The Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Field of Hair Restoration and Facial Aesthetics
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) injections are used to accelerate the healing of injured muscles, joints, tendons and other sports injuries. However, PRP injections have become an increasing trend for cosmetic procedures, particularly in the treatment of hair loss called Androgenic Alopecia (AGA), also known as male or female pattern baldness. PRP is also currently being used for facial rejuvenation and generation of new collagen fibres.
Below is the summary an review article published on Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery for The Efficacy of PRP Therapy in the Field of Hair Restoration and Facial Aesthetics:
PRP in Hair Restoration
Through the conducted meta-analysis, it was found that 3 monthly PRP injections (1 session every 4 weeks) significantly improves in AGA patients hair density. PRP also exhibited great efficacy over placebo treatments and baseline measurements in hair diameter. Several AGA patients saw improvements in hair count, terminal hair density, hair shedding and hair diameter.
As the result were consistent and similar with previously published meta-analyses and clinical experiences, this further suggests that PRP is an adequate procedure for hair restoration. This means that PRP could also be a helpful addition to hair transplantation procedures.
In a small and controlled study, it was shown that by incorporating PRP treatment into a follicular unit extraction procedure resulted in a greater hair density as compared with using saline. It was also found that PRP treatment minimised the skin recovery downtime and reduced the loss of catagen in transplanted hair.
However, due to the severity in hair loss on some AGA patients, they were unable to see the benefits of PRP injections as there were no visible improvements in their hair after the sessions.
In conclusion, patients with mild AGA will be able to see improvements in the following factors for:
- Hair density
- Hair count
- Hair shedding
- Hair diameter
Thus, it is recommended for patients to receive a minimum of 3 PRP injections for 3 recurring months and followed by a maintenance regimen. This is to ensure patients received an optimal number of injections at an appropriate frequency, resulting in excellent results.
PRP in Facial Aesthetics
PRP was also used to investigate in other aesthetic applications such as acne scarring, aging skin, facial burns, and facial procedures.
In the research, it was found that combining PRP treatment with microneedling and erbium fractional lasers, there was a significant improvement in acne scar severity. PRP has also significantly improve the security of nasolabial folds, color homogeneity, and signs of photoaging.
PRP have significantly decreased the number of recovery days in lipofilling procedures and further improved facial volume and appearance compared with lipofilling alone.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30606055
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