Platelet-Rich Plasma and Its Utilities in Alopecia: A Systematic Review

January 2020 in “ Dermatologic Surgery ”

Michael Hesseler, Nikhil Shyam

platelet-rich plasma PRP alopecia areata androgenetic alopecia triamcinolone acetonide erythema

TLDR Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment has been found effective in promoting hair growth for alopecia patients, with minimal side effects like temporary pain and redness.

In 2019, a systematic review analyzed 19 studies on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for treating alopecia, including 3 studies on alopecia areata (71 patients) and 16 on androgenetic alopecia (389 patients). The majority of these studies showed successful hair growth with PRP treatment. PRP was found to be more effective than triamcinolone acetonide for alopecia areata, and multiple treatment sessions of PRP showed promising results for androgenetic alopecia. No adverse events were reported, with the most common side effects being transient pain and erythema. However, the review noted significant variability in PRP collection methods, suggesting future studies should include a detailed description of the PRP isolation process for comparison and reproducibility.

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