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For years, we have known about the positive, healing effects that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has on various injured parts of the body.
Doctors have been using PRP to help patients regenerate cells in their muscles, tendons, and ligaments after injuries for decades; however, it has only been in the recent years that cosmetic surgeons have realized just how effective PRP is for men and women dealing with hair loss from alopecia (sometimes referred to as female- or male-pattern baldness).
Let’s face it, suffering from hair loss can be one of the most embarrassing and frustrating issues a person can face. You may see old pictures of yourself and wish that you could return yourself to those days when you had luscious and full hair, or you may see the trends in hairstyles and wish that you could try them out on yourself.
However, with PRP hair restoration therapy, you may no longer have to hide your head away under hats or scarves. Instead, you can try to take control of your body and help return your appearance to the one that you want.
Below, you’ll find information on what PRP is as well as how PRP therapy works.
What Is Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)?
Our blood is made up of white blood cells, red blood cells, plasma, and platelets. Plasma is the liquid part of the blood and is composed of water and various proteins, and platelets are specific blood cells that have natural healing qualities that can help repair the body.
What Is PRP Therapy?
PRP therapy injects platelet-rich plasma that has been extracted from your body back in your body to stimulate natural healing and growth.
Essentially, PRP jumpstarts your body into healing. One of the best qualities of PRP therapy is that you are not putting any foreign substance in your body.
Instead, you are simply allowing your body to repair itself. This means that there is no need to worry about your body rejecting the treatment or any other complications that can occur with other types of treatments.
How Does PRP Therapy Work for Hair Loss?
PRP therapy is a simple three-step process that encourages your scalp to improve and increase the supply of blood to the hair follicles, which helps create thicker hair and promotes new hair growth in dormant hair follicles.
Step 1: Blood Draw
The first step of PRP therapy for hair loss is the extraction of the blood (usually from your arm). This blood is then placed in a vial and put into a centrifuge, which will separate the PRP from the white and red blood cells in the extracted blood.
Step 2: Centrifuge
A centrifuge is a machine that takes the vial of collected blood and spins it at high speed. Centrifugal force causes the PRP to separate from the other parts of the blood, allowing for easy collection of the PRP. This concentrated plasma is then mixed with other substances (calcium chloride or calcium gluconate). This whole process takes only 10 to 20 minutes to complete.
Step 3: Injections
This PRP mixture is then injected directly into specific areas of the scalp to stimulate hair growth. The entire treatment takes about one hour to complete.
Most patients require four to six PRP treatments, spaced several weeks apart. After the hair has started to grow, maintenance treatments are required every three to six months. After your PRP treatments, you will be able to see healthier, thicker hair and even some hair growth in balding areas. These results usually take three to six months from your initial treatment to show.
Hair Loss Treatment in Manhattan and Westchester for a New You!
If you have any questions about PRP therapy for hair loss, call 212-830-6830 or contact us online by selecting either our Manhattan office or the Westchester office.