Incidence of Cicatricial Alopecia Among New Alopecia Patients Undergoing Platelet-Rich Plasma
TLDR 6.1% of patients seeking PRP for hair loss had undiagnosed cicatricial alopecia, which PRP cannot treat.
This study reviewed the incidence of cicatricial alopecia (CA) among 82 new patients seeking platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment for presumed pattern hair loss (PHL) between August 2019 and December 2020. It found that 6.1% of these patients had undiagnosed CA, which can present similarly to PHL. Of the 8 patients who underwent a scalp biopsy due to signs of inflammation, 5 were diagnosed with CA. The study emphasized that PRP is not effective for CA, is costly, and carries procedural risks. It highlighted the importance of thorough clinical and trichoscopic evaluations by trained dermatologists to correctly identify CA and optimize treatment outcomes, warning against the risks posed by inadequately trained personnel providing PRP.
