Platelet Rich Plasma (“PRP”)

This is another exciting avenue of treatment for some individuals with thinning (miniaturized) hair. The platelets circulating in our blood are a key factor in the coagulation (clotting) process, and contain a number of “growth factors” which are involved in wound healing. PRP has been used to accelerate wound and tissue healing in numerous medical specialties, from neurosurgery to cosmetic surgery. In recent years, there have been encouraging results and increasing interest in PRP as a means of stimulating the growth of hair follicles. An in-office treatment that takes about 30-45 minutes, PRP injection therapy is performed after obtaining a small amount of the patient’s own blood and spinning it in a centrifuge to separate and concentrate the platelet portion. After anesthetizing the scalp, the PRP is injected into the thinning area(s). Injections are performed every 3-6 months, with some improvement usually being noted during that time frame. PRP is sometimes used in conjunction with ACell MatriStem Extracellular Matrix, a commercially available biologic scaffold that is believed to stimulate and attract stem cells.