Local Injection Versus Topical Microneedling of Platelet-Rich Plasma for Androgenetic Alopecia: A Systematic Review

This comprehensive review analyzes androgenetic alopecia treatments, discussing the mechanisms, costs, efficacy, and safety of FDA-approved drugs like minoxidil and finasteride, as well as newer non-FDA-approved options that have shown effectiveness across various studies.

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 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 review reports that clinical studies generally showed favorable results for microneedling as an adjunct therapy for androgenic alopecia and alopecia areata, despite the low quality of existing data.

This article discusses hormonal mechanisms underlying androgenetic alopecia but does not report any new findings; it reviews the roles of dihydrotestosterone and available FDA-approved treatments.

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 adding platelet-rich plasma with microneedling to conventional medical treatment significantly increased hair density and diameter in androgenetic alopecia patients compared to medical treatment alone.

Platelet-rich plasma with microneedling is effective for hair loss, but the number of sessions needed varies.

This article reviews the use of platelet-rich plasma for skin rejuvenation and hair regrowth, noting positive outcomes despite variability in preparation and a lack of standardized protocols.

This study found that combining micro-needling, low-level laser therapy, and autologous non-activated platelet-rich plasma increased hair density in patients with androgenic alopecia over the treatment period.

This systematic review and meta-analysis found that platelet-rich plasma treatments improved hair density and thickness in people with androgenetic alopecia, without serious adverse effects.

The authors concluded that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) shows promising potential as a safe treatment for hair restoration in androgenic alopecia, though further research is needed to refine its use and confirm long-term effects.

This review discusses various novel drug delivery approaches to enhance scalp drug penetration for alopecia treatment but reports no new clinical results.

This study provides preliminary evidence that combining microneedling with platelet-rich plasma and concentrated growth factor therapy may significantly boost hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia.

This study found that both microneedling and microneedling with platelet-rich plasma improved hair thickness and density in male pattern alopecia, but no additional benefit was observed with the addition of platelet-rich plasma.

This review discusses the physiopathology of androgenetic alopecia and evaluates various traditional and emerging treatments, reporting no new clinical results but highlighting the need for enhanced treatment strategies.

This review discusses the safety concerns associated with new treatments for non-scarring alopecias, highlighting that while these therapies such as JAK inhibitors and oral minoxidil show efficacy in hair regrowth, their safety profiles vary significantly, requiring careful consideration of benefits and risks.

In this study, patients with mild to moderate androgenetic alopecia who received platelet-rich plasma injections with microneedling showed improvements in hair growth and thickness, as well as high satisfaction, over a three-month period compared to conventional therapy non-responders.

This study compared microneedling combined with platelet-rich plasma and microneedling with minoxidil for treating androgenetic alopecia in men, finding both approaches effectively improved hair density and alopecia grade.

This study found that combining microneedling with PRP and topical minoxidil (5%) significantly improved hair growth in men with androgenetic alopecia compared to using minoxidil alone.

This study found that micro-needling with cosmeceuticals or platelet-rich plasma significantly improved wrinkles, skin laxity, scar softening, and hair growth over 12 months, with minimal side effects, and that the best results occur with pigment and platelet massaging between 5 to 30 minutes post-treatment.