Update on Platelet-Rich Plasma and Platelet-Rich Fibrin for Dermatologic Surgery: Addressing Knowns and Unknowns

This review discusses the efficacy and safety of platelet-rich plasma for facial rejuvenation but reports no definitive clinical results, noting the evidence remains insufficient for firm conclusions.

This study found that the current evidence is of low or very low certainty and thus does not clearly support using PRP in combination with microneedling or laser therapy for treating acne scars, indicating a need for further well-designed studies.

This review discusses the evidence for platelet-rich plasma in hair restoration and skin rejuvenation, highlighting its benefits but noting a lack of consensus on best practices and protocols.

This systematic review found that platelet-rich plasma may increase hair density and count in male androgenetic alopecia, though limitations in study quality and consistency suggest further research is needed.

In this study, researchers found that platelet-rich plasma therapy demonstrated significantly higher efficacy than topical minoxidil for treating androgenetic alopecia in a Pakistani population, with a 91.7% negative hair pull rate compared to 69.4% for minoxidil after 12 weeks.

This meta-analysis found that PRP monotherapy improved hair density in androgenetic alopecia patients but did not affect hair diameter, with stronger effects observed in male subjects.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma is effective and safe for treating chronic wounds, particularly diabetic and venous ulcers, and vitiligo, without increasing the risk of infection.

This study concluded that platelet-rich plasma is effective and safe for increasing hair density in androgenetic alopecia, showing significant improvement compared to placebo at 3 and 6 months.

This review suggests that combining PRP with minoxidil may be more effective for promoting hair growth in androgenetic alopecia than using either treatment alone, although study variations limit definitive conclusions.

This meta-analysis found that platelet-rich plasma therapy significantly increased hair density in androgenic alopecia, with stand-alone PRP showing notable improvements, but the benefits of combining PRP with other therapies remain uncertain.

This systematic review and meta-analysis found that activated platelet-rich plasma was significantly effective and safe in improving hair density and reducing hair loss in alopecia patients compared to control groups.

This systematic review and meta-analysis found limited, low-quality evidence suggesting that platelet-rich plasma injections may increase hair density in patients with androgenetic alopecia compared to saline, but results were inconclusive for alopecia areata.

This study compared fluid PRF and PRP for treating atrophic acne scars and found PRF to be more effective, particularly when combined with needling. Both treatments improved scars, but PRF showed higher therapeutic response, suggesting it as a superior alternative for acne scar treatment.

This review suggests that platelet-rich plasma may be a promising treatment for immune-mediated alopecias, including alopecia areata and primary cicatricial alopecias, but definitive recommendations are limited due to insufficient high-quality evidence.

This review discusses the use of platelet-rich plasma for various dermatologic conditions but reports inconsistent evidence and a lack of standardized protocols; patients often report high satisfaction despite mixed clinical outcomes.

This study found that autologous platelet-rich plasma injections may improve terminal hair density in women with androgenetic alopecia, but did not significantly affect hair thickness.

This study found that combining PRP with microneedling was more effective than PRP alone in improving hair growth and patient perception of hair loss in androgenetic alopecia up to Hamilton-Norwood grade 4.

This study found that the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma in treating androgenetic alopecia is higher with increased frequency of sessions, chemically-activated PRP, double centrifugation, and whole-head application, among younger and female patients.

This study found no significant difference in the severity of alopecia areata between treatments with platelet-rich plasma and triamcinolone acetonide; further high-quality trials of PRP are needed.

This meta-analysis found that platelet-rich plasma treatments significantly increased hair density in patients with androgenic alopecia, with results influenced by treatment frequency and patient age.

This study found that combining microneedling with PRP was more effective than microneedling alone for improving acne scars, with higher patient satisfaction and no significant increase in severe side effects.

This study demonstrated that PRP treatment improved hair metrics in androgenetic alopecia, with the dermapen method proving more effective than the point-by-point technique for specific hair growth indicators.

This study found that intradermal injections of platelet-rich plasma were equally safe and effective for treating androgenetic alopecia, with higher platelet numbers possibly enhancing hair density and follicle diameter.

This review discusses the use of platelet-rich plasma for alopecia treatment and notes a lack of data on the consistency of FDA-approved PRP devices in clinical settings.

This review covers the variability in methods for preparing platelet-rich plasma and reports no new clinical results, suggesting that this variability may contribute to inconsistent efficacy in clinical trials.

This review discusses the potential applications of injectable platelet‐rich fibrin in various conditions and reports no new clinical results; the authors highlight its favorable use in comparison to existing treatments.

This study found that combining platelet-rich plasma therapy with minoxidil was more effective in treating androgenetic alopecia in men than either treatment alone.

This review examines the current evidence for platelet-rich plasma in dermatology, finding favorable outcomes particularly for androgenetic alopecia, but highlights the need for more rigorous clinical trials and standardized protocols.

This study found that microneedling improved hair density and thickness with minimal side effects in patients with androgenetic alopecia and telogen effluvium.

In this study, iL-PRF injections produced significantly better clinical scores for androgenetic alopecia patients compared to controls, especially in those with more severe baseline conditions.

In this study, subdermal platelet-rich plasma injections significantly increased hair count and shaft caliber in individuals with androgenetic alopecia, with monthly treatments potentially offering greater benefits.

This study found that a single injection of platelet-rich stroma significantly increased hair density in men with androgenetic alopecia within 6 to 12 weeks, with no reported side effects.

In this study, researchers found that homologous PRP (h-PRP) significantly increased hair density more than both nonactivated (n-PRP) and activated (a-PRP) autologous PRP in patients with androgenetic alopecia, suggesting h-PRP as a potentially more effective treatment option for hair loss.

This review discusses the use of platelet-rich plasma in dermatology for various applications such as tissue regeneration and wound healing, but it reports no new clinical results and calls for clearer guidance on suitable treatments.

This study found that platelet-rich plasma injections significantly improved hair density, thickness, and patient satisfaction in women with female pattern hair loss compared to a placebo.

This study found that 5% activated platelet-rich plasma significantly improved cell proliferation and hair-inductive ability of dermal papilla cells in vitro, and promoted hair follicle formation in mice.

This review discusses the use of platelet-rich plasma for pattern hair loss treatment and examines existing clinical studies without presenting new clinical results.

This case report describes a patient with corticosteroid-resistant ophiasis alopecia areata who experienced prompt hair regrowth after receiving platelet-rich plasma injections.

In this study, intradermal injections of autologous platelet-rich fibrin matrix significantly increased hair density in patients with androgenetic alopecia at 2 and 3 months after initial treatment.

In this study, platelet-rich plasma significantly increased hair regrowth and reduced symptoms of alopecia areata compared to triamcinolone acetonide or placebo, with no observed side effects.

PRP helps hair growth in common hair loss disorder.