“PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, and it’s extracted from the blood of the person receiving the treatment,” explains Uselman. “The treatment involves drawing blood, centrifuging it and separating it into three parts: red blood cells, white blood cells, and golden-colored plasma. Only the plasma is injected with a thin needle into the areas of the scalp that are experiencing thinning hair,” she explains.
The growth factors in plasma stimulate the formation of new tiny blood vessels around the hair roots, making them better nourished again, and plasma also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, creating optimal conditions for new hair growth.
To be effective, it needs to be done as a treatment. Urselman recommends six sessions, four weeks apart, over a six-month treatment period. It’s scientifically proven to be effective, but only for hereditary hair loss and alopecia areata. “There’s clear research on this,” he said, adding, “But in practice, we often see patients who have other causes behind their hair loss, like stress, nutritional deficiencies, or severe viral infections like COVID-19, respond particularly well to this treatment.”
Experts say it’s also important to repeat the treatment regularly: “At least once every six months, preferably while the treatment is still working, and not just when your hair starts falling out again. If you can afford it, prevention is always better than intervention.”
Hair growth medicine
If blood tests show that your hair loss is hereditary, all three doctors recommend medical therapy in addition to PRP. “In male pattern baldness, the hair follicles atrophy and the blood vessels that supply the hair with nutrients shrink. This is exactly where the drug minoxidil works, dilating the blood vessels and increasing blood flow, which relieves the lack of nutrients to the hair roots,” explains Dr. Alpa.
Minoxidil can be used by both men and women. It is sold in foam and solution form and is applied topically to the scalp. The most well-known brand name is, of course, Rogaine, but the same effective active ingredient is available from other companies for less money.
The hair loss treatment finasteride is approved for both men and women in the U.S. “Finasteride is deeply involved in metabolism, inhibiting what’s called 5-alpha-reductase in cells. This enzyme is responsible for converting the sex hormone testosterone into the more active dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In children, this enzyme is involved in the development of the male genitalia, as well as body hair growth and hair loss,” explains Arpa.
