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BEST DOCTOR
2024
Jose L. Ruiz, M.D.
HAIR RESTORATION FOR MEN & WOMEN
No ‘Bald Is Beautiful’ for Women
Bruce Willis, Patrick Stewart: Bald, yes. Sexy, for sure.
But what about for women? It’s commonly more accepted — and expected — that men lose their hair. But when women begin to lose theirs, the psychological damage can be just as devastating as any serious disease, taking an emotional toll that can directly affect physical health, says the American Hair Loss Association, a consumer organization dedicated to the prevention and treatment of hair loss.
Studies have shown that patients who experience hair loss suffer from self-esteem and body image issues, impacting their social life and feelings of attractiveness.
Female Pattern Hair Loss (FPHL)
The most common cause of progressive hair loss in women, FPHL (Female Pattern Hair Loss, also known as androgenetic alopecia), affects about 30 million American women, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
FPHL has a distinct appearance. Hair thins mainly on the top and crown of the scalp, usually beginning with a widening through the center hair part.
Wong explains it this way: “Female pattern hair loss is characterized by miniaturization of the hair follicles, where the hair follicles become smaller and produce shorter, thinner, more brittle hairs, and can eventually stop producing any hair. The hair follicles not only miniaturize but also can become deleted with a decrease in total number of follicles.”
Unlike men, women tend to keep their hairline, except for normal recession (which happens to all of us as time passes, Wong says). The hair loss in women will rarely result in total baldness, as it can in men.
Making a Diagnosis
Since women develop hair loss for many reasons (more on that below) and each requires different treatment, it’s wise to consult with a dermatologist, says Wilma F. Bergfeld, senior dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic and past president of the American Academy of Dermatology.
Diagnosis is usually based on a few factors — ruling out other causes of hair loss, the appearance and pattern of the hair loss and your medical history (though FPHL is usually not a sign of an underlying medical disorder).
“It’s like peeling an onion to figure out what all the complicating factors are causing the hair loss,” Bergfeld says. “Oftentimes, hair loss can be due to a combination of factors, especially since after age 50, a variety of diseases and conditions can begin to develop in women.”
Possible Causes for Hair Loss
The reasons for female pattern hair loss are not totally understood, although it is thought to be related to a family history of male or female baldness, changes in the levels of male hormones (androgens) and aging. Five possible causes:
Menopause
Close to 50 percent of women will experience some degree of hair loss or thinning before age 50, which often worsens with menopause, according to the North American Menopause Society. “Your hormones have been supporting your hair growth,” explains Bergfeld. “When estrogen dips, the hair begins to change.”
Illness or Underlying Medical Conditions
Thyroid disease, diabetes, lupus or anemia are among the 30 or so diseases that can cause sudden hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), which says that hair loss can often be the first sign of disease. Other conditions include ringworm, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and some cancer treatments.
Stress or Trauma
You may notice excessive hair shedding several months after a stressful or traumatic event (like divorce or loss of a spouse), sudden or excessive weight loss, a high fever or surgery, according to the Mayo Clinic. That shedding is normal and temporary — but may be long-lasting if the stress persists.
Dieting and Poor Nutrition
Eat poorly and your hair could suffer: The body shifts its nutritional stores to vital organs like your brain and heart — and away from your hair — if there is a shortage.
Low protein, low iron stores, low vitamin D and calcium can cause hair loss, says Bergfeld. But taking nutritional supplements for what you might be missing isn’t necessarily the answer. A study published in Clinical and Experimental Dermatology found that excessive levels of supplements can actually cause hair loss and should not be used unless there is an actual deficiency.
Rough Handling
Years of pulling your hair too tight in a bun or ponytail or wearing it in cornrows or braids can put stress on the hair and cause a type of hair loss known as traction alopecia. So can bleaching or regular use of dyes, relaxers and other hair products as well as straightening irons and curling wands.
Treatment for Hair Loss
The only over-the-counter medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for female pattern hair loss is minoxidil (commonly known by the brand names Rogaine or Theroxidil), a topical treatment which helps slow or stop hair loss in about one in four or five women and can produce some new growth of fine hair in some women, according to Harvard Health Publications
It usually takes about one year to see how well the treatment will work for you and this is a life-long commitment: if stopped, hair loss begins again.
While treatment may induce hair growth, it usually won’t change the course of the condition.
If minoxidil does not work, there are other “off-label” medicines, which include spironolactone (Aldactone), a drug used to treat hypertension; cimetidine (Tagamet), a class of histamine blockers; Ketoconazole, an antifungal agent and sometimes hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
The American Academy of Dermatology says that once your dermatologist has determined the cause of your hair loss, he or she can tell you what to expect. Sometimes, the hair will begin to re-grow on its own. Other times, you may need to change what you are doing to allow the hair to start re-growing.
“The key is to detect the signs early, so that we can intervene with potential treatments at the earliest possible stage when we can minimize the effects,” explains Wong.
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Also on HuffPog
Types of Women Hair Loss
Hair loss can be temporary or long lasting. Temporary hair loss can be easy to fix when its cause is identified and dealt with, or difficult when it is not immediately clear what the cause is. Hair loss that could possibly have been temporary, may become long lasting as a result of an incorrect diagnosis. The potential for such misdiagnoses is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of hair loss for women. The information in this section will help you identify the cause of your hair loss and ideally lead you and your doctors to the right treatments for your particular kind of hair loss, sooner, rather than later.
Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss. There are different kinds of alopecia. What all hair loss has in common, whether it's in men or women, is that it is always a symptom of something else that's gone wrong in your body. Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring. That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness or one of the forms of alopecia areata, or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases. Fortunately, hair loss may also be a symptom of a short-term event such as stress, pregnancy, and the taking of certain medications. In these situations, hair will often (though not always) grow back when the event has passed. Substances, including hormones, medications, and diseases can cause a change in hair growth, shedding phases and in their durations. When this happens, synchronous growth and shedding occur. Once the cause is dealt with, many times hairs will go back to their random pattern of growth and shedding, and the hair loss problem stops. Unfortuantely, for some women, hair loss becomes a life long struggle.
Types of Women Hair Loss
Hair loss can be temporary or long lasting. Temporary hair loss can be easy to fix when its cause is identified and dealt with, or difficult when it is not immediately clear what the cause is. Hair loss that could possibly have been temporary, may become long lasting as a result of an incorrect diagnosis. The potential for such misdiagnoses is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of hair loss for women. The information in this section will help you identify the cause of your hair loss and ideally lead you and your doctors to the right treatments for your particular kind of hair loss, sooner, rather than later.
Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss. There are different kinds of alopecia. What all hair loss has in common, whether it's in men or women, is that it is always a symptom of something else that's gone wrong in your body. Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring. That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness or one of the forms of alopecia areata, or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases. Fortunately, hair loss may also be a symptom of a short-term event such as stress, pregnancy, and the taking of certain medications. In these situations, hair will often (though not always) grow back when the event has passed. Substances, including hormones, medications, and diseases can cause a change in hair growth, shedding phases and in their durations. When this happens, synchronous growth and shedding occur. Once the cause is dealt with, many times hairs will go back to their random pattern of growth and shedding, and the hair loss problem stops. Unfortuantely, for some women, hair loss becomes a life long struggle.
Types of Women Hair Loss
Hair loss can be temporary or long lasting. Temporary hair loss can be easy to fix when its cause is identified and dealt with, or difficult when it is not immediately clear what the cause is. Hair loss that could possibly have been temporary, may become long lasting as a result of an incorrect diagnosis. The potential for such misdiagnoses is perhaps the most frustrating aspect of hair loss for women. The information in this section will help you identify the cause of your hair loss and ideally lead you and your doctors to the right treatments for your particular kind of hair loss, sooner, rather than later.
Alopecia is the medical term for excessive or abnormal hair loss. There are different kinds of alopecia. What all hair loss has in common, whether it's in men or women, is that it is always a symptom of something else that's gone wrong in your body. Your hair will remain on your head where it belongs if hormone imbalance, disease, or some other condition is not occurring. That condition may be as simple as having a gene that makes you susceptible to male or female pattern baldness or one of the forms of alopecia areata, or it may be as complex as a whole host of diseases. Fortunately, hair loss may also be a symptom of a short-term event such as stress, pregnancy, and the taking of certain medications. In these situations, hair will often (though not always) grow back when the event has passed. Substances, including hormones, medications, and diseases can cause a change in hair growth, shedding phases and in their durations. When this happens, synchronous growth and shedding occur. Once the cause is dealt with, many times hairs will go back to their random pattern of growth and shedding, and the hair loss problem stops. Unfortuantely, for some women, hair loss becomes a life long struggle.
HOW DOES PRP FOR HAIR RESTORATION WORK?
Human blood contains mesenchymal stem cells, and autologous blood products that contain essential and specific growth factors that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. Published medical literature from Europe and the United States confirms the safety and use of PRP therapy. It has been used a medial adjunct therapy for over two decades for skin and wound healing. PRP therapy has established itself to be effective as a medical treatment modality in the specialty fields of oral surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and cosmetic surgery, sports medicine and orthopedics. It has been used extensively in these specialties for the last twenty years with generally positive outcomes and success. In the field of hair restoration, evidence supports PRP therapy as a promising treatment option to promote hair growth. No claim can be made of its efficacy. While PRP is in the early stages of scientific research in hair restoration, PRP is not meant to replace current FDA approved therapies such as DHT blockers and Minoxidil. But it is a promising non-surgical therapeutic option for those patients with hair loss.
HOW DO YOU PERFORM THE PROCEDURE?
Blood is drawn in our office as though you are having routine blood testing at your primary care physician’s office. The blood is spun in a centrifuge and the PRP is separated and removed from the rest of the blood.
The PRP is taken from your body and is specially prepared by spinning down the blood cells to a high concentration. An anesthesia block is given to nerves of the scalp so the patient does not feel any pain. The highly concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into the scalp. The patient’s hair is then washed and the patient may drive home without any assistance. No sedation or any medication is given during the procedure to inhibit the ability to drive or use machinery.
THE SCIENCE OF PRP - PLATELET RICH PLASMA
PRP contains special cells called Platelets, that can cause growth of the hair follicles by stimulating the stem cells and other cells in the microenvironment of the hair follicle. These special Platelet cells promote healing, accelerates the rate and degree of tissue healing and regeneration, responds to injury, and formation of new cellular growth. The primary purpose of using PRP in hair restoration is to stimulate inactive or newly implanted hair follicles into an active growth phase.
Inside the Platelets are many intracellular structures such as glycogen, lysosomes and alpha granules. These granules within the PRP contain clotting and growth factors that are eventually released during the healing and repair process.
PRP specific cells that causes hair growth include:
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)—promotes blood vessel growth, cell replication, skin formation;
Transforming Growth-Factor-Beta (TGF-b)—promotes growth of matrix between cells, bone metabolism;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)—promotes blood vessel formation;
Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)—promotes cell growth and differentiation, blood vessel formation, collagen formation;
Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2)—promotes growth of specialized cells and blood vessel formation; and,
Insulin Like Growth Factor - (IGF)—a regulator of normal physiology in nearly every type of cell in the body
DOES PRP FOR HAIR RESTORATION WORK?
Individual results vary with each patient. No guarantees of success can be made but PRP preliminary studies indicate patients can respond to PRP therapy. Some hair restoration surgeons apply PRP to the scalp for those patients who are not surgical candidates every three (3) to four (4) months. Other protocols will use PRP before or during surgery to insure graft survivability.
PRP is a emerging non-surgical based therapy for natural hair follicle stimulation for thinning hair. Larger clinical studies are pending but the current medical literature contains numerous optimistic results.
WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE PRP TREATMENT?
Patients with history of heavy smoking, drug and alcohol use. Medical diagnosis such as platelet dysfunction syndromes, thrombocytopenias, hypofibrinogenaemia, hemodynamic instability, sepsis, acute and chronic Infections, chronic liver disease, anti-coagulation therapy, chronic skin diseases or cancer, metabolic and systemic disorders.
IS PRP FOR ME?
PRP has been used successfully in other medical and surgical disciplines for many years. The decision to use PRP is a personal decision and should be made after careful research, consideration and consultation with a physician. PRP is safe and natural because the procedure concentrates the good cells from your scalp and injects them directly back into the area where it is needed. There is absolutely no chance of getting a blood infection from another human being. PRP involves using your own cells that are not modified or changed, and it will not be rejected by your immune system.
CAN I USE OTHER MEDICAL THERAPIES CONCURRENTLY?
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it and prescribe PRP therapy as a compliment to a nonsurgical approach for those patients who are not eligible for surgery or who want to delay hair restoration surgery. As a non-surgical treatment option, we recommend PRP therapy along with Minoxidil and DHT blockers or for those patients who can not tolerate or have side effects with these medications.
CONCLUSION
In summary, PRP therapy offers the opportunity for hair growth for those patients who are not candidates for surgery or those patients wanting a more aggressive nonsurgical approach to treatment.
CONTACT OUR ORLANDO/KISSIMMEE OFFICE AT 407-201-8531 TO SCHEDULE YOUR HAIR RESTORATION CONSULTATION
HOW DOES PRP FOR HAIR RESTORATION WORK?
Human blood contains mesenchymal stem cells, and autologous blood products that contain essential and specific growth factors that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. Published medical literature from Europe and the United States confirms the safety and use of PRP therapy. It has been used a medial adjunct therapy for over two decades for skin and wound healing. PRP therapy has established itself to be effective as a medical treatment modality in the specialty fields of oral surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and cosmetic surgery, sports medicine and orthopedics. It has been used extensively in these specialties for the last twenty years with generally positive outcomes and success. In the field of hair restoration, evidence supports PRP therapy as a promising treatment option to promote hair growth. No claim can be made of its efficacy. While PRP is in the early stages of scientific research in hair restoration, PRP is not meant to replace current FDA approved therapies such as DHT blockers and Minoxidil. But it is a promising non-surgical therapeutic option for those patients with hair loss.
HOW DO YOU PERFORM THE PROCEDURE?
Blood is drawn in our office as though you are having routine blood testing at your primary care physician’s office. The blood is spun in a centrifuge and the PRP is separated and removed from the rest of the blood.
The PRP is taken from your body and is specially prepared by spinning down the blood cells to a high concentration. An anesthesia block is given to nerves of the scalp so the patient does not feel any pain. The highly concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into the scalp. The patient’s hair is then washed and the patient may drive home without any assistance. No sedation or any medication is given during the procedure to inhibit the ability to drive or use machinery.
THE SCIENCE OF PRP - PLATELET RICH PLASMA
PRP contains special cells called Platelets, that can cause growth of the hair follicles by stimulating the stem cells and other cells in the microenvironment of the hair follicle. These special Platelet cells promote healing, accelerates the rate and degree of tissue healing and regeneration, responds to injury, and formation of new cellular growth. The primary purpose of using PRP in hair restoration is to stimulate inactive or newly implanted hair follicles into an active growth phase.
Inside the Platelets are many intracellular structures such as glycogen, lysosomes and alpha granules. These granules within the PRP contain clotting and growth factors that are eventually released during the healing and repair process.
PRP specific cells that causes hair growth include:
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)—promotes blood vessel growth, cell replication, skin formation;
Transforming Growth-Factor-Beta (TGF-b)—promotes growth of matrix between cells, bone metabolism;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)—promotes blood vessel formation;
Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)—promotes cell growth and differentiation, blood vessel formation, collagen formation;
Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2)—promotes growth of specialized cells and blood vessel formation; and,
Insulin Like Growth Factor - (IGF)—a regulator of normal physiology in nearly every type of cell in the body
DOES PRP FOR HAIR RESTORATION WORK?
Individual results vary with each patient. No guarantees of success can be made but PRP preliminary studies indicate patients can respond to PRP therapy. Some hair restoration surgeons apply PRP to the scalp for those patients who are not surgical candidates every three (3) to four (4) months. Other protocols will use PRP before or during surgery to insure graft survivability.
PRP is a emerging non-surgical based therapy for natural hair follicle stimulation for thinning hair. Larger clinical studies are pending but the current medical literature contains numerous optimistic results.
WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE PRP TREATMENT?
Patients with history of heavy smoking, drug and alcohol use. Medical diagnosis such as platelet dysfunction syndromes, thrombocytopenias, hypofibrinogenaemia, hemodynamic instability, sepsis, acute and chronic Infections, chronic liver disease, anti-coagulation therapy, chronic skin diseases or cancer, metabolic and systemic disorders.
IS PRP FOR ME?
PRP has been used successfully in other medical and surgical disciplines for many years. The decision to use PRP is a personal decision and should be made after careful research, consideration and consultation with a physician. PRP is safe and natural because the procedure concentrates the good cells from your scalp and injects them directly back into the area where it is needed. There is absolutely no chance of getting a blood infection from another human being. PRP involves using your own cells that are not modified or changed, and it will not be rejected by your immune system.
CAN I USE OTHER MEDICAL THERAPIES CONCURRENTLY?
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it and prescribe PRP therapy as a compliment to a nonsurgical approach for those patients who are not eligible for surgery or who want to delay hair restoration surgery. As a non-surgical treatment option, we recommend PRP therapy along with Minoxidil and DHT blockers or for those patients who can not tolerate or have side effects with these medications.
CONCLUSION
In summary, PRP therapy offers the opportunity for hair growth for those patients who are not candidates for surgery or those patients wanting a more aggressive nonsurgical approach to treatment.
CONTACT OUR ORLANDO/KISSIMMEE OFFICE AT 407-201-8531 TO SCHEDULE YOUR HAIR RESTORATION CONSULTATION
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy in Hair Restoration - PRP Therapy
At The FIRM Cosmetic and Wellness center, we perform PRP therapy as a proactive therapeutic option for male and female patients experiencing hair loss.
PRP is an exciting non-surgical therapeutic option for patients to stimulate hair growth for hair loss and thinning hair conditions. An alternative to costly surgery this innovate therapy uses your own healing factors to stimulate and regrow hair. Within minutes the treatment is performed without any down-time.
Dr. Ruiz is board-certified surgeon and is a member of the Florida Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, an exclusive group of surgeons who possess significant experience and expertise in all aspects of facial aesthetics and plastic surgery. With over 25 years of experience, Doctor Ruiz utilizes his expertise in facial and body aesthetics to ensure that you will receive the quality care and results you deserve.
Doctor Ruiz performs Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for Hair Restoration (PRP Therapy) procedures at our Hunters Creek (Orlando/Kissimmee) Florida location.
WHAT IS PRP - PLATELET RICH PLASMA FOR HAIR LOSS?
Recent scientific research and technology provides the medical community with new understandings of wound and tissue healing. As a result of these scientific studies, we recognize PRP is an all-natural autologous medical procedure performed in physicians offices for scalp, skin, and hair stimulation.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy in Hair Restoration - PRP Therapy
At The FIRM Cosmetic and Wellness center, we perform PRP therapy as a proactive therapeutic option for male and female patients experiencing hair loss.
PRP is an exciting non-surgical therapeutic option for patients to stimulate hair growth for hair loss and thinning hair conditions. An alternative to costly surgery this innovate therapy uses your own healing factors to stimulate and regrow hair. Within minutes the treatment is performed without any down-time.
Dr. Ruiz is board-certified surgeon and is a member of the Florida Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, an exclusive group of surgeons who possess significant experience and expertise in all aspects of facial aesthetics and plastic surgery. With over 25 years of experience, Doctor Ruiz utilizes his expertise in facial and body aesthetics to ensure that you will receive the quality care and results you deserve.
Doctor Ruiz performs Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for Hair Restoration (PRP Therapy) procedures at our Hunters Creek (Orlando/Kissimmee) Florida location.
WHAT IS PRP - PLATELET RICH PLASMA FOR HAIR LOSS?
Recent scientific research and technology provides the medical community with new understandings of wound and tissue healing. As a result of these scientific studies, we recognize PRP is an all-natural autologous medical procedure performed in physicians offices for scalp, skin, and hair stimulation.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy in Hair Restoration -
(PRP Therapy)
At The FIRM Cosmetic and Wellness center, we perform PRP therapy as a proactive therapeutic option for men and women experiencing hair loss.
Men aren't the only ones suffering, women account for 40 percent of individuals experiencing hair loss. The impact on emotional well-being can be devastating when repeated attempts to get results using products prove ineffective . The daily effort to hide thinning areas can be frustrating, embarrassing, and a constant worry.
PRP is an exciting non-surgical therapeutic option for patients to stimulate hair growth for hair loss and thinning hair conditions. An alternative to costly surgery this innovate therapy uses your own healing factors to stimulate and regrow hair. In an hour or less the treatment is performed without any down-time.
Dr. Ruiz is board-certified surgeon and is a member of the Florida Society of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, an exclusive group of surgeons who possess significant experience and expertise in all aspects of facial aesthetics and plastic surgery. With over 25 years of experience, Doctor Ruiz utilizes his expertise in facial and body aesthetics to ensure that you will receive the quality care and results you deserve.
Doctor Ruiz performs Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for Hair Restoration (PRP Therapy) procedures at our Downtown Orlando, Kissimmee and Hunters Creek (Orlando/Kissimmee) Florida locations.
WHAT IS PRP - PLATELET RICH PLASMA FOR HAIR LOSS?
Recent scientific research and technology provides the medical community with new understandings of wound and tissue healing. As a result of these scientific studies, we recognize PRP is an all-natural autologous medical procedure performed in physicians offices for scalp, skin, and hair stimulation.
HOW DOES PRP FOR HAIR LOSS/RESTORATION WORK?
Human blood contains mesenchymal stem cells, and autologous blood products that contain essential and specific growth factors that assist in tissue regeneration and healing. Published medical literature from Europe and the United States confirms the safety and use of PRP therapy. It has been used a medial adjunct therapy for over two decades for skin and wound healing. PRP therapy has established itself to be effective as a medical treatment modality in the specialty fields of oral surgery, neurosurgery, plastic and cosmetic surgery, sports medicine and orthopedics. It has been used extensively in these specialties for the last twenty years with generally positive outcomes and success. In the field of hair restoration, evidence supports PRP therapy as a promising treatment option to promote hair growth. No claim can be made of its efficacy. While PRP is in the early stages of scientific research in hair restoration, PRP is not meant to replace current FDA approved therapies such as DHT blockers and Minoxidil. But it is a promising non-surgical therapeutic option for those patients with hair loss.
HOW DO YOU PERFORM THE PROCEDURE?
Blood is drawn in our office as though you are having routine blood testing at your primary care physician’s office. The blood is spun in a centrifuge and the PRP is separated and removed from the rest of the blood.
The PRP is taken from your body and is specially prepared by spinning down the blood cells to a high concentration. An anesthesia block is given to nerves of the scalp so the patient does not feel any pain. The highly concentrated platelet rich plasma (PRP) is then injected into the scalp. The patient’s hair is then washed and the patient may drive home without any assistance. No sedation or any medication is given during the procedure to inhibit the ability to drive or use machinery.
THE SCIENCE OF PRP - PLATELET RICH PLASMA
PRP contains special cells called Platelets, that can cause growth of the hair follicles by stimulating the stem cells and other cells in the microenvironment of the hair follicle. These special Platelet cells promote healing, accelerates the rate and degree of tissue healing and regeneration, responds to injury, and formation of new cellular growth. The primary purpose of using PRP in hair restoration is to stimulate inactive or newly implanted hair follicles into an active growth phase.
Inside the Platelets are many intracellular structures such as glycogen, lysosomes and alpha granules. These granules within the PRP contain clotting and growth factors that are eventually released during the healing and repair process.
PRP specific cells that causes hair growth include:
Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (PDGF)—promotes blood vessel growth, cell replication, skin formation;
Transforming Growth-Factor-Beta (TGF-b)—promotes growth of matrix between cells, bone metabolism;
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF)—promotes blood vessel formation;
Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF)—promotes cell growth and differentiation, blood vessel formation, collagen formation;
Fibroblast Growth Factor-2 (FGF-2)—promotes growth of specialized cells and blood vessel formation; and,
Insulin Like Growth Factor - (IGF)—a regulator of normal physiology in nearly every type of cell in the body
DOES PRP FOR HAIR LOSS/RESTORATION WORK?
Individual results vary with each patient. No guarantees of success can be made but PRP preliminary studies indicate patients can respond to PRP therapy. Some hair restoration surgeons apply PRP to the scalp for those patients who are not surgical candidates every three (3) to four (4) months. Other protocols will use PRP before or during surgery to insure graft survivability.
PRP is a emerging non-surgical based therapy for natural hair follicle stimulation for thinning hair. Larger clinical studies are pending but the current medical literature contains numerous optimistic results.
WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE PRP TREATMENT?
Patients with history of heavy smoking, drug and alcohol use. Medical diagnosis such as platelet dysfunction syndromes, thrombocytopenias, hypofibrinogenaemia, hemodynamic instability, sepsis, acute and chronic Infections, chronic liver disease, anti-coagulation therapy, chronic skin diseases or cancer, metabolic and systemic disorders.
IS PRP FOR ME?
PRP has been used successfully in other medical and surgical disciplines for many years. The decision to use PRP is a personal decision and should be made after careful research, consideration and consultation with a physician. PRP is safe and natural because the procedure concentrates the good cells from your scalp and injects them directly back into the area where it is needed. There is absolutely no chance of getting a blood infection from another human being. PRP involves using your own cells that are not modified or changed, and it will not be rejected by your immune system.
CAN I USE OTHER MEDICAL THERAPIES CONCURRENTLY?
Absolutely. In fact, we encourage it and prescribe PRP therapy as a compliment to a nonsurgical approach for those patients who are not eligible for surgery or who want to delay hair restoration surgery. As a non-surgical treatment option, we recommend PRP therapy along with Minoxidil and DHT blockers or for those patients who can not tolerate or have side effects with these medications.
CONCLUSION
In summary, PRP therapy offers the opportunity for hair growth for those patients who are not candidates for surgery or those patients wanting a more aggressive nonsurgical approach to treatment.
How Much Does PRP Hair Restoration Cost?
PRP Hair Restoration Treatments are $650 each, based on the individual and typically require 3-5 treatments in total. Actual cost will be determined once a complete evaluation has been performed during your complimentary consultation.
Achieving Big Benefits with PRP Hair Restoration
No treatment can make a middle-aged patient look like a teenager, but non-surgical treatments like PRP Hair Restoration revitalize and rejuvenate the hair follicle at the cellular level creating the "fountain of youth effect." You can expect to achieve an enhancement that leaves others noticing your refreshed and rejuvenated appearance.
CONTACT OUR OFFICE AT 407-201-8531 TO SCHEDULE YOUR HAIR RESTORATION CONSULTATION