the form of platelets have been shown to generate new hair growth, thicken thinned out hair, and make hair transplants grow thicker and healthier.
However, not everyone is an ideal candidate to undergo this procedure. Patients who have an active infection in the scalp, history of a viral infection like shingles, diabetes, any clotting disorder, or patients who are on blood-thinning medications like aspirin and immunosuppressive drugs like cyclosporine are not candidates for this procedure.
Also, if hair follicles are completely lost, this procedure is less likely to help patients. Patients may need to opt for hair transplant surgery.
Post Procedure
The procedure takes around one hour depending on amount of hair loss. Since an inflammatory process is initiated at the wound site, there may be mild pain or discomfort felt by the patient at the site where PRP is injected. Patient are not advised not to take any anti-inflammatory medication since it may interfere in the natural healing process of PRP. Patients generally have to receive this treatment multiple times before they can see any results. However, some patients may only have to receive this therapy once a year.
Complications
The injected area may have mild swelling, it may even be tender to touch. Swelling may go away in few hours after the procedure while tenderness may go away in a couple of days. There is a possibility of the area getting infected, but this is rare.
Safety
PRP does not pose any danger of allergy, hypersensitivity, or foreign-body reaction and it is a safe choice for many patients. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to the staff at Revive Clinic– by the phone or in person.
Nutrafol
All of our hair treatments include Nutrafol. The latest hair research reveals that hair thinning is due to an accumulation of causes—stress (elevated cortisol), hormones (DHT), oxidative damage, as well as the natural processes of aging. Achieving healthier hair requires that you address these underlying causes on a consistent, ongoing basis. Nutrafol uses specifically selected botanical nutraceutical ingredients with potent and unique properties. These nutraceuticals are bio-optimized and clinically tested for efficacy against these causes.
Vitamins and minerals like biotin and zinc, as well as marine collagen (protein) are important for maintaining healthy hair, because they provide necessary nourishment and serve as coenzymes in the mechanics of hair production. However, on their own, they’re simply not enough.
Think of it like watering a plant in sick soil. It doesn’t matter how much you water it if the roots are in an unhealthy environment. Same with a follicle – if you don’t address the underlying causes at the root, the follicle is unlikely to absorb and use the nourishment. So before you provide the nutrients, you need to address the health of the environment with botanical nutraceuticals.
PRP Facials
The tear troughs are located at the inner corners of the eyes, next to the nose. As we age, people will often encounter problems with this particular facial feature in the form of hollowing, often due to the depletion of the fat in the area. This can also occur in much younger patients due to loss of cheek volume after having lost a lot of weight. It can be quite bothersome as the hollowness can give a person a sunken and almost gaunt look, which only adds years to one’s appearance.
Addressing the tear trough areas, however, requires a lot of finesse. Many factors such as skin thickness, skin color, the underlying bone structure, and the existence or lack of fat pockets all play influential roles in determining the proper course of action.
Sometimes, a two-step approach is taken to improve the appearance of this area. First, a hyaluronic acid filler, such as Belotero, is used to restore volume. Next, platelet-rich plasma is injected to the tear troughs to correct for pigmentary issues that present as dark circles under the eyes.
This combination reduces hollowness, removes discoloration, and eliminates dark shadows so that patients look younger and refreshed.
Bid Goodbye to Baldness
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