Platelet Rich Plasma (prp) For Androgenic Alopecia

ilong

God's Own
Has anyone researched this PRP procedure or had it done?

Medical speculation is that it may help alleviate pain, treat painful osteoarthritis and hair loss. I may consider it as a treatment for my hair loss .

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http://www.bernsteinmedical.com/platelet-rich-plasma-prp/

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Source: AAOS


What Is Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP)?

Although blood is mainly a liquid (called plasma), it also contains small solid components (red cells, white cells, and platelets.) The platelets are best known for their importance in clotting blood. However, platelets also contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors which are very important in the healing of injuries.

PRP is plasma with many more platelets than what is typically found in blood. The concentration of platelets — and, thereby, the concentration of growth factors — can be 5 to 10 times greater (or richer) than usual.

To develop a PRP preparation, blood must first be drawn from a patient. The platelets are separated from other blood cells and their concentration is increased during a process called centrifugation. Then the increased concentration of platelets is combined with the remaining blood

How Does PRP Work?

Although it is not exactly clear how PRP works, laboratory studies have shown that the increased concentration of growth factors in PRP can potentially speed up the healing process.

To speed healing, the injury site is treated with the PRP preparation. This can be done in one of two ways:

  • PRP can be carefully injected into the injured area. For example, in Achilles tendonitis, a condition commonly seen in runners and tennis players, the heel cord can become swollen, inflamed, and painful. A mixture of PRP and local anesthetic can be injected directly into this inflamed tissue. Afterwards, the pain at the area of injection may actually increase for the first week or two, and it may be several weeks before the patient feels a beneficial effect.
  • PRP may also be used to improve healing after surgery for some injuries. For example, an athlete with a completely torn heel cord may require surgery to repair the tendon. Healing of the torn tendon can possibly be improved by treating the injured area with PRP during surgery. This is done by preparing the PRP in a special way that allows it to actually be stitched into torn tissues.
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sizzle

Well-Known Member
I am sure that this is available in the US. One of the white female doctors on the show "The Doctors" had it done and she was pleased with the results. I am strongly thinking about it for myself if I can find a reputable place in Philadelphia
 

ilong

God's Own
I am sure that this is available in the US. One of the white female doctors on the show "The Doctors" had it done and she was pleased with the results. I am strongly thinking about it for myself if I can find a reputable place in Philadelphia


@sizzle
@gn1g- yes the procedure is available in the US. I am still researching the procedure however, I am almost positive I am going to have the procedure. I know someone, personally, who had the procedure and she feels it did help her hair which was thinning.

I'm not sure how deep the injections are placed in the scalp, that's a concern of course, pricing seems to range from $300 - $1000 and I understand it is a painful procedure - with recipients experiencing pressure in the head and headaches post procedure.

In thinking about cosmetic surgery I recall a friend of mine had breast augmentation and she experienced quite a lot of pain for about 2 weeks, post surgery. I hope the PRP isn't as painful.
 
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ilong

God's Own
@gn1g yes check out YouTube for videos on the procedure. This is yet another area where I feel the western medical system is extremely lacking and fails. This procedure has been performed (therefore out of a trial phase) for over 6 years, based on information I've read, so why aren't doctors informing hair loss patients of its existence and as a possible consideration to treat hair loss? It is not alternative or holistic medicine nor is it outside the traditional Western medicinal system as it is performed and offered by medical doctors. The (poor excuse for a) doctor I saw for my hair loss, told me my only treatment option was a hair transplant.
 
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ilong

God's Own
Published Studies on PRP

Schiavone et al 2014 - Schiavone PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 64 patients
  • Design: PRP every 3 months
  • Results: at 6 months, 40.6% to 54.7% had clinically significant change

    Cervelli et al 2014 - Cervelli PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 10 patients
  • Design: Randomized half head study
  • Results: Significant increase in terminal hairs at 3 months
Gkini MA et a; - Gkini PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 20 patients
  • Design: 16ml; blood 3 treatments every 21 days and at 6 months
  • Results: Hair increased 7 out of 10 satisfaction rating

    Kang JS et al - Kang PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 13 patients
  • Design: One treatment
  • 3 months after study, patients showed overall high degree of improvement. Positive therapeutic impact on hair loss.

    Khatu et al, 2014 - Khatu PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 11 patients
  • Design: Every 2 weeks for 2 months (8 treatments)
  • Results: Improved thickness & hair counts by 22.09 FU per cm2

    Betsi et al, 2012 - Betsi PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 42 patients
  • Design: 16ml blood
  • Results: At 3 mos; high patient satisfaction 7 of 10: improvement in hair volume
Ubel et al, 2005 - Ubel PRP Study
  • Number of Patients: 23 patients
  • Design: Hair transplant grafted areas enriched with PRP
  • Results: After 1 year, 15.7% increased density in PRP treated areas over non-PRP treated areas
 
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ilong

God's Own
I have been undergoing PRP treatments and it appears that they are definitely working to regrow my thinning hairline (due to aging). I also hope to see improvement in my traction alopecia areas - although it is much too soon to expect improvement there. I won't post details yet as I know :needpics:

and I didn't take starting pictures.

After observing, what appears to be very much an improvement (thicker/longer) on my hairline yesterday, I took a picture, which I will use to assess any improvement(s) going forward.

I will provide a detailed post of the experience and results in the future, when I have supporting pictures.

If my results continue to improve, as I believe they are, I will undergo PRP (monthly) treatments for a year. I already paid for 6 months of treatments (discounted if pre-paid) so I will add an additional 6 for the discounted rate.

So if it isn't a Copper Peptide (Folligen or purer form) Emu Oil, or replinishing vitamins and supplements - I won't be purchasing anything else for my hair.
 
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IDareT'sHair

PJ Rehabilitation Center
@ilong

I'm very proud of you for taking such a bold step to reverse your damage. I am celebrating the fact that you made some positive steps on your Healthy Hair Journey, did the proper research and weighed all of your options to deal with this issue.

Looking forward to reading about your progress and I am thankful that you are already seeing progress as we speak.

Keep up the good work. And keep us posted as you move forward.

No need to invest in anything else other than what you mentioned above especially since they are working well for you with your treatments.

~All the Best!~
 

ilong

God's Own
@IDareT'sHair - thank you for the kind words.
The published research was paramount in my decision. I spent hours upon hours reading studies, reviews, posts (on other forums) watching videos, etc. on the procedure.

A friend, who was diagnosed with Central Centrifugal Cicatricle Alopecia (CCCA) is considering Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) to treat her hair loss. I don't think she has CCCA. Looking at her hair loss pattern I think she may have AGA as her loss is spotted throughout her scalp as opposed to a pattern like male pattern baldness (vertex outward). I'm not the doctor <lol>, but I don't always trust doctors and their diagnosis. Before making the financial investment, she wanted to observe the progression of the hair loss so she cut off her hair down to 1/2 inch. (Jennifer Hudson new cut). Originally, she was considering PRP, however after researching SCT she believes efficacy is greater with SCT over PRP

I told her about LHCF but due to the severity of her condition, I recommended she study
the information on WomensHairLossProject site.
 

ilong

God's Own
@smores - unless I see "dramatic" improvement - I probably won't update progress until December.
This is ample time to see any improvement in both areas AND I must decide at this point whether I will add the additional 6 PRP treatments or not.
 

ilong

God's Own
@smores - sure! My experience is the injections of local anesthetic are the painful part of the procedure. ( I raised up out of the seat several times, I stopped the procedure a couple of times and my toes were curled all of the time) Although, a numbing compound is applied to my hairline and scalp prior to injecting the anesthetic, it doesn't do much to subside the pain. If the compound did reduce some of the pain, then I don't want to think about how painful it would be without having the compound applied first. I would estimate that my hairline/scalp is injected about 40-60 times with the local anesthetic and perhaps the same number of times for the PRP.

Number of injections are relative to the area being treated (larger the area being treated - the more injections) and is not a set value.
Considering the number of injections of course there is a small amount of blood resulting, but nurses continuously blotted the areas. (Compare it to sticking yourself with a straight pin 80-120 times or more.)

Post treatment - no pain, however I do experience tenderness, sensitive to the touch and soreness. I did experience a slight headache and mild swelling along the hairline after this last treatment. No residual post treatment bleeding. Tylenol or plain old aspirin can be taken, but no Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, etc type meds. For the first two days, I have to sleep with my head elevated higher than my heart - to minimize swelling and pain. I shampoo my hair the next day - but I can't apply any oils, pomades, etc for a few days (while the area heals)

ETA: I was able to drive myself home (and go shopping <lol>) after the procedure, without any apprehension or discomfort.

As far as the number of treatments, it is a personal decision. Most do not see improvements after only one treatment and of course a series of treatments are recommended by doctors. If you look at some of the case studies, most involved several treatments over a period of time.

My decision to have several treatments was based on my age (slower metabolism, diminished natural collagen, body production of natural minerals and vitamins is lower), the condition of the areas being treated and the fact that I am a slow grower. I believe those factors would slow my progress if I didn't keep the treatment momentum going, so to speak.

Hope this helps!
 
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smores

Well-Known Member
@ilong Thanks for such a detailed and honest response. You are one of the best information sources on this site!!

Honestly, the pain sounds like it would be too much for me. I am beyond tendered headed and ultra sensitive to pain anywhere, but especially on my head. Nevermind ALL medical procedures scare me a little, even having my blood drawn.

I'm am excited to hear about your progress and I really do hope your success withis continues. I've subscribed to the thread so I can follow your updates!
 

ilong

God's Own
@smores - thank you for your compliment and well wishes.

I truly understand your position. Some reviewers on the procedure reported no pain and as I was having my first procedure "I thought they were either lying or out of their minds".:freakout: Subsequent procedures were the same. The pain is only during the injection at that point but it is pain regardless.
 

sizzle

Well-Known Member
Thank you ilong for your honest and learned approach to this thing called hair loss especially in older women. I am very interested in using PRP and am eagerly following your updates. BTW how are using folligen or other things to improve your results?
 

ilong

God's Own
@smores and @sizzle
I wish I had known about it years ago as I would have definitely had the treatments.
I recall spending over $300 in one week, in 2013, on shampoos, conditioners and the like. For me that is utterly ridiculous, soon thereafter I decided that will NEVER happen again. In that same year I purchased a six month supply of Viviscal. I mention these incidents because the total of those two purchases alone, were a fourth of the cost my PRP treatments.

Folligen is a Copper Peptide (CP). Studies/patents indicate that not only does CP promote clearer, smoother, healthier skin it also promotes hair growth. Folligen is a well known CP (reverseskinaging.com) Emu oil is also reported to promote hair growth and used in conjunction with Folligen, they are, "allegedly", a hair growth powerhouse. I considered using Retin A to tighten my scalp where the thinning is occurring but I've decided not to, as I don't want to contraindicate the effect of PRP.

I also had LLLT treatments (I made a thread on it) on my scalp. I am still considering purchasing a unit - but I don't want to falsify the results of PRP, as PRP treatments cost a lot more than an igrow helmet or laser comb.

Basically, my regimen is simple until June 2016. Other than supplements the only other growth aids I will use are: PRP treatments, copper peptide/emu oil massages. I will use my other oils (Castor, coconut, rice bran etc) for oil rinses and deep conditioning.

ETA:
@sizzle -I will be happy to answer any questions (if I can) you may have. I know I am starting to sound like a commercial - but please spend some time reading reviews and looking at the pictures about the procedure on realself.com. Youtube is also an excellent source.
 
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sizzle

Well-Known Member
Thanks ilong for your lengthy response. PRP treatment plus copper peptide should work together. I am researching for a reputable provider in the Philly area. You are right...wasting money on shampoos, etc is pointless. I will post when I make a decision.
 

ilong

God's Own
Thanks ilong for your lengthy response. PRP treatment plus copper peptide should work together. I am researching for a reputable provider in the Philly area. You are right...wasting money on shampoos, etc is pointless. I will post when I make a decision.

@sizzle - If you do decide to have the procedure - please order and have your Emu Oil and Copper Peptide (CP) on hand to apply to the areas. Both products are healing agents and you want to apply them to the treated areas of your scalp as soon as possible. There is quite a bit of information on the net regarding the healing properties of these two agents including on realself, livestrong and LHCF. CP and Emu oil are now my main hair product staples. When I mentioned the CP to my doctor, his eyes lit up and told me it would help tremendously if I applied it to my scalp. Most doctors do not recognize any product outside of "written scripts".

Good luck with finding a doctor. There were a couple of reviews on doctors in New Jersey (~2 hours from Philly). I know I'm starting to sound like an agent for realself <ha-ha> but it is the only resource I found that has everything (patient reviews, doctors who perform the services by location, pictures, etc.) Not saying there aren't other sites - but this is the site I found. I still spend a lot of time on the site - reading patient reviews, doctor responses and looking at pictures.

Please keep us updated!
 
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ilong

God's Own
I recently completed my 3rd PRP treatment , so I thought I would provide an update. Until this week, I've always thought, it would be difficult to determine if one particular "product was responsible for the growth, given the number of products in my "hair growth arsenal". However, now I can say without reservation the PRP is accelerating hair growth. :clap:

Yesterday I absentmindedly pulled the hair on my right sideburn and was shocked to discover, the hair reached the bottom of my jaw. The hair on the left sideburn reaches just above the jawline. I could not believe it! My sideburns have never been this long and I've taken supplements for many years. Also I only massage my scalp with the Folligen/Emu oil, not my sideburns. My PRP treatments span the entire circumference of my scalp, which includes the area where my sideburns start, but not actual sideburns.

My remaining hair appears to be thicker each time I take the braids down and my right hairline is very thick. The left hairline is OK - but I have this one little area that refuses to allow hair to fully occupy the territory. :smile: If my hair continues to show signs of improvement and growth, I will commit to 6 more PRP treatments beginning Jan 1st.
 
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sizzle

Well-Known Member
I recently completed my 3rd PRP treatment , so I thought I would provide an update. Until this week, I've always thought, it would be difficult to determine if one particular "product was responsible for the growth, given the number of products in my "hair growth arsenal". However, now I can say without reservation the PRP is accelerating hair growth. :clap:

Yesterday I absentmindedly pulled the hair on my right sideburn and was shocked to discover, the hair reached the bottom of my jaw. The hair on the left sideburn reaches just above the jawline. I could not believe it! My sideburns have never been this long and I've taken supplements for many years. Also I only massage my scalp with the Folligen/Emu oil, not my sideburns. My PRP treatments span the entire circumference of my scalp, which includes the area where my sideburns start.

My remaining hair appears to be thicker each time I take the braids down and my right hairline is very thick. The left hairline is OK - but I have this one little area that refuses to allow hair to fully occupy the territory. :smile: If my hair continues to show signs of improvement and growth, I will commit to 6 more PRP treatments beginning Jan 1st.

This is impressive...I'm so happy for you! Now if I could just find a provider that I can trust in Philly..... I keep looking
 

ilong

God's Own
@intellectualuva - I ordered both from Amazon. But please be careful with suppliers on just as you should be with suppliers on eBay. All are not legit or sell good products. On my first order of Folligen, when I googled the shipping (from) address it was a residential home.
I will be ordering more of both this week. I'm seriously considering purchasing my next order of Emu Oil from Garden of Wisdom - it is expensive as heck but it is suppose to be Grade A Emu Oil.
 

ElizaBlue

Well-Known Member
@intellectualuva - I ordered both from Amazon. But please be careful with suppliers on just as you should be with suppliers on eBay. All are not legit or sell good products. On my first order of Folligen, when I googled the shipping (from) address it was a residential home.
I will be ordering more of both this week. I'm seriously considering purchasing my next order of Emu Oil from Garden of Wisdom - it is expensive as heck but it is suppose to be Grade A Emu Oil.

Wow...thanks for sharing. You have caused me to purchase more stuff in these last two months...lol
 

AKA-Tude

Well-Known Member
Subbing!!

This is VERY interesting.....

Thanx for sharing!

I have never heard of this treatment,
but if it works for you,
I WILL be looking into it!!

I have read that Copper is great for repairing of the skin,
so this makes LOTS OF SENSE!!!

I want to find the CP alone so I can add it to products myself.

Always heard GREAT stuff about EMU oil!
Used to live near one in AZ... wish I had known better then!!

Do you mind sharing the vendor you purchased from on Amazon?
 

VinDieselsWifey

Well-Known Member
bumping
I had a consultation about PRP. It's $4500, 3 treatments at $1500 each. You have to get at least 3 treatments. One treatment they recommend adding A-cell to & it is an extra $500 which would make it $5000 but they offer $500 off if you buy all three treatments at once. That's a lot of money for something I have no guarantee of working or even getting a partial refund if it didn't work. I wish money was not an issue. Now I'm researching the igrow helmet. I saw on youtube where some people have made their own laser hats.
 

ilong

God's Own
bumping
I had a consultation about PRP. It's $4500, 3 treatments at $1500 each. You have to get at least 3 treatments. One treatment they recommend adding A-cell to & it is an extra $500 which would make it $5000 but they offer $500 off if you buy all three treatments at once. That's a lot of money for something I have no guarantee of working or even getting a partial refund if it didn't work. I wish money was not an issue. Now I'm researching the igrow helmet. I saw on youtube where some people have made their own laser hats.

@VinDieselsWifey - I will get with you later about trying to insert yourself between me and my boo (VinDiesel) :naughty: :) You know I'm Mrs.TripleX :lachen:

But for the topic at hand ... $4500 is on the high side. You may want to research another doctor even if you have to make a drive. I paid $2000 for 6 treatments ( 1 per month - I will have my last treatment in December) discounted with pre-pay. Original cost (non-pre pay) would have been $3k.

Dr. Diep (Los Gatos, CA) offers ACell at $300 (but cost may be in conjunction with hair transplant.) Some surgeons offer PRP treatment at no charge with a hair transplant, so a $1500 charge is out of the question.

Sometimes it is good that money is an issue - it helps us be better shoppers. ;)
 
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