Treatment of Male Pattern Alopecia with Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Double-Blind Controlled Study with Analysis of Platelet Number and Growth Factor Levels

October 2018 in “ Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology ”

Bruno Rodrigues, Silmara Aparecida De Lima Montalvão, Rebeca Brito Bonani Cancela, Francesca Aparecida Ramos da Silva, Aline Urban, Stephany Cares Huber, José Otávio Costa Auler Júnior, José Fábio Santos Duarte Lana, Joyce M. Annichinno-Bizzacchi

androgenetic alopecia platelet-rich plasma anagen hairs PDGF EGF VEGF AGA PRP

TLDR Platelet-rich plasma treatment can significantly increase hair count and density in men with pattern baldness, and these improvements can last up to 3 months.

In 2019, a study involving 26 male patients with androgenetic alopecia (AGA) found that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment significantly increased hair count, hair density, and the percentage of anagen (active growth phase) hairs. These improvements were maintained for up to 3 months after PRP injections without any other hair loss treatment. The study also noted that PRP treatment did not require daily medication, a common cause of nonadherence to conventional treatments. However, there was no correlation found between the improvements and the platelet counts or the levels of growth factors (PDGF, EGF, and VEGF) in the PRP, suggesting other mechanisms could be involved in the response. The study concluded that PRP could be a viable therapeutic alternative for the treatment of AGA.

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Research cited in this study

14 / 14 results

Randomized Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Half-Head Study to Assess the Efficacy of Platelet-Rich Plasma on the Treatment of Androgenetic Alopecia

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research A Randomized Evaluator Blinded Study of Effect of Microneedling in Androgenetic Alopecia: A Pilot Study

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research Letter: Platelet-Rich Plasma for Treating Male Pattern Baldness

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Injecting platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can increase hair growth rate and density in male pattern baldness.

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research The Effects of Autologous Platelet-Rich Plasma and Various Growth Factors on Non-Transplanted Miniaturized Hair

37 citations, March 2009 in “Hair transplant forum international”

PRP treatment helped reverse hair thinning and promoted new hair growth.

research The Role of Platelet Plasma Growth Factors in Male Pattern Baldness Surgery

251 citations, October 2006 in “Plastic and reconstructive surgery/PSEF CD journals”

Using platelet plasma growth factors in baldness surgery can increase the number of hair follicles.

research TrichoScan: A Novel Tool for the Analysis of Hair Growth In Vivo

70 citations, June 2003 in “Journal of Investigative Dermatology Symposium Proceedings”

TrichoScan is a reliable method for measuring hair growth and is useful for assessing hair loss treatments.

research Towards a Molecular Understanding of Hair Loss and Its Treatment

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Hair loss in men is common, treatable, but not curable.

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Related Research

2 / 2 results

Treatment of Male Pattern Alopecia with Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Double-Blind Controlled Study with Analysis of Platelet Number and Growth Factor Levels

research Treatment of Male Pattern Alopecia with Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Double-Blind Controlled Study with Analysis of Platelet Number and Growth Factor Levels

57 citations, October 2018 in “Journal of The American Academy of Dermatology”

Platelet-rich plasma treatment can significantly increase hair count and density in men with pattern baldness, and these improvements can last up to 3 months.

research Limited Effectiveness of Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatment on Chronic Severe Alopecia Areata

15 citations, January 2014 in “Hair therapy & transplantation”

Platelet-Rich Plasma treatment has limited and temporary effects on severe Alopecia Areata and does not prevent relapses.