Review: PRP for Hairloss
PRP is the abbreviation for platelet rich plasma, and is believed to promote healing when injected. The procedure is simple and involves drawing blood from the arm, before processing it using a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma in the blood. The plasma or PRP is then injected into the body.
Why I use PRP
I started PRP treatment following noticeable hair loss over the last 15 years which had resulted in hair thinning on the scalp, hair shedding after every wash and general weakness which caused brittle, weak looking hair. I have now had 6 sessions of PRP spread out over 15 months and it’s safe to say, it has worked.
What happens in the treatment session?
The treatment itself is painful. Frankly, if you’re being injected in your scalp, it’s going to hurt. This is not the treatment for you if you have a low pain threshold. However, if, like me, you can grin and bear it, I would definitely recommend trying it out.
Top tip: use a numbing cream beforehand. Around 30 minutes before the treatment, use lidocaine or something similar and apply it all over the area that will be injected. It does not numb the scalp completely but it will take the edge off. And ask your aesthetician for some stress balls - squeeze these as needed throughout.
In the treatment, your aesthetician will literally inject your PRP into your scalp. Depending on your concerns, they will work throughout the area, quickly injecting and moving onto the next area until the PRP is finished. A heads-up: if it wasn’t obvious, there will be blood. You will be bleeding from the injection site a little so don’t panic if you notice your hairline and scalp look suspiciously red afterwards.
The main aftercare is not to shower/wash your hair for at least 24 hours post-treatment, and to use a mild shampoo when you do. I usually opt for the Johnson&Johnson baby shampoo but anything similar will work.
Afterwards
How many treatments you need depends entirely on your concerns. I did my first 3 appointments spaced 6 weeks apart. I noticed the most dramatic difference between treatment 1 and 2. My aesthetician helpfully took a before picture at my first treatment, so I could see where the gaps had filled in by the second treatment. My hairline was pretty much filled in around 4 months after my first treatment, and whilst I am still getting treatments, these are spaced much further apart - around 4-5 months on average, and are specifically focused on filling in less noticeable gaps to create stronger hair volume.
One of the key things to remember with PRP is that the hair growth cycle is 3-5 years long. You must be patient and wait to see results. It’s always best to consult your aesthetician but I would suggest aiming for a first batch of at least 3 treatments, and deciding how many more you would like after this, until you achieve your desired result. As a general rule, you should start to see some difference from PRP by 3 months after the first treatment but it will take longer for the full effect to be noticeable. For example, you might notice your hair feels weightier before your notice a dramatic improvement in volume.