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What to Know About PRF Hair Restoration

Knox Beasley, MD

Reviewed by Knox Beasley, MD

Written by Geoffrey C. Whittaker

Published 05/15/2023

Updated 10/04/2024

If you’re experiencing hair thinning or hair loss, you might be familiar with hair transplants as a potential remedy. But one less invasive approach is PRF hair restoration, which can awaken dormant hair follicles by microneedling compounds from your own blood back into your scalp.

Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) hair restoration could be a relatively cost-effective and — more importantly — safe, low-risk way to encourage natural hair growth. Though PRF restoration won’t cure pattern baldness, it can help rejuvenate remaining hair follicles.

Read on to learn how it works, if it’s safe, and a breakdown of PRF hair restoration costs.

PRF hair restoration — is a non-surgical hair restoration procedure. It involves injecting platelet-rich fibrin into the scalp to stimulate hair growth.

Platelet-rich fibrin is made from your own blood by separating platelets from plasma and red blood cells.

Platelet-rich plasma is a combination of plasma (the liquid portion of blood) and platelets, a type of blood cell that helps with healing throughout the body. Simply put, platelet-rich fibrin is the blood that contains more platelets, stem cells, and other healing properties than unprocessed blood.

Separated from your red blood cells, platelets can trigger cell reproduction and stimulate tissue regeneration and rejuvenation in the treated area.

PRF treatment can be effective in treating both male and female pattern hair loss and baldness — also known as androgenetic alopecia. The injections can also help stimulate hair regrowth after hair transplants.

Hair Loss Medication

This is where hair regrowth starts

Platelet-rich fibrin is considered an advanced version of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) that uses fibrin, a protein generated by the body during blood clot formation.

Both platelet-rich fibrin and platelet-rich plasma are collected in the same way. A blood sample is drawn and then placed in a machine that rapidly spins the sample — a process known as centrifugation — separating the blood components.

After the fibrin is separated and collected from the blood draw, it’s administered by a dermatology expert to the scalp with direct injections.

The entire process typically takes less than 10 minutes. PRF treatments are usually given every six to eight weeks, with three treatments minimum.

After getting this treatment, it’s recommended that you don’t wash your hair for eight hours and avoid sun exposure for at least a week.

New hair growth may begin within three to six months of treatment.

There are differences between platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet-rich fibrin that make PRF hair restoration the preferred method.

With PRP treatment, platelet-rich plasma is processed at a higher centrifuge speed and through a double centrifugation process, while PRF goes through a slower speed of centrifugation.

This slower speed of centrifugation for PRF allows white blood cells and stem cells to remain within the platelet layer instead of being separated into three distinct layers. This gives PRF an increased concentration of growth factors, whether used for wound healing or hair regrowth.

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Similar to hair transplants and other hair loss treatments, PRF hair restoration treatment can have potential side effects that affect more than your hairline.

You may experience mild pain, swelling, soreness, and minor bruising at the injection sites or on your scalp from the needle. Since the patient’s own blood is used, it’s possible to experience symptoms similar to blood donation.

In a review of three patients who underwent PRF hair restoration treatments, mild bruising and inflammation of the scalp only lasted a few days, and no pain medication was necessary.

Since PRF is extracted from your blood with no additives, this treatment is extremely safe, with no risk of allergic reaction and very little risk of infection or complications.

One of the main issues with PRF treatment is accessibility.

Platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin treatments can cost between $500 and $2,500 per session, which can really add up.

Costs can vary depending on location, facility, and the expertise of the provider performing the treatment. We should also note that few insurance plans cover the cost of PRF treatment for hair loss.

Hair loss treatments, delivered

While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has only approved the use of PRP in bone graft treatments, some healthcare providers may use it to address other health issues — including hair loss.

Here’s the TL;DR on PRF hair restoration:

  • Platelet-rich fibrin hair restoration is a non-surgical treatment that’s beneficial for a common type of hair loss known as androgenic alopecia or male pattern baldness.

  • A good candidate for PRF therapy will still have active hair follicles in the desired treatment areas.

  • A blood sample from the patient is used to gather platelets and a protein called fibrin. These are injected into the scalp to promote hair growth.

  • PRF is fairly successful, and people may like the idea of using their cells to stimulate natural hair growth.

  • However, more research is needed on the success rates, and treatments can be costly.

Clinical hair restoration treatments can be effective remedies for male pattern hair loss — but they’re not the only option.

The two most common medical treatment options for hair loss are minoxidil (generic for Rogaine®) and finasteride (Propecia®).

Explore more hair loss treatments on our telehealth platform, and consult an online healthcare provider to discuss whether PRF hair restoration is right for you.

Whether your treatment plan includes PRF injections will be based on variables only a healthcare professional can help you navigate. So if you want to preserve the hair you have, with or without PRF, reach out today.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.

10 Sources

  1. Arora R, et al. (2019). Injectable-platelet-rich fibrin-smart blood with stem cells for the treatment of alopecia: a report of three patients. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6580805/
  2. Derm Clinic M.D. (n.d.). PRF hair restoration. https://www.dermclinicmd.com/med-spa-services/hair-treatments/prf-hair-restoration/
  3. Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/plateletrich-plasma-prp-treatment
  4. Jones IA, et al. (2018). The economics and regulation of PRP in the evolving field of orthopedic biologics. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6220002/
  5. McAndrews PJ. (n.d.). Men’s hair loss / introduction. https://www.americanhairloss.org/men_hair_loss/introduction.html
  6. Naik B, et al. (2013). Role of platelet rich fibrin in wound healing: a critical review. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3740636/
  7. Pavlovic V, et al. (2020). Platelet-rich fibrin: basics of biological actions and protocol modifications. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7985567/
  8. Saluja H, et al. (2011). Platelet-rich fibrin: a second generation platelet concentrate and a new friend of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3591032/
  9. U.C. San Diego Health. (2022). Understanding post-injection inflammation. https://myhealth.ucsd.edu/Search/3,90744
  10. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). (2021). 2021 biological device application approvals. https://www.fda.gov/vaccines-blood-biologics/development-approval-process-cber/2021-biological-device-application-approvals
Editorial Standards

Hims & Hers has strict sourcing guidelines to ensure our content is accurate and current. We rely on peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical associations. We strive to use primary sources and refrain from using tertiary references. See a mistake? Let us know at [email protected]!

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The information contained herein is not a substitute for and should never be relied upon for professional medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about the risks and benefits of any treatment. Learn more about our editorial standards here.

Knox Beasley, MD

Dr. Knox Beasley is a board certified dermatologist specializing in hair loss. He completed his undergraduate studies at the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY, and subsequently attended medical school at Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans, LA. 

Dr. Beasley first began doing telemedicine during his dermatology residency in 2013 with the military, helping to diagnose dermatologic conditions in soldiers all over the world. 

Dr. Beasley is board certified by the American Board of Dermatology, and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.

Originally from Nashville, TN, Dr. Beasley currently lives in North Carolina and enjoys spending time outdoors (with sunscreen of course) with his wife and two children in his spare time. 

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  • Dermatology Residency. San Antonio Uniformed Services Health Education Consortium

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