STRUGGLING WITH HAIR LOSS? THERE IS A TREATMENT AT NUA MEDICAL SPA THAT MAY BE RIGHT FOR YOU!
Our aging bodies can throw us lots of problems. One of the most disheartening issues for many people can be hair loss. If your hair has been falling out more and more as each year passes, this can cause not just a decrease in hair, but a decrease in confidence and self-esteem. Men may try to cover up their hair loss problem with hats, while women often opt for wigs, scarves, or messy spray dyes. But for either gender, there is thankfully now a natural, satisfying, and long-term solution to hair loss called Platelet Rich Plasma or PRP.
Androgenic alopecia (AA) is the most common type of hair loss and is age-related. It is often a result of your familial predisposition and genetic makeup. There is no cure for AA but it can be treated with over-the-counter FDA-approved topical Rogaine (minoxidil) for both men and women or with an oral prescription of Propecia (Finasteride) for men. In more recent years, it has been discovered that our own plasma treats hair loss.

PRP has been around for a few decades and has been used for years to accelerate repair of damaged joints and to increase hemostasis during surgeries. More recently in cosmetic dermatology, it is used for regeneration of hair and collagen and dermatologist and patients are seeing great results. PRP works because the platelets have many growth factors that direct affect hair quality and quantity, by making the hairs that are still present healthier and thicker, and by stimulating the stem cells in the follicles to promote new growth. A huge advantage of PRP is that it is completely natural because it is using the patient’s own plasma.

Many patients come to our office after having tried any combination of medications, vitamins, and laser combs, with some success, but have found that the PRP results are better and longer lasting. The PRP treatments not only improve hair counts but also thicken existing hair follicles resulting in healthier hair.

On the day of your appointment, a blood draw is done in office and then the platelet-containing plasma is separated from the red blood cells with a centrifuge. The PRP is a high concentration of your own platelets in a small volume of your own plasma which is injected into your scalp using a very fine needle. Platelets are responsible for hemostasis (clotting) but they also contain growth factors and cytokines that affect angiogenesis and cell proliferation. These growth factors are thought to stimulate and strengthen the hair follicle which may strengthen the hair shaft, decrease hair shedding, and promote new hair growth. Because this is fairly new with ongoing studies being performed on efficacy, this is not an FDA-approved treatment for hair loss; however, the results have been very promising for most of our patients. We see the best results in areas of the scalp that have had recent hair loss as opposed to areas where hair loss occurred years ago. Based on current small studies, the best results occur after a series of 3-4 treatments spaced 4-6 weeks apart.
The risks and side effects of PRP are very minimal. Since we are using your own plasma, there is no risk of infection. Because we are injecting a needle into the scalp, there is a very small and rare risk of infection. The injections are mildly painful and may prompt a slight headache in some patients after the treatment. You can have the procedure done during a lunch hour and then return to work, if necessary. It is recommended that you do not dye your hair for 4 days post-procedure, but otherwise, there are no other post-procedure restrictions.
While PRP is an excellent treatment for AA, there are some types of hair loss that it may not treat. We recommend patients to schedule a consultation here at Nua Medical Spa to see if PRP for alopecia is for you!