PRP For Hair Loss: Does it Work?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy involves using your own blood to speed up wound and injury healing. But does PRP work for hair loss? 

Although PRP is a relatively new hair loss treatment, there’s a fair amount of evidence to suggest it’s effective. This is great news for those who have hair loss conditions like male pattern baldness.

Below, we outline the PRP procedure, how it works, and what the research says about its efficacy. We also look at the potential side effects of PRP for hair loss.

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is a medical treatment that supports proper wound healing. It involves using the patient’s own blood cells to support the natural healing process. 

Your blood consists of several major elements, including platelets. Platelets are protein-containing blood cells involved in clotting, healing, and tissue growth — all vital for proper wound healing. 

PRP treatment involves extracting blood from your body and placing it into a centrifuge — a device that produces centrifugal force — to separate the blood into its various components.

This process increases platelet count and produces platelet-rich blood that healthcare professionals inject directly into specific areas of your body. 

Platelet-rich plasma therapy can be used to treat:

• Hair loss

• Soft tissue injuries

• Osteoarthritis

• Erectile dysfunction

It’s important not to confuse PRP treatment with hair transplantation. While both are medical procedures, the two are not the same. Hair transplantation is a plastic surgery procedure. 

Now that you know what platelet-rich plasma therapy is, let’s look at what to expect if you’re getting PRP for hair loss.

Here’s what happens:

1. A healthcare professional draws blood, usually from your arm. Depending on the severity of your hair loss, they may draw 10 to 60 milliliters of blood.

2. They place the vial of blood in a centrifuge for about 10 minutes to separate blood into its different components.  

3. The blood eventually separates into three layers: red blood cells, platelet-poor plasma and platelet-rich plasma.

4. A healthcare professional then draws the platelet-rich plasma into a syringe and injects it into the areas of the scalp where hair is thinning.

It’s an outpatient procedure, which means you don’t have to stay overnight. It happens in an office, usually at a board-certified dermatologist’s practice.  

You won’t be under general anesthetic during a PRP hair restoration treatment, but a topical anesthetic helps numb your scalp and prevent any discomfort. This means you’ll be awake during the procedure. 

PRP for hair loss isn’t a one-and-done type of procedure — you’ll probably have to return for additional treatments in the future. 

According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, most people return for treatments once a month for three months and then once every three to six months after that. 

PRP is a fairly effective hair loss treatment. 

According to a 2022 review, PRP seems to stimulate new hair growth, increase thickness, and prevent premature hair shedding. This conclusion is supported by a 2020 review of 13 studies, which also found that PRP may potentially increase hair density. 

Most studies on the topic have looked at PRP for male pattern baldness (also called androgenic alopecia or androgenetic alopecia), which is the most common type of hair loss in men. Male pattern baldness is often characterized by thinning on the crown or a receding hairline.

But PRP can also be used to treat other types of hair loss. A 2023 clinical trial found that it’s a “promising therapy” for chronic telogen effluvium, a condition where someone experiences excessive hair shedding for more than 6 months. Research also suggests it can treat alopecia areata.

However, there’s little-to-no research on whether PRP can treat causes of hair loss like traction alopecia and tinea capitis.  

The research on PRP is promising — but why does it seem to stimulate hair growth?

Platelet-rich plasma injections cause an increase in growth factors. This might rejuvenate tissues and encourage cellular regeneration. 

It can also boost blood supply to your scalp. Blood flow is important for hair health as your hair follicles need a steady supply of oxygen and nutrients in order to function.

PRP treatment may also prolong the hair growth cycle's anagen phase, or growth phase — a multi-year stage during which hair grows to its full length before resting and shedding. In other words, your hair might grow for a longer period of time before it sheds.  

One major drawback of PRP for hair loss? The cost. 

The cost of PRP for hair loss will depend on several factors, including: 

• The severity of your hair loss

• Where you live

• The healthcare professional administering the treatment

In the United States, PRP treatments can be priced at up to $1,000 each, according to a 2020 article in the Harvard Medical School blog. 

Many dermatologists and hair restoration clinics price PRP injections as a package, offering three or four injections for between $1000 to $3500. 

Insurers tend to view PRP as a cosmetic procedure, and — like other hair loss treatments — they generally don’t offer coverage unless the procedure is for an underlying health condition. 

While uncommon, the potential risks of PRP injections include:

• Bleeding

• Tissue damage

• Nerve damage

• Infection 

It’s important to discuss these risks with your healthcare provider before getting PRP injections for hair loss or any other issue.

Because PRP involves drawing blood, it’s important to properly hydrate before the procedure. Your healthcare provider may advise you to eat a regular diet on the day your blood is drawn and let you know to expect some minor soreness and discomfort during and after the procedure.

PRP is generally a safe procedure. However, you may not be a good candidate for this treatment if you smoke or have certain health conditions, like diabetes.

And like with any medical treatment, there’s a risk of side effects with PRP. 

Potential side effects of PRP include:

• Muscle aches

• Irritation

• Inflammation

• Scar tissue at the injection site

• Tiredness 

• Confusion

• Bladder control issues

Luckily, research suggests that side effects from PRP therapy are unlikely. But, as always, if you have worries about potential side effects from PRP treatment, it’s best to talk to your healthcare provider before the procedure. They can walk you through what to expect and outline the pros and cons of PRP.

If PRP is out of your budget, or if you’re not too keen on needles, we have good news: there are other effective treatment options out there.

Popular hair loss treatments include:

• Finasteride (Propecia®). This FDA-approved prescription pill reduces your levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the hormone responsible for male pattern hair loss.

• Minoxidil (Rogaine®). Available as minoxidil foam and minoxidil solution, this topical treatment stimulates hair growth by moving hair follicles into the anagen phase of the hair growth cycle. 

• Combination treatments. You can combine both of the above treatments in our topical finasteride and minoxidil spray, which can be applied directly to your scalp.

• Hair loss shampoos. You can use hair products that contain ingredients to improve hair thickness, such as our thickening shampoo with saw palmetto.   

It’s important to use treatments that directly address the underlying cause of your hair loss. For that reason, it’s best to see a healthcare practitioner about your hair loss, as they can guide you through your treatment options.

Does PRP for hair growth work? Yes — there’s a fair amount of evidence that PRP has real benefits for stimulating hair growth.  

Here’s what you need to know:

• Research says PRP might be an effective treatment for hair loss. It’s specifically been used to treat male pattern hair loss, alopecia areata, and traction alopecia. 

• It’s a relatively safe treatment. But it does have some potential side effects, like irritation at the site of injection. 

• PRP for hair loss can be expensive. The price can vary from one hair restoration clinic to the next, but you can expect to pay a pretty penny.

If you’re starting to notice signs of hair loss, it’s important to take action. Hair loss usually gets worse over time without treatment, so the earlier you get treatment, the better.

Want to explore your options? We can help you book an online consultation with a healthcare practitioner. They can help develop a treatment plan that suits your needs (and your budget).