PRP for HAIR LOSS
What can I say about hair loss? Hm. Well, being 5 months post partum and going through a massive shed myself at the moment, I can say, with certainty, that it stinks. I don’t know if you’ve ever run your hand through your hair and came out with seemingly more hair on your hand than your head, but I can assure you, it’s a bit traumatic. Allegedly, the postpartum shedding should stop around 6 months and then I should see regrowth…. we shall see.
It was this weird journey that brought me to want to look into hair loss further. There are all different reasons for people losing their hair, but the more common reason is androgenic alopecia, a hormone driven cause for hair loss, more commonly known as male pattern baldness. But you see, that is a bit of a misnomer. Androgenic Alopecia affects women as well, around 40% after menopause.
The issue with hair loss, aside from the obvious “it blows”, is that while there is help out there for it, a lot of people, especially women, are embarrassed to bring it up. So, if you’re reading this, allow me to break the seal, so to speak, in talking about it. We are currently living with an evil hair fairy in my house that is leaving hair on chairs, on clothes, on other family members, in the drain, on the sink…you get the idea. I’m currently in competition with my lab mix who sheds like crazy (although I think I’m winning. Worst. Competition. Ever.)
So, where am I going with this? As I mentioned above, this got me interested in hair loss. I have found that aside from medication, there are procedures that have been shown to be helpful in either stopping the shed or helping to regrow hair. This would be PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma.
Basically, you are using your own body to help hair loss. You get your blood drawn, just like any other lab work you’ve had done. The blood is spun to separate the platelets from the red blood cells. The platelets are then drawn up into a syringe and injected into the scalp around the area of concern. The rationale is that platelets contain growth factors which can then stimulate hair follicles.
It usually takes a series of 3 sessions, one month apart and then maintenance every 6 months. It does take about 4 months to see results. It works best for more recent loss, around 3 years or less.
Now, will this work for everybody, no. Some people may just see a stop in the shed. Others will see regrowth, and some may see no difference. Can I predict who will fall into what category? No. Is it worth the money? That is entirely up to you.
Typically, these treatments run into the thousands of dollars. We will be offering it here at Action Medicine, DPC at a discounted price for our existing patients and a competitive price for non-patients.
If you are interested, and would like to schedule an appointment to talk about whether it is a good option for you, please call the office 781-767-0910
~ Brooke Rieth, NP & Action Medicine team
