Dermatologists assembled at the 2019 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) were presented with the results of a recent study that shows PRP therapy can be effective as a treatment for a range of dermatological issues, including hair loss. They learned there is yet another alternative to hair replacement surgeries and pharmacological treatments.

The presentation was made by New Jersey dermatologist Dr. Jeffrey Rapaport who, along with colleagues, studied a range of PubMed literature on the topic. Their meta-analysis looked at dozens of studies covering androgenetic alopecia, alopecia areata, acne, burns, and more. What they discovered relating to hair loss should be good news to anyone who has been looking for an alternative treatment.

PRP Therapy and Hair Loss

Given that we train doctors looking to offer stem cell and PRP therapy in their own practices, the most important part of the research to us is the effectiveness of PRP for treating hair loss. According to Rapaport, the study he and his colleagues conducted clearly shows evidence in favor of PRP therapy as a hair loss treatment.

Their data indicates that multiple sessions of PRP treatment given over several weeks produces better results as measured by hair density. Compared to placebo, those treated with PRP demonstrated a mean hair density difference of 25.61.

Study data also showed that multiple sessions of PRP therapy significantly improves the healing of scars when used in conjunction with micro-needling, laser treatments, and other aesthetic therapies. That is good news for people who suffer with significant acne scarring.

It’s Not Right for Everyone

Rapaport was clear to point out during his presentation that PRP therapy is not the right treatment for everyone. As effective as it might be, the researchers say that only trained dermatologists are qualified to identify ideal candidates for the treatment.

This is a crucial point that cannot be overstated. In the real world of modern medicine, there is no single treatment – for any disease or condition – that works 100% of the time. Not every treatment is right for every patient because patients react differently.

The point to be made here is that the general body of evidence we now have to work with points to PRP therapy being an effective treatment for hair loss. But not everyone who receives the treatment will actually benefit from it. Some people just do not respond well to PRP injections or micro-needling. Likewise, not all patients respond well to hair transplants or pharmacological treatments.

Give Patients Another Option

We hope the dermatologists present during Dr. Rappaport’s presentation walked away with the understanding that they now have another option to offer patients. That’s really what this is about. Patients deserve as many options as possible for treating whatever ails them. A long as the treatment is proven safe, patients should have the opportunity to consider it.

For our part, we stand ready to train doctors looking to begin offering stem cell and PRP treatments. We offer weekend sessions that concentrate on both musculoskeletal and aesthetic issues, along with additional training in sales and marketing in regenerative medicine.

Our goal is to equip as many doctors and clinics as possible so they can offer their patients stem cell and PRP treatments. The more doctors we successfully train, the more patients we know will have access to these groundbreaking treatments.

If you are a doctor considering our training, we hope this post has giving you further motivation to do so. PRP therapy does appear to be safe and effective for treating hair loss, musculoskeletal injuries, and osteoarthritis.

Sources:

MD Magazine – https://www.mdmag.com/conference-coverage/aad-2019/platelet-rich-plasma-improves-hair-loss-scars