Comment on 'Treatment of Male Pattern Alopecia with Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Double-Blind Controlled Study with Analysis of Platelet Number and Growth Factor Levels'

July 2019 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”

Cemile Tuğba Altunel, A. Tülin Güleç

platelet-rich plasma androgenetic alopecia Trichoscan intradermal injections subcutaneous injections hair count needling PRP AGA

Studysummary This letter raises questions for the authors of a recent study on platelet-rich plasma for androgenetic alopecia, without presenting new clinical results. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

In 2019, dermatology specialists Cemile Tuğba Altunel and Ayşe Tülin Güleç commented on a study by Rodrigues et al. about the treatment of male pattern alopecia with platelet-rich plasma (PRP). They raised several concerns about the study's methodology. Firstly, they questioned the diagnostic criteria used for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), noting that the Trichoscan software used is not a diagnostic tool but a monitoring tool. Secondly, they pointed out that most authors suggest intradermal injections of PRP, not subcutaneous as used in the study. Thirdly, they challenged the study's assumption that patients with higher hair counts would respond better to treatment, stating that hair count is not a reliable measure for comparing the degree of hair loss between individuals. They also questioned the study's lack of detailed explanation about the trichoscan procedure and the blinding of operators. Finally, they disagreed with the study's conclusion that needling had no effect on AGA treatment, arguing that the study's method of delivery was not proper needling.

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Treatment of Male Pattern Alopecia with Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Double-Blind Controlled Study with Analysis of Platelet Number and Growth Factor Levels

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