Platelet-rich plasma for androgenetic alopecia: A review of the literature and proposed treatment protocol

Abstract

Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common hair loss disorder caused by genetic and hormonal factors that are characterized by androgen-related progressive thinning of scalp hair in a defined pattern. By the age of 60 years, 45% of men and 35% of women develop AGA. Currently, U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatments for AGA include oral finasteride and topical minoxidil. Due to the limited number of effective therapies for AGA, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has become an effective alternative treatment. PRP is an autologous concentration of platelets in plasma with numerous growth factors that contribute to hair regeneration. The growth factors contained within the alpha granules of platelets act on stem cells in the bulge area of the hair follicles and stimulate the development of new follicles along with neovascularization. PRP has become a promising treatment modality for AGA. Although there have been several studies previously reported, a standard practice for PRP preparation and administration as well as a method to evaluate results have not been established. This literature review was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of PRP for AGA and discuss the various treatment protocols that have been proposed.

Platelet-Rich Plasma and its Use for Cicatricial and Non-Cicatricial Alopecias: A Narrative Review

“…PRP, obtained after centrifugation of the blood of the patient, contains an abundance of growth factors (GFs) and cytokines that can affect inflammation, angiogenesis, stem cell migration, and cell proliferation [5,[14][15][16][17][18][19]. All these factors of PRP would enhance the body's inherent capacity to repair and regenerate.…”

Platelet factor 4 inhibits human hair follicle growth and promotes androgen receptor expression in human dermal papilla cells

“…The GFs of PRP stimulated proliferation of adipose tissue-derived stem cells to accelerate wound healing ( Scioli et al., 2017 ; Emer, 2019 ). On the basis that PRP can promote wound repair, PRP was employed to treat hair loss ( Stevens & Khetarpal, 2019 ; Strazzulla et al., 2018 ). Recently, PRP has been demonstrated as an effective alternative treatment with minimal side-effects for hair disorders ( Strazzulla et al., 2018 ), but the exact mechanisms and effects of specific components of PRP have not been uncovered.…”

“…As a consequence, DP cells are considered as the major therapy target for AGA. The existing therapies are mostly designed to restrain further hair loss, and the efficacy of new hair growth with these therapies are not dissatisfactory and obviously ameliorating effect is not always achieved ( Stevens & Khetarpal, 2019 ).…”

Autologous platelet‐rich plasma therapy for pattern hair loss: A systematic review

“…Androgenic alopecia‐induced hair loss causes severe psychological and emotional distress and impaired quality of life . Current treatment options such as minoxidil and finasteride showed unsatisfactory clinical improvement in some patients …”

“…12 Current treatment options such as minoxidil and finasteride showed unsatisfactory clinical improvement in some patients. 13 Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is prepared from a small volume of the patients' own venous blood (eg, 18 mL) by centrifugation and removal of red blood cells. 14 The result is PRP that contains various growth factors and cytokines released from the granules within platelets.…”