Evaluation of Platelet-Rich Plasma Plus Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Combined With Minoxidil in the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia: A Randomized Controlled Trial

May 2023 in “ Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology ”

Shulian Wu, Shizhao Liu, Jian Chen, Damao Dai, Weijie Liu, Demengjie Le, Qing Guan, Yong Miao, Zhiqi Hu, Qian Qu

platelet-rich plasma basic fibroblast growth factor minoxidil androgenetic alopecia terminal hair telogen hair vellus hair PRP bFGF Rogaine

TLDR Using platelet-rich plasma, basic fibroblast growth factor, and minoxidil together significantly increases hair count and growth rate in people with hair loss.

A randomized controlled trial involving 75 patients evaluated the effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma plus basic fibroblast growth factor (PRPF) combined with minoxidil in treating androgenetic alopecia. The study found that all treatments led to a significant increase in hair count and density, with the combination of PRPF and minoxidil showing the highest improvement. The terminal hair count increased from 99.24 ± 24.47 to 125.88 ± 24.15 and hair growth rate increased from 0.70 ± 0.01 mm/day to 0.83 ± 0.12 mm/day. The telogen hair ratio, representing the percentage of hairs in the resting phase, decreased significantly from 33.03 ± 4.15% to 21.50 ± 3.42%. However, there were no significant changes in vellus hair count, ratio, and mean hair thickness over time. The study concluded that PRPF treatment is efficient and safe, and combination therapy is important for treating androgenetic alopecia.

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