The blood in our body consists of red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and plasma. Plasma is responsible for carrying nutrients throughout the body. Platelets are responsible for blot clot and stimulate tissue recovery by increasing blood flow. They are also responsible for stimulating and enhancing hair follicle functions.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is processed plasma from where the red blood cells and white blood cells are removed. To promote hair growth for a patient, a concentration of PRP is taken from patients own blood and injected into the scalp.
Not everybody can use PRP technique for hair growth. The following are certain preconditions for eligibility:
- Not completely bald and have low hair density
- Not a heavy smoker or drink frequently.
- No use of drugs
- No usage of blood thinners
- No past medical conditions such as cancer, skin disease, metabolic problems, platelet dysfunction syndrome, thrombocytopenia, hypofibrinogenemia, and hemodynamic instability
Procedure
- The following is the procedure for PRP therapy:
- the doctor marks out an area in hour scalp where it needs to be restored
- the marked area is anesthetized; hence no pain will be felt
- the area is applied with disinfectant
- PRP is injected into layers of your scalp
- The area is then cleaned thoroughly.
This procedure is usually performed by an instrument called as micro needling. To create these micro holes on the scalp a dream roller or insulin syringe is used.
Side effects
Some side-effects of PRP therapy include tenderness and soreness, minimal pain, pinpoint bleeding in areas where the injection was given. A feel of “tightness” may be felt in your scalp for a few days.
How many times should I take the therapy?
PRP therapy is about eight sessions and might last up to twelve months
Advantages of Platelet Rich Plasma therapy
- The side-effects are very minimal and last only a day or two
- The patient can resume his daily tasks right after the procedure as the recovery time is less.
- This procedure requires only injections and is a minimally invasive procedure
- Treatment time is 60 to 90 minutes and is quick in nature.
Recovery time
The recovery time is one of the main advantages of this therapy. There is almost no downtime for his procedure. The patient can get back to their regular day to day activities soon after the procedure.
Pricing
The pricing of Platelet Rich Plasma depends on the lab equipment. The average pricing in India can vary from anywhere between 4500 to 30000 Rs
PRP therapy can make your hair thick and can increase the hair growth. It can reduce hair loss for some time. This treatment needs to be repeated yearly for the best results.