Hair transplant is a relatively invasive procedure, and that is dependent on the extent of work that has to be done. In most cases, multiple sessions are required to completely cover a balding area. But this will depend on the choice of the doctor.
Some surgeons perform megasessions where a full and extensive work is completed in one sitting. The good thing about this is that it gives the patient their desired coverage with dramatic results in just a single surgical session. However the drawback here is that it can be more traumatic to the scalp due to the amount of work that is done. This can lead to a poor survival rate of the implanted hair grafts.
However, whether the procedure is done in small sessions or megasessions, there is a good chance that some hair grafts fail to thrive in their new environment. This triggered hair experts to study about possible ways to improve the hair grafts’ rate of surviving.
This is when PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma came into the picture. PRP is more widely known to treat problems such as wrinkles, tennis elbows, osteoarthritis, Achilles tendonitis, or a torn meniscus. With the use of this particular blood component, the healing process is hastened and improved.
Platelets complete the composition of blood along with red and white blood cells. What makes this different from the two is that it doesn’t have a nucleus; therefore it is not considered a cell. But it is more popularly known as an important component in the blood’s ability to clot, preventing the occurrence of excessive bleeding.
But platelets are also known for another thing, and it is that they contain growth factors that aid in healing and recovery. These also promote better tissue repair, and it also provides an immediate response to injury.
And with that action researchers hypothesized that this could aid in improving the overall outcome of hair transplant surgery. PRP treatment has actually been used to treat hair loss in the past, this is why experts decided to use this after hair transplant.
The procedure is actually simple. It is done by removing a certain amount of blood from the patient using a syringe, similar to a typical blood extraction procedure. The collected blood is then placed into a centrifuge that spins rapidly, separating the platelets from other components. Afterwards, the platelets are collected with a syringe and then injected to the recipient site; the same is also done to the donor area.
This has created an improvement in the healing process in both areas, and it also improved graft survival and regeneration. Aside from that, PRP administration also enhanced the growth and development of non-transplanted hair. It caused these hairs to become thicker and appear fuller.
This most definitely makes the hair transplant results come out better, while preventing further hair loss at the same time. One more thing is that this treatment does not create allergic reactions because the plasma used is completely your own.
PRP treatment is certainly a good option in restoring a full head of hair and ensuring that you get the best results out of your expensive hair transplant costs.
