PRP for hair

What is PRP for hair?

PRP stands for platelet rich plasma. It is obtained from a small quantity of your own blood and contains a raised concentration of growth factors. These can support blood flow in the scalp and the regeneration of hair follicles.

Who is it suitable for?

• diffuse hair loss
• androgenetic alopecia in early to intermediate stages
• thinning hair
• as a supportive measure after a hair transplant

Benefits

• Only your own blood is used; no foreign substances are introduced
• outpatient treatment without general anaesthetic
• little downtime
• combines well with other methods

How it works

1. blood draw from a vein in the arm, roughly 10–20 ml
2. processing of the blood in a centrifuge to obtain the plasma
3. disinfection of the scalp and optional surface anaesthetic
4. injection of the plasma into the affected areas of the scalp

How many sessions?

3–4 sessions, roughly 4 weeks apart. followed by top-up sessions every 6–12 months.

After the treatment

• do not wash your hair for the first 24 hours
• avoid sauna and solarium for 48 hours
• avoid intensive exercise on the day of treatment
• take blood-thinning painkillers only after consultation

When are results visible?

First changes usually become apparent after 6–8 weeks — the best achievable result is generally assessed after 3–6 months.

Possible risks and side effects

• temporary redness of the scalp
• swelling and a feeling of pressure for one to two days
• small bruises at the injection sites
• very rarely, infection at the injection site
• a response to treatment cannot be expected in every patient

Why PRP is used in hair loss

Hair does not grow continuously but in cycles. A growth phase lasting several years (the anagen phase) is followed by a short transitional phase and a resting phase, at the end of which the hair falls out and the follicle forms a new one. In many forms of hair loss this balance shifts: the growth phase shortens, and the newly formed hairs become finer, shorter and lighter. The technical term is miniaturisation of the follicle. The follicle itself is still present at this stage — it is simply working less and less effectively.

This is the point at which the reasoning behind PRP begins. Platelets are not responsible only for blood clotting. They store a range of signalling substances known as growth factors, among them PDGF, VEGF and TGF-β. These proteins govern repair and regeneration processes in the body: they can stimulate the formation of fine blood vessels, influence cell division in the surrounding tissue and modulate inflammatory processes. When platelet rich plasma is introduced into the scalp, these factors reach the immediate vicinity of the hair roots. The assumption is that blood flow around the follicles and their supply situation may improve as a result, and that more follicles may be held in the active growth phase.

The framing matters: PRP is a supportive method, not a causal one. It does not change the reasons the hair loss arose. In androgenetic alopecia — the hereditary, constitutionally determined form — the follicles react sensitively to dihydrotestosterone, a breakdown product of the male sex hormone testosterone. That genetically determined sensitivity remains in place even when PRP is carried out. At most, PRP can improve the conditions for the follicles that are still active; the underlying process continues.

How PRP differs from minoxidil and finasteride

Minoxidil is applied externally to the scalp as a solution or foam. It has a vasodilating effect and can lengthen the growth phase of the hair. Finasteride is a prescription-only medicine taken in tablet form which inhibits the conversion of testosterone into dihydrotestosterone. Both substances are medicinal products with their own indications, contraindications and possible side effects, which must be discussed separately.

The difference lies less in effectiveness than in approach. Minoxidil and finasteride intervene pharmacologically in the hair cycle or in hormone metabolism and must be used continuously. PRP works with your own material and is carried out in individual sessions. The methods are not mutually exclusive — in practice they are often combined, because they act at different points. Whether a combination makes sense, and what it should consist of, can only be decided individually and after medical assessment.

Why diagnosis comes before treatment

Hair loss is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Very different causes can lie behind thinning hair: constitutional alopecia, diffuse hair loss following infection, surgery or childbirth, a thyroid disorder, an iron, zinc or vitamin D deficiency, an autoimmune condition such as alopecia areata, a scarring scalp disease, or side effects of medication.

These causes call for different responses. An iron deficiency is corrected, a thyroid disorder treated, an inflammatory scalp condition requires targeted therapy — in such cases an injection treatment without prior investigation would be the wrong first step. A medical history, examination of the scalp, in many cases an examination of the hair roots and, depending on the findings, a blood test therefore belong before any PRP treatment. The information on this page expressly does not replace that conversation and does not constitute a diagnosis.

Expectations belong in that conversation too. A realistic aim is to stabilise existing hair, support hair quality and influence the course favourably. How strong a response turns out to be varies from person to person and cannot be predicted in advance. There are patients in whom no visible change occurs.

What PRP cannot do

PRP cannot bring back hair follicles that have already been completely lost. Where the follicle has scarred — for instance in scarring alopecia, or in areas that have been bald for many years — the structure that growth factors could act on is no longer present. No hair growth can be expected from PRP treatment on such areas.

In advanced hair loss with extensive thinning, PRP is not a substitute for a hair transplant. Where no active follicles remain in the affected area, only transplanting your own hair can create density there. In such cases PRP tends to be used alongside, for example to support the surrounding scalp or following a transplant.

Finally, the effect is not permanent. PRP does not halt the underlying hair loss. If the treatment is not continued with top-up sessions after the initial series, an effect that has been achieved generally diminishes again. Anyone considering PRP should therefore understand it as a supporting measure planned over years, not as a one-off solution.