It does not matter if you are male or female, hair loss can wither your self-esteem. Fortunately, you have more options than going to the nearest wig shop. Rogaine® and Propecia® are drugs approved by the FDA to treat hereditary hair loss – male and female pattern baldness. Hair replacement procedures include micro-grafting, slit grafting and punch grafting, which are transplant methods. Another method, platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is also being used to treat hair loss.
What Is PRP?
Blood has many components, the main ones being plasma, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. The platelets contain hundreds of specialized proteins. These are called growth factors and they aid in healing. PRP has been used to treat injuries, especially sports injuries, and it has been used to treat arthritis. In the last several years, it has been used as a method to regrow hair.
PRP treatment begins when a small amount of your blood is taken and put in a centrifuge to separate the different components. The platelets become concentrated and added back into the plasma, or liquid part of your blood. This concentrated substance is loaded with growth factors and other bioactive proteins which, under the right circumstances, can help regrow hair.
A Low-Risk Procedure
Using PRP is low-risk because it comes from your own blood. There are no concerns about contamination or other problems that could occur with donor blood. The procedure itself requires injections of the PRP into the scalp in the area where hair is thinning. Many people have little discomfort, and for those who do experience some pain from the injections, ice packs usually provide enough relief.
The only downtime you will experience from the procedure is a 24 to 48-hour break in your typical hair maintenance routine. No processing hair, coloring or blow drying your hair during this time.
Losing your hair does not need to mean loss of self-confidence. Contact The K Spa for information about PRP treatment for hair loss and to schedule your consultation appointment.
