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By Dr. Alan J. Bauman
What do Super Bowl winners Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu, World Series winner Alex Rodriguez, tennis champion Rafael Nadal, basketball’s Kobe Bryant, Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie and Kim Kardashian all have in common?
Well, the answer is that they have all reportedly used their own blood as a cutting-edge non-surgical regenerative medical treatment. Studied in over 6500 published scientific papers, the use of concentrated blood platelets also known as “Platelet Rich Plasma” or PRP has been used as a wound healing treatment for decades in the fields of dentistry, orthopedics and plastic surgery. PRP has recently gained increased attention as a safe, alternative, drug-free treatment attracting professional athletes looking to accelerate their recovery from injuries and high-profile celebrities looking to maintain a youthful facial appearance without surgery. PRP, often referred to as the “Vampire” cell therapy treatment, has also piqued the interest of hair loss patients who have taken note of the recent reports of PRP’s hair regrowth potential—as seen on the Emmy Award winning show “The Doctors,” ABC Palm Beach/Miami, NBC Palm Beach, etc. But how might this new Vampire therapy ‘breathe new life’ into failing follicles?
Why Use Platelets for Hair Growth?
Platelets are tiny cells that are critical to healing and are the body’s primary source of natural bioactive growth factors for wound healing and tissue regeneration. Platelets contain many powerful proteins, cytokines and growth factors, such as:
• Connective Tissue Growth Factor (CTGF)
• Platelet Derived Growth Factor (PGDF)
• Transforming Growth Factor-beta (TGF-β)
• Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)
• Insulin Growth Factor (IGF)
• Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)
Published studies suggest that these blood-derived growth factors can play an important role in regulating hair follicle function and support their use to safely treat common female and male hair loss and Alopecia Areata. The basic premise is that when these growth factors are highly concentrated in PRP and reinjected, they send cellular signals to reverse miniaturization of hair follicles, helping them produce hairs which are thicker, longer and stronger—providing a thicker, fuller head of hair, more coverage and less shedding. Some of the scientific reports and our own experience with PRP at Bauman Medical Group have shown dramatic reversal of areas of balding scalp.
How is a PRP treatment performed?
A PRP hair growth treatment is a quick non-invasive, non-surgical outpatient procedure that takes less than one hour in the doctor’s office. A small blood sample is obtained from the patient at the time of treatment and spun in a special high-speed centrifuge that separates the platelets from the different components of the blood, thereby creating the platelet concentrate or PRP. After preparing the scalp, the PRP is painlessly injected in the area of the scalp where there is weak hair growth. In order to trigger release of growth factors from the platelets, a mechanical MicroPen™ microneedling device is used to create microtrauma in the area where PRP was applied.
What are the risks of PRP treatment?
Results can vary because every patient is unique. Patients who have undergone PRP hair growth treatments can go to dinner that evening if desired, and may shower and shampoo their hair normally following the procedure and there are no activity restrictions.
Since the treatment is autologous—made from your own body—the therapy is associated with virtually no risk of allergy, rejection, infection or disease transmission. Over time, repeat treatments may be needed to achieve and/or maintain the desired result.
Are all PRP treatments the same?
Unfortunately not, many physicians use different protocols to create and apply PRP. At Bauman Medical Group, we use the highly sophisticated YesPRP™ system to prepare PRP and often choose to enhance and prolong the effects of the treatment with advanced extracellular matrix products like ACell or BioD Restore. PRP has been routinely used in our practice since 2011 and all of our medical staff have been trained and certified by Cytomedix to prepare PRP.
How do I know if my PRP hair growth treatment is working?
Before treatment, the area of concern should be microscopically evaluated, photographed as well as measured using the scientific HairCheck device. Although results vary, some improvement in hair growth should be measureable within 90 days and continue to improve with visual results at six months. Since everyone responds differently, routine follow-up and measurements are essential to determine when PRP should be repeated or other treatments considered.
Can PRP be combined with other hair regrowth therapies?
Absolutely, a multi-therapy approach may be needed depending on the severity of the hair loss condition. PRP may be used as an adjunct to FDA-approved medications or other therapies like LaserCap low level laser therapy, compounded Formula 82M minoxidil, nutritional supplementation and hair transplantation.
Is PRP right for me?
If you are suffering from increased hair shedding, decreasing volume, weakening hair quality or coverage of the scalp, you may be candidate for PRP hair growth treatment. Because the effectiveness of PRP depends significantly on the amount of hair follicles that remain, early treatment is strongly encouraged. A detailed and comprehensive medical hair loss evaluation by a full-time ABHRS board-certified Hair Restoration Physician is recommended. Ask your Hair Restoration Physician if you are a good candidate for PRP and which FDA-approved medications or other treatments like low level laser therapy, nutritional supplementation and hair transplantation might be needed to achieve your hair restoration goals. To find out if you are a candidate for PRP hair regrowth treatment contact hair loss expert Dr. Alan J. Bauman, M.D. at doctorb@baumanmedical.com or call
561-394-0024 for a confidential consultation.
Dr. Alan J. Bauman is the Founder and Medical Director of Bauman Medical Group in Boca Raton, Florida. Since 1997, he has treated nearly 15,000 hair loss patients and performed nearly 7,000 hair transplant procedures. A international lecturer and frequent faculty member of major medical conferences, Dr. Bauman’s work has been featured in prestigious media outlets such as The Doctors Show,
CNN, NBC Today, ABC Good Morning America, CBS Early Show, Men’s Health, The New York Times, Women’s Health, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Dateline NBC, FOX News, MSNBC, Vogue, Allure, Harpers Bazaar and more. A minimally-invasive hair transplant pioneer, in 2008 Dr. Bauman became the first ABHRS-certified Hair Restoration Physician to routinely use NeoGraft FUE for hair transplant procedures.
Hair Loss Study Candidates Needed!
Bauman Medical is currently enrolling qualified candidates for an exciting
Hair Loss Study.
Please visit www.844GETHAIR.COM for more details.