Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Androgenetic (Male-Patterned) Alopecia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial

September 2016 in “ Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy ”

Mohammad Ali Mapar, Sadegh Shahriari, Mohammad Hossein Haghighizadeh

platelet-rich plasma androgenetic alopecia male-patterned alopecia PRP normal saline terminal hairs vellus hairs

TLDR Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was found not effective in treating male-patterned hair loss.

The study conducted 6 years ago aimed to evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in treating androgenetic alopecia (AGA) in men. The study involved 19 men, but only 17 completed the trial. Each participant had two 2.5 x 2.5 cm areas on their scalp selected as case and control sites. The case site received 1.5 ml of PRP, while the control site received the same amount of normal saline. These injections were administered in two sessions, one month apart. Hair counts were taken at the start of the study, and then 1, 3, and 6 months after the first injection. The results showed no significant change in the number of terminal and vellus hairs over the six-month period, leading to the conclusion that PRP was not effective in treating AGA of grade 4-6.

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