It is a wise consumer indeed who questions whether aesthetic treatments actually work the way they claim to. There have been enough false claims throughout the years to make anyone at least second guess some of these claims. That is why we are here to tell you that there are good research studies showing the benefits of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments. Below is more information about PRP hair restoration.
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Feng G, Hao DF, Yao D, Zhang XJ, Yang Y. Clinical effects of autologous platelet-rich plasma gel in the repair of chronic wounds. Zhonghua Shao Shang Za Zhi. 2019 Jun 20;35(6):451-455.
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Qu Q, Shi P, Yi Y, Fan Z, Liu X, Zhu D, Chen J, Ye K, Miao Y, Hu Z. Efficacy of Platelet-rich Plasma for Treating Androgenic Alopecia of Varying Grades. Clin Drug Investig. 2019 Jun 21.
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Why Should I Care About Hair Loss Therapy in the First Place?
First, before we can begin a full examination of what PRP therapy is and how it works for hair restoration, we must address the central question of why we should care about addressing hair loss in the first place. This is something that a lot of the population deals with, but there are some who question why they should even view it as a problem at all.
You may have taken your own personal stand that hair loss is not something that you are embarrassed about or even care to judge others about, and that is perfectly fine. However, there are some who feel as if there are others out there making judgements about them because of their hair loss. Their self-esteem is impacted and they may try various methods to cover up or try to diminish the appearance of hair loss.
Unfortunately, there are so many decisions made based on a person’s looks that it is crazy to assume that suffering from hair loss does not play a role in some of the decisions that are made. A stigma still exists around bald people for whatever reason, and that stigma can be very powerful and very difficult to shake off.
Furthermore, romantic and business decisions are often made based on how much hair a person has and how healthy that hair is. We don’t say that these are the reasons for the decisions that we make, but they often are. That is why those who suffer from hair loss now must decide what they are going to do about it. Perhaps it is time to consider a therapy that can help change the course of your life.
What Is PRP Hair Restoration Therapy?
Platelets and plasma are both something that we all have in our bloodstream. Borrowing platelet-rich plasma from one part of the body to use on another was not something that existed at all a short time ago. It is a relatively new medical advancement that has opened a lot of doors for people in the years that it has been available. This is why PRP hair restoration therapy is starting to gain a certain level of credibility with more and more people as they see how effective it has become.
What Are the Stages of PRP Hair Restoration?
This is an aesthetic treatment that is more complex than your average cosmetic treatment. Actually, the very fact that the therapy is drawn out into various stages lets you know that there has been a lot of thought put into exactly how to make this the most effective therapy possible.
In the case of PRP hair restoration, we are talking about a three-stage therapy that is drawn out over the course of approximately six months. You are expected to take three sessions in order to start to see results from this therapy. You should be prepared for some time commitment to this, because you may also need to go in for another session roughly every six months or so after you initial three PRP hair restoration treatments for some maintenance of what has already been done.
The first stage of PRP hair restoration involves getting your blood drawn from your arm (or another area of your body as designated by our doctor). That blood is put into a centrifuge. This is a machine that will spin the blood around at high speed to separate out the platelet-rich plasma from the red and white blood cells. The tube will have clear yellow fluid on top and red and white blood cells on the bottom. You will have to wait roughly ten minutes for the centrifuge to do its work before moving on to stage two.
Stage two involves separating out the platelet-rich plasma from what is called “platelet-poor plasma.” The clear yellow plasma is drawn out of the tube and placed into another tube. It is once again placed in the centrifuge. This step concentrates the platelets at the bottom of the tube. This highly concentrated platelet fluid is called “platelet-rich plasma” or PRP.
Stage three is when Dr. Carter injects the PRP back into the region of your body that needs it (in this case your hairline). This could potentially be the most uncomfortable stage for most patients, but even at this point the reports of pain are minimal. We buffer the PRP with sodium bicarbonate to make the stinging sensation less noticeable when injecting.
Why Is PRP Hair Restoration the Way to Go?
PRP hair restoration therapy has been shown to be an effective way to combat and reverse hair loss. This is not necessarily the case with a lot of the products that you may have seen on the store shelves. Those products promise a lot of the same things, but they don’t attack the problem where it originates. Those products try to grow out hair without really addressing the fact that a lack of blood flow around one’s hair follicle is perhaps the biggest reason why new hair is not growing in the first place. Furthermore, there are stem cells in the hair follicle that need to “wake up.” Our protocol includes not only the platelet-rich plasma, but the platelet-poor plasma, prescription medication, laser light therapy and the use of PDO threads.
How Do the Treatments Work?
While the exact mechanism is unknown to medicine, we believe that it is because platelets contain growth factors that activate when they come into contact with tissue. Consider when you accidentally cut your hand on a knife. Platelets are circulating in the blood stream at all times and are immediately present any time you bleed. These platelets not only plug up the hole, but then help to grow new tissue to repair the cut.
It is the power of these growth factors that we harness with PRP therapy. These growth factors recruit collagen and elastin which we use for plumping up skin. They also have vascular growth factor which improves blood flow by creating a new network of small blood vessels. We believe this is what helps hair follicles to increase their growth phase.
Can You Be Turned Down for Treatment?
It is important to note that a small segment of the population may be turned down for PRP therapy. The reason for this is to protect that patient against the risks of PRP that exhibit themselves in those who have some of the following risk factors:
- Alcohol or drug abuse
- Frequent smoker
- Has had cancer
- Blood flow issues
- Chronic liver disease
- Absence of any hair follicles
These and a few other factors are disqualifying in terms of getting PRP hair restoration therapy. It is not because this particular therapy is all that dangerous, but simply because having any of these risk factors could cause problems for people undergoing any kind of medical procedure.
How Do I Get Started?
To get started you will need to make an appointment with Dr. Carter for consultation. We want to discuss any potential questions that you may have about this therapy. Please be aware that our treatment protocol takes place over three treatments and six months. You will need to be committed to getting all of the treatment in order to be successful. The cost of the procedure covers all of the treatments you will receive over the six months.
Nourished MedSpa & Wellness Center is conveniently located in Sherman, TX. It is so important to not let another day slip by with hair loss issues. The longer that you allow the problem to carry on the more difficult it is to address. Contact us today to schedule your consultation!
