PRP for hair loss: the evidence, the schedule, and the results worth expecting

Hair loss attracts more confident marketing than almost any other concern in aesthetics, which makes it unusually hard to find a straight answer. Platelet-rich plasma is one of the few treatments in the category with a genuine body of published evidence behind it — and it still is not right for everyone who asks about it.

This is what we tell people in consultation, written down.

What PRP is

A small volume of your blood is drawn, spun in a centrifuge to separate the components, and the platelet-rich fraction is drawn off. Platelets carry growth factors — signalling proteins involved in tissue repair. Concentrated and injected into the scalp at the level of the follicles, the intention is to improve the environment those follicles are working in.

Because it is your own blood, there is no allergy risk and no foreign material involved. That is a genuine advantage and one of the reasons the safety record is strong.

What the evidence actually supports

PRP for androgenetic alopecia — pattern hair loss, in both men and women — is the use with the most support. Published studies broadly report improvements in hair density and thickness of existing hairs. What the evidence supports less well is regrowth in areas that have been completely bald for years.

PRP is also used for telogen effluvium — the diffuse shedding that follows illness, childbirth, extreme stress or significant weight loss — where it can help shorten the recovery. That use is less studied but clinically reasonable.

The session, start to finish

1. Blood draw. A standard venepuncture, the same as any blood test. A few minutes.
2. Centrifuge. Roughly ten minutes while your sample is spun and the platelet-rich layer separated.
3. Preparation of the scalp. Cleansing, and topical numbing where you want it. Many people find the scalp tolerable without, but it is offered.
4. Injection. A grid of small injections across the thinning area, roughly a centimetre apart. This is the part people ask about — it is a series of quick, sharp sensations rather than sustained pain, and it takes ten to fifteen minutes.
5. Straight out. No dressing, no downtime beyond some tenderness and possible pinpoint redness for a day.

We allow 90 minutes for the appointment, which covers the draw, the spin, numbing time and the injections without rushing any of it.

The schedule, and when to judge it

The protocol is three sessions, spaced two to four weeks apart, followed by maintenance. Judging the outcome earlier than three months from the first session is meaningless — hair grows too slowly for anything else.

• Weeks 1–4: nothing visible. Some people notice a brief increase in shedding, which is normal and not a failure.
• Weeks 6–12: reduced shedding is usually the first genuine sign.
• Months 3–6: density and calibre changes become visible. This is when photographs taken at the start earn their keep.
• Beyond 6 months: maintenance sessions, typically every four to six months, hold the result.

Take photographs at the first appointment, in the same light, from the same angles. Memory is unreliable about hair and almost always undersells slow improvement.

Cost

PRP is a course treatment and the course price reflects that. A single session is available but should be understood as a third of a protocol rather than a trial.

PRP or exosomes?

We offer both. The short distinction: PRP uses your own platelets, is well studied, and is the sensible default. Exosome treatment uses a standardised laboratory-derived product with a much higher concentration of signalling molecules and no blood draw — newer, with a smaller evidence base, and slightly more expensive.

For a first course, PRP is usually where we start. For someone who has responded partially to PRP, or who cannot face the blood draw, exosomes are a reasonable alternative.

Who should not book this

• Anyone with a blood or platelet disorder, or on anticoagulant therapy — this needs medical clearance first.
• Anyone with active scalp infection or inflammatory scalp disease until it is treated.
• Anyone whose hair loss has not been investigated and might be thyroid, iron deficiency, or an autoimmune cause. Treating the scalp while ignoring a low ferritin is money spent in the wrong place.
• Anyone expecting a hair transplant result. PRP improves what you have. It is not a substitute for surgery on a genuinely bald area.

The honest summary

PRP is a reasonable, well-tolerated, evidence-supported treatment for thinning hair caught reasonably early. It requires commitment: three sessions, then maintenance, then patience for three months before judging. It works better alongside the medical basics than instead of them.

What it is not is a cure, or a one-off, or a treatment for a scalp that has been smooth for a decade. Any clinic telling you otherwise is selling rather than advising.