The Benefits of PRP Treatment After a Hair Transplant

When you’re thinking about having a hair transplant, you want the best. You want to know you’re being treated by one the best surgeons , at the best clinics , and you want some kind of guarantee, before you pass over your hard earned cash, that you’re going to get results. After all, having a hair transplant is a big deal, we get that. It can be daunting, putting your scalp in the hands of a scalpel wielding surgeon.

(By the way, our surgeons don’t generally wield their scalpels, they’re far more refined, and safe, than that, just so you know. We wouldn’t get the amazing results from hair transplants that we do, otherwise.)

Modern hair transplant procedure technology is such that new methods, equipment and treatments are emerging all the time. Here at the DK Hair Klinik in Antalya, we always keep up with the latest tech.

One of these new procedures is the PRP, or Platelet Rich Plasma, scalp injection treatment. So what is this, how is it done and most importantly, does it work…?

What is Scalp PRP?

You may remember the pictures that emerged of Kim Kardashian after she had a ‘vampire’ facial. If you don’t remember, or you don’t know who Kim K is, it’s not that important. What is important, is what she had done. And a vampire treatment isn’t as scary as it sounds.

The vampire facial is used to rejuvenate skin for a more youthful appearance, and it uses PRP technology.

Regardless of whether for an anti-ageing facial or after a hair transplant, the process is the same. It involves taking a sample of blood, just like if you were having a blood test. This blood sample is then spun down, really really fast in a centrifuge, for a few moments to separate all the different components of the blood. The heavier red blood cells sink to the bottom of the tube, leaving the straw coloured liquid part of the blood at the top.

This part is called plasma and contains concentrated platelets, the part of the blood that forms clots and eventually a scab, if you cut yourself. It’s this plasma that doctors are interested in, when performing a PRP treatment.

This plasma is also very rich in growth factors, which along with platelets, stimulate our natural healing processes. This concentrated ‘platelet rich plasma’ is then injected into the skin using a sterile needle, all over the face, or in our case, the scalp. It helps the skin, and scalp rejuvenate, and in the case of the scalp, makes it ready to accept all those hair follicles transplanted from the back of the head to the front and / or sides. Since the plasma has come from the patient’s own body, there’s no chance of an allergic reaction.

PRP treatments were originally used in heart surgery and to treat burns victims, and are now used for everything from beauty facials, to treating sports injuries and now to help scalps heal after a hair transplant.

PRP Scalp Treatments

At our clinic, we see first hand how effective PRP treatments are. We use PRP after a hair transplant, and we see how it makes transplanted hair grafts stronger, of a better quality and more likely to survive and grow new hairs – the whole point of a hair transplant. PRP injections are also known to help prevent and treat hair loss, which is beneficial to the rest of the scalp that hasn’t had a transplant procedure.

But rather than just taking our word for it, we thought we’d prove it to you, scientifically, by sharing the results of some robust research with you.

The Science Behind PRP Scalp Injection Treatments for Hair Loss

Back in 2014, a study published in the Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery looked at the use of PRP injections in the treatment of male pattern baldness over a one year period. It was a small study, of 20 patients but still their results were statistically significant . Each patient received three PRP scalp injection treatments over 21 days and a further PRP treatment after six months. (None of these patients had received a hair transplant, but bear with us.)

After three months, hair loss had reduced amongst all 20 patients (both male and female) and after six months and then a year, hair density had significantly increased. (The researchers used robust imaging tools to measure hair density, of the type we use in our clinic.)

The study concluded that, “PRP injections may have a positive therapeutic effect on male and female pattern hair loss without remarkable major side effects”.

Furthermore, a different but similar 2014 study looking at the effects of PRP on male pattern baldness also came to a similar conclusion. The authors noted that, “PRP injection is a simple, cost effective and feasible treatment option for androgenic alopecia (male pattern baldness), with high overall patient satisfaction”.

So far, so very good, but it gets even better.

A 2017 study looked at the effectiveness of PRP injections both during and after hair transplant surgery . It said that PRP had the “potential to act as a biological stimulus to transplanted hair”. It found that PRP treatments boosted blood supply around the treated area, which is thought to greatly benefit the success of a hair transplant.

This study also referenced a much older study, way back in 2006 when PRP treatment for baldness was in its infancy. This older study found that scalps treated with PRP after hair transplant surgery had a final yield of new hair growth of, on average, more than 15 per cent more than scalps not treated with PRP. Some patients experienced a huge 52 per cent increase in hair density.

All of this is pretty compelling, don’t you think? We think so too. Which is why we’re so passionate about using it on the patients we see in our clinic. Patient satisfaction is the most important aspect of our clinic and we strive to do all we can to make every single one of our patients happy.

How Much Does PRP Therapy Cost?

Many hair transplant clinics hide the true cost of PRP within their package prices for a complete hair transplant. This means you might be paying over the odds for PRP. Performing a PRP treatment after a hair transplant is quick and simple. You’re already in the surgeon’s chair and your scalp is already prepped. Your surgeon doesn’t need to spend too much extra time performing the treatment.

That’s why we only charge around £75 per session of PRP. For the same treatment in London, expect to pay around £300 and San Francisco, you’ll pay around £550, all on top of your hair transplant cost . In India, you’re looking at around £100 and in Dubai, it’s around £525 per session.

Having PRP Treatments at the DK Hair Klinik

If you’re interested to know more about PRP scalp treatments after a hair transplant, or you’d like to book in for one, then just give us a call or send us a message . We can arrange a free online consultation for you, and if you decide to go ahead, we’ll take care of everything. All you’ll need to do is book your flights to sunny Antalya. What are you waiting for?!