Non-Surgical Alternatives
PRP - Platelet Rich Plasma
The Newest Development in Hair Transplantation - PRPOver the past few years, cell therapy - in the form of growth factors, cell multiplication, and stem cells- have been the hottest area of potential innovation in many areas of medicine. Hair transplantation is no exception and there seems to be great potential.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy, using the patient's own blood which is centrifuged to separate out this special component, is being actively tested and utilized in hair transplantation. Rich in growth factors and platelets (one of the human body's most potent mediators of healing), PRP is applied to the scalp in several ways to help in the treatment of hair loss.
As a stand-alone treatment, PRP has been shown to help in many individuals with male and female pattern hair loss to help slow down the hair loss process, even making finer vellus hairs thicker and lighter hairs that have lost their pigment darker.
As part of Physicians Hair Restoration commitment to excellence for our patients, PRP therapy is (optionally) provided with the transplant procedure. Additionally, because of its healing properties, PRP is offered as well as a stand-alone therapy.
As leaders in the field of hair transplantation, Physicians Hair Restoration is proud to be among the very first doctors in the Southeast to provide patients the latest development, platelet rich plasma (PRP). Over the last several years, cell therapy has been used as a treatment in fields such as cardiology, plastic surgery, and orthopedics, and now hair transplantation is taking its rightful place.
Your doctor and/or patient consultant can answer any questions you have about this therapy.
Propecia (Finasteride)
Propecia (finasteride) is the most effective medication to treat male hair loss available on the market today. Studies examining its effectiveness over five years found ninety percent (90%) of subjects experienced hair stability while on the drug and forty-eight percent (48%) of these actually experienced an increase in hair growth [compared with nineteen percent (19%) stability and a six percent (6%) increase in hair growth on the placebo.] Propecia (finasteride) is an oral medication taken once a day with meals. It must be taken for at least a year to determine its effectiveness, and often, within the first six months patients on it will experience increased hair loss as miniaturized hair is replaced by new, healthier hair.
Due to the effect of the drug on a developing male fetus, it should never be taken or handled by pregnant or potentially pregnant women. Studies with post-menopausal women showed no hair growth benefit, so it is not prescribed for female hair loss.
Rogaine (Minoxidil)
Rogaine (minoxidil) is a topical drug applied directly to the scalp area where hair loss is occurring. The drug manufacturers recommend that it be applied twice a day, although studies show the effects last 22 hours and thus applying it once a day is almost as effective. Studies show that after 48 weeks of use over seventy percent of (70%) of male test subjects and eighty percent (80%) of female test subjects showed stabilization in their rate of hair loss.
Male uses of Rogaine (minoxidil) are prescribed a five-percent (5%) solution, while a two-percent (2%) solution is approved for women. Although the five-percent solution is more than twice as effective, studies show that women are more sensitive to the side effects, including hypotension (lowered blood pressure), and are more likely to have an allergic reaction.
Laser Therapy
Since the late 1970s, low-level lasers have been used to help accelerate the healing of wounds and burns and reduce pain based on the principle of photo-biotherapy. In photo-biotherapy, cells absorb low-level laser light, which stimulates cell metabolism and protein synthesis. In the early 1990s, scientists began to explore the question of whether the same process could be used to stimulate hair follicles on the scalp and reverse hair miniaturization and hair loss. In 2007, the first low-level laser devices were cleared by the FDA for use in the treatment of hair loss. Laser therapy can be utilized to slow the progression of hair loss but it is relatively agreed that it is not effective at reversing hair loss.