Men’s Health Month: Realize Natural Hair Rejuvenation with PRP Therapy
Wellness isn’t just about maintaining a healthy body. It’s also about feeling healthy and confident both psychologically and emotionally.
That’s why we believe Men’s Health Month (commemorated each June) is an ideal time to introduce men – and women, too – to a natural solution to hair loss and thinning. This treatment has shown positive results in both medical testing and our patients at Vitality Integrative Skin Clinic in Bend.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a treatment many may associate with the healing of injured joints and surrounding soft tissues, can be used to combat hair loss, improving the diameter, density, and even color of one’s hair.
Hair Loss by the Numbers
Approximately 50 million men in the U.S. experience hair loss, or what’s more commonly known as male-pattern baldness. It’s a condition that affects about 50 percent of men over the age of 50.
Female-pattern baldness is also an issue, though not quite as prevalent. It’s estimated the condition affects about 30 million American women.
Regardless of gender, hair loss tends to become a more significant problem as people age. And, with several products and treatments in the world promising to remedy the issue, the hair loss treatment industry is estimated to pull in about $3.3 billion in revenue (yes, that’s a billion with a B) this year alone.
By contrast, PRP therapy isn’t based on a marketable product. It’s based on the belief that our bodies already contain a fluid that can help us regrow hair. It’s in our blood.
What is PRP Therapy?
Our blood is made up of red and white cells and platelets, which respond to injuries to stop bleeding and instigate tissue repair. Through PRP therapy, a medical professional concentrates these natural platelets and injects them into areas of the body to promote healing and regrowth.
Physicians have long used platelet-rich plasma treatments to accelerate healing in various parts of the body. However, it’s been found fairly recently that such treatments can also stimulate collagen growth, regenerating hair follicles, hence stimulating hair growth.
Lots of research has supported the effectiveness of PRP therapy for hair growth. Researchers published in such medical journals at Aesthetics Plastic Surgery and Dermatologic Surgery have concluded, based on their reviews of multiple studies, that PRP therapy can indeed reduce hair loss, promote hair regrowth, and lead to increased hair density and diameter.
What’s the PRP Therapy Process?
At Vitality Integrative Skin Clinic, we can often provide clients with an initial consultation and their first PRP therapy treatment in under an hour. The process, after all, is relatively simple and includes:
- Drawing blood from the client’s arm. It typically takes no more blood than what’s required for a standard blood test – about 10 to 20 mL.
- Spinning the blood in a centrifuge. This separates the blood’s components and concentrates the platelets together within the blood’s plasma.
- The platelet injection. The medical provider extracts platelet solution from the separated blood with a syringe, then injects them into targeted areas of the scalp.
When clients have never had this therapy done before, we recommend three to four initial sessions, each spaced four to six weeks apart. Patients tend to start noticing regrowth as soon as three months.
Are There Any Caveats with PRP Therapy?
As with any treatment, results can vary. When it comes specifically to PRP therapy for hair regrowth, however, there’s one main caveat: the area must still contain hair.
These treatments typically don’t work in completely bald areas of the scalp, so catching it early – coming in for treatments while the hair is still thinning but not yet gone – is important.
Secondly, the health of one’s platelets is typically a significant variable in the overall success of PRP therapy. And, as one’s platelet health is similar to one’s overall wellness, the healthier you are, the more successful PRP therapy could be.
And finally, we recommend one-time maintenance sessions every six months to a year to ensure long-term results.
If you want to learn more about PRP therapy treatments, including whether PRP therapy for hair regrowth could work for you, please contact us through our website or reach out to schedule a consultation at (458) 206-3331.
