Effective Strategies to Reduce Pain During Platelet-Rich Plasma Scalp Injections: A Randomized Split-Scalp Study
February 2021
TLDR Ice packs and vibration devices can reduce pain during scalp injections.
In a randomized controlled split-scalp study involving 31 patients with alopecia, researchers evaluated the effectiveness of ice pack compression and a vibration anesthesia device (VAD) in reducing pain during inactivated platelet-rich plasma (PRP) scalp injections. Results showed that 90% of patients in group 1 preferred ice compression, reporting a significant reduction in pain (mean pain score of 4.1 vs 6.6 without ice; P = .001). Similarly, 90% of patients in group 2 preferred the VAD, though the pain reduction was not statistically significant (mean pain score of 4.8 vs 6.1 without VAD; P = .270). In group 3, 55% favored the VAD over ice, while 36% preferred ice, and 9% felt no difference (mean pain score of 5 with ice vs 5.2 with VAD; P = .806). The study concluded that both ice pack compression and VAD are effective, inexpensive, and accessible methods to reduce pain during PRP injections, though a spot test with the VAD is recommended due to potential increased pain sensitivity in some patients.
