Hair loss affects people in all ages, gender, and races. It is more prevalent in men than in women; according to the American Hair Loss Association, two out of three men will experience losing some of their hair at the age of 35. The percentage increases by up to 85% once they reach the age of 50. On the other hand, approximately 50% of women will deal with some pattern of hair loss as they reach 50 years old.
Symptoms and Causes
Hair loss doesn’t necessarily happen all at once. Your hair may gradually start to thin on the top of your head like what usually happens in most men. However, some may also experience sudden loosening of hair due to physical and emotional trauma, or when a person has undergone a medical treatment like chemotherapy.
Hair loss can be caused by heredity conditions such as male-pattern or female-pattern baldness. If this condition runs in your blood, then more often you will also get to experience hair baldness after some time. Medical conditions like Alopecia areata, ringworm, and trichotillomania can also cause loosening of hair. Other causes of hair loss include stress, medical treatments like radiation and chemotherapy, and certain hair treatments.
Treatments
The good news is hair loss is treatable. And the buzzword right now when it comes to hair loss treatment is the Platelet-rich plasma (PRP). The Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a medical treatment for hair loss with the use of platelet-rich plasma from the patient’s blood. Platelet is a natural component of the blood that helps stop bleeding and promote healing. Medical experts believe that when this platelet-rich plasma is injected into an injured part of the body, it could accelerate healing.
PRP treatment involves a three-step process and follow up treatments every 4-6 months.
Step 1 – The first step involves drawing out blood from the patient, typically in the arm and then process it to separate its components in different densities. The process could take more or less 10 minutes.
Step 2 – After the first step, your physician or medical representative will now have your blood in 3 layers: the platelet-rich plasma, platelet-poor plasma, and red blood cells. It is the platelet-rich plasma that is needed for the PRP treatment.
Step 3 – The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the scalp where hair loss is occurring.
After a couple of months, patients should notice considerable thickening of the hair and it will appear fuller. There are no side effects noted with regards to PRP treatment except for the dull pain caused by the injection.
Is PRP right for you?
PRP treatment for hair loss is still relatively new and there is still no conclusive evidence that it can completely treat your hair loss problem. However, there is research conducted that showed promising results with the use of PRP in treating hair loss.
If you are having hair loss problems, it is best to pay your doctor a visit and discuss PRP treatment and see if it’s the right treatment for you.
