Hair Restoration
Even a small amount of hair loss can be a life altering, extremely concerning realization for young and old alike.
Such a dramatic change not only effects our physical appearance but has significant emotional effects spanning from decreased self-esteem to severe depression. By understanding the implications of experiencing such an event, it becomes of increasing concern that hair loss is much more common than most would believe. For males in America, by the age of thirty-five two-thirds will experience some degree of appreciable hair loss (© 2004-2010 American Hair Loss Association).
By the age of fifty approximately 85% of American men have significantly thinning hair. Furthermore, American women who were once mistakenly excluded from this disease, actually make up 40% of American hair loss sufferers. As hair loss in our society has commonly been accepted as only a male characteristic, the experience for females who do experience loss can be absolutely devastating for the sufferer's self-image and emotional well-being. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) hair restoration naturally reverses thinning hair by increasing hair thickness and stimulating a healthy growth of hair follicles.
MICRONEEDLING OR INJECTION WITH PLATELET-RICH PLASMA (PRP) FOR NON-SURGICAL HAIR RESTORATION
Micro needling or direct injection with platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) as a proactive therapeutic option for male and female patients experiencing hair loss is now an available and highly sought after treatment at Paradise Health Centers. PRP is an exciting non-surgical therapeutic option for patients who may benefit from stimulation of hair growth for hair loss conditions.
Many people are concerned about thinning hair and loss of hair on areas of their head whether caused by the aging process, medication use, or genetic factors. If you’re one of them, you may also be reading and hearing how our own blood can help restore a youthful appearance to skin, and interestingly, about the significant results PRP is achieving to promote hair growth and preventing further hair loss.
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Noticing thinning hair?
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Small Areas of Baldness?
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Receding Hairline?
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Loss of Volume?
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Self-conscious?
PRP hair restoration naturally reverses thinning hair by increasing hair thickness and stimulating a healthy growth of hair follicles.
Recent scientific research and technology has revealed new understandings of wound and tissue healing as it relates to hair loss and restoration. As a result of these scientific studies, PRP is recognized as an all-natural, autologous medical procedure performed in the medical office for scalp, skin, and hair stimulation.
HOW DOES PRP HAIR RESTORATION WORK
Human blood contains mesenchymal stem cells, and autologous blood products that contain essential and specific growth factors that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. Published medical literature in the United States confirms the safety and use of PRP therapy. It has been a medial adjunct therapy for over two decades for skin and wound healing.
PRP therapy has established itself to be effective as a medical treatment modality in the specialty fields of oral surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and cosmetic surgery, sports medicine and orthopedics. It has been increasingly utilized in these specialties over the last twenty years with generally positive outcomes and success.
In the field of hair restoration, evidence continuously supports PRP therapy as a promising treatment option to promote hair growth, yet there are no solid evidence-based claims of its efficacy. While PRP is in the early stages of scientific research in hair restoration, PRP is not meant to replace current FDA approved therapies such as DHT blockers and Minoxidil. However, it can be used in conjunction with DHT blockers and Minoxidil and shows promising non-surgical therapeutic option for those patients with hair loss.
WHO IS A GOOD CANDIDATE FOR PRP FOR HAIR RESTORATION?
PRP has been successful in a wide variety of medical and surgical disciplines for many years. The decision to use PRP for medical or procedural therapy is a personal decision which should be discussed, thoroughly explained and administered by a trusted medical professional. The therapy should only proceed after careful research, consideration, and consultation with a physician. PRP is safe and natural because the procedure utilized the patients own concentrated cells. This concentration of administered cells amplifies the bodies naturally occurring healing processes. There is absolutely no chance of cellular rejection as the fluid administered to an individual is the centrifuged product of that individuals blood. PRP involves using your own cells that are concentrated but unmodified to accelerate specific healing pathways.
Extensive clinical trials in this arena have not been completed and significant medical data has not yet been published extensively enough to establish the absolute effectiveness of PRP. Therefore PRP is not necessarily a “cure” for hair loss and there are no guarantees about its individual effectiveness. However, a great majority of patients who complete the therapy have shown outstanding results. You can be sure the compiling positive results will soon open the door to establishing a concrete demonstration of PRP’s effectiveness in the near future.
HAIR TRANSPLANT PROCEDURE
Blood is drawn in house (in the office) as though you are having routine blood testing at your primary care physician’s office. Our medical professionals transfer the blood product into specially designed centrifuge tubes which are spun at high speeds in a centrifuge. This process separates the blood into density specific layers. The resulting top layer of blood plasma is much more clear than combined blood product. The PRP is aspirated at a specific location within the specialized tube to obtain the optimum level of platelets to aid and enhance the body’s healing processes.
The process of “spinning down” the blood is done so in a closed sterile system providing platelet counts at 3 - 5 times normal blood values. The “spinning down” process also eliminates granulocytes which hinder tissue regeneration and wound healing. Prior to administering PRP to the scalp an anesthesia block is provided, numbing the scalp and allowing the patient to complete the process pain free. After the procedure is completed, the patient is able to drive home and continue life as normal. Patients who take certain pain medications and sedatives prior to the procedure do require an escort to assist in transport.
PRP contains many growth factors that stimulate the hair follicle’s growth. PRP can be preoperative, intraoperative, or postoperative in many types of surgical procedures. Some patient’s chose to have PRP performed every three (3) to four (4) months as early data suggests regular or semiannual PRP treatments may stimulate hair growth.
HOW PRP HAIR THERAPY WORKS
PRP contains special cells called platelets that stimulate local stem cells and other cells in the environment of the hair follicle, ultimately causes growth of the hair follicles itself. These special platelet cells promote healing, accelerates the rate and degree of tissue healing and regeneration, responds to injury, and formation of new cellular growth. Therefore, the primary purpose of using PRP in hair restoration is to stimulate inactive or newly implanted hair follicles into an active growth phase.
PRP specific cells that causes hair growth include but are not limited to:
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Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF) — promotes blood vessel growth, cell replication, skin formation;
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Transforming Growth-Factor-Beta (TGF-b) – promotes growth of matrix between cells, bone metabolism;
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Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) — promotes blood vessel formation;
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Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) — promotes cell growth and differentiation, blood vessel formation, collagen formation;
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Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2) — promotes growth of specialized cells and blood vessel formation; and,
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Insulin Like Growth Factor – (IGF) — a regulator of normal physiology in nearly every type of cell in the body
DOES PRP WORK FOR HAIR LOSS?
Individual results vary with each patient. While there are no guarantees, PRP preliminary studies indicate patients can respond to PRP therapy. Surgeons can then apply PRP for those patients who are not surgical candidates every three (3) to four (4) months. Other protocols will use PRP before or during surgery to ensure graft survivability.
PRP is a potential emerging non-surgical based therapy for natural hair follicle stimulation for thinning hair. Larger clinical studies are pending but the current medical literature contains numerous optimistic results. Although a few controlled studies exist, anecdotal and case reports are the primary sources reflecting success with PRP therapy.
WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE PRP TREATMENT?
Patients with history of heavy smoking, drug and alcohol use. Medical diagnosis such as:
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Thrombocytopenias
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Platelet Dysfunction Syndromes
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Hypofibrinogenaemia
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Hemodynamic Instability
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Sepsis
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Acute and Chronic Infections
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Chronic Liver Disease
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Anti-Coagulation Therapy
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Chronic Skin Diseases or Cancer
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Metabolic and Systemic Disorders
CAN I USE OTHER MEDICAL THERAPIES CONCURRENTLY?
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it and prescribe PRP therapy as a compliment to a nonsurgical approach for those patients who are not eligible for surgery or who want to delay hair restoration surgery. In addition, we recommend PRP therapy along with Minoxidil and DHT blockers or for those patients who can not tolerate or have side effects with these medications.
