A patient wants to know regarding the problem hair loss in men:
What is better against androgenic alopecia? PRP or stem cell treatments? What is the reason for the price difference between both hair treatments?
Autologous stem cells are more effective, but this treatment also requires greater effort. That’s why it is more expensive. As part of a stem cell treatment PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is mostly given in addition.
For a treatment of hair loss with cell therapy the patient undergoes a liposuction where a small amount of fat is obtained with gentle microcannulas, which is to obtain the stem cells. The stem cells are injected into scalp areas where new hair growth should be initiated immediately after extraction. Stem cells induce the formation of hair follicles by releasing growth-enhancing signals. The treatment is performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia and lasts between 30 minutes and 2 hours.
The alternative which also relies on a completely natural mechanism, PRP (platelet-rich plasma), is based on tissue hormones, so-called “growth factors”, which source from the patients autologous blood plasma. At the first step of the treatment a sample of blood is taken from the patient. After that precious blood platelets are isolated from the blood sample and injected into the scalp. The important difference compared to a stem cell therapy lies in a shorter duration of action of PRP treatment. It has to be repeated once a year.
Both treatments, whether if performed separated or combined, are in many cases a natural alternative to elaborate and often problematic hair transplantation and contribute to the regeneration of thick and vital hair.
DDr. Heinrich, MD