Pattern hair loss is a cosmetic problem that affects millions of Americans. Losing your hair can impact your self esteem and self image in countless ways, especially if it happens before age 50. In a search to restore their hair, more and more people are turning to PRP therapy. This minimally invasive method purports to regrow hair using the body’s own healing properties. It’s no quick fix, however, and that’s one thing to consider when deciding if PRP is right for you. Here are a few other questions to ask when deciding if you want to try PRP therapy for hair growth.
Do You Want It Good or Fast?
One of the quickest methods of hair restoration is a hair piece. That can involve a hair piece that’s replaced daily, or a more permanent version that is fixed to the head through weaving or gluing. These can be uncomfortable, however, and don’t always offer the most natural solution. Furthermore, some of them can damage what hair you have left. PRP therapy works by using injections of your own blood plasma to re-awaken hair follicles and trigger growth over a period of months to a few years. If you are willing to wait for your own hair, it can be a good option.
What’s Your Budget?
Another common solution to hair loss is hair transplantation. This is a surgical procedure that involves either cutting and moving strips of scalp to balding areas of the head, or transplanting individual hair follicles. It has the benefit of the immediate appearance of new hair. Drawbacks include the potential for infection and scalp necrosis. Insurance also doesn’t normally cover this cosmetic procedure. In comparison, PRP therapy involves a series of injections rather than surgery. If you’d rather not go under the knife, it’s a better choice.
Is Your Hair Loss Recent?
PRP therapy works by using the healing properties of blood plasma to lengthen the growth phase of hair, and stimulate its growth. Doctors say this works best on hair that hasn’t been dormant for too long. If your hair has been gone for decades, PRP’s effects may be diminished. For patients who have seen hair loss in the last few years, though, it can help them get hair back in less time than it took to lose it.
There are pros and cons to all hair restoration methods and PRP therapy is no exception. If finding a more natural hair growth method that can gradually restore your locks sounds ideal, contact a PRP hair restoration doctor, like a PRP hair restoration doctor in New York, today.
Thank you to the office of Dr. Robin Unger for their insight into how long it takes PRP therapy to begin working.