Of all the hair loss remedies out there, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) might be the weirdest—at least in terms of delivery. PRP involves injecting your own plasma into your scalp in order to supercharge hair follicles, but its short-term results can make up for that somewhat invasive process.

Plasma injections are not a replacement for the core hair loss treatments—finasteride/dutasteride and minoxidil—says Dr. Benjamin Paul, facial plastic surgeon and hair restoration surgeon at NYC’s Manhattan Surgical Suites. PRP reduces inflammation and fortifies cellular tissue. “Within two weeks of treatment, you will notice a reduction in shedding,” Dr. Paul explains. “And within two months, you will see even more significant improvement, lasting as long as six months [with the most recent advancements].”

In addition to fortifying follicles against androgenetic alopecia (which for men is known as male-pattern hair loss), PRP can also be a terrific one-off solution to telogen effluvium, the often stress-induced shedding of hair that leaves you temporarily sparser than usual.

Read on to learn more about PRP, as well as its more advanced counterpart, PRF, platelet-rich fibrin. (For the sake of simplicity, much of this article is lumping PRP and PRF together as one, and calling them “PRP” collectively, which is common in the industry.)

How PRP Works

PRP works because the plasma in your blood contains platelets, which themselves contain “growth factors” (GFs), proteins which are unique to your DNA. “Growth factors have many roles in the body,” explains Dr. Paul. “They help rejuvenate and heal. The growth factors from our own body are custom to us, so there is very little concern for mismatch or rejection, or for allergic reaction. (Compared to synthesized growth factors or those stem cells extracted from external sources. For example, many topical skincare products promise the sun and the moon with GFs, often in dead-on-arrival snake-oil formulas.)

With PRP, these GFs were in your own blood just 30 minutes prior, and they contain the special sauce that helps supercharge your body’s cellular tissue. GFs can jumpstart miniaturized follicles to produce thicker and stronger strands, thus reducing shedding.

A small group of companies produces the chemical formula that your doctor mixes with the plasma; this solution allows the protein GFs to endure longer term, since a simple injection of standalone plasma would be rendered ineffective rather quickly.

PRP is not just for hair—it is also commonly used to expedite wound repair on bodily injuries, for everything from osteoarthritis to muscle strains to ligament tears.

PRP vs. PRF

There are two primary types of PRP administered for hair loss. In fact, only one is actually called PRP; the other is called PRF (platelet-rich fibrin); it has its own nuances, too, the current premium version of which is called PRFM, short for platelet-rich fibrin matrix. PRF is just an advancement in PRP technology, hence why the classification puts them all under the PRP umbrella.

Standard-fare PRP, the decade-old practice of injecting a plasma solution into the dome, has its drawbacks despite proven efficacy. “With regular PRP, the vascularity washes away soon after injection,” says Paul. “That’s a problem.” Sure, those results will be expressed handsomely in a couple months, but there is so much more potential to extend the longevity of those growth factors. “It is longevity that matters,” Paul says. “Hair grows slowly. If I inject you with PRP today, well, what about the hair growing five or six months from now?”

Regular PRP also requires lots of blood draw; I think my first few took as many as six vials from my arm, whereas my PRF session with Dr. Paul required just two. “More plasma is not necessarily better,” says Paul of PRP.

Dr. Paul compares the slow-release function of PRF to wound healing—like how a scab binds to skin and slowly releases itself after the site has healed. And time is of the essence once the centrifuge is done spinning out your plasma, and the subsequent formula mixture is complete.

“If PRF is not injected within eight minutes, it will turn into a gel,” says Paul. However, once the liquid PRF is injected into your scalp, it can gel up freely (which is entirely the goal, and which is when it begins that six-month slow-release process).

How Frequently Do You Need to Get PRP?

PRP can be a great one-time boost for your hair, if you are treating temporary hair shedding known as telogen effluvium; again, this is common in the months after stressful events, including pregnancy and illnesses. It’s no surprise that many of Dr. Paul’s one-off PRP patients are postpartum mothers.

However, if you want to introduce PRP as a means for long-term hair fortification and retention—against androgenetic (male-pattern) alopecia, you will need to administer it much more frequently. “There are 33 reliable studies on PRP, and 31 show that it works,” advises Dr. Paul. “The two that don’t have these results were cases where PRP was administered only once over three months.” You should plan on making a routine out of it—at least as long as you plan to showcase thicker, stronger hair. However, if you opt into slow-release PRF instead of standard PRP, you can expect to make far fewer visits to the doctor’s office (and to draw far less blood each time, too). Think of PRF as semi-annual touchups, and PRP as quarterly.

And remember: You don’t need PRP for hair loss. It’s a great supplemental effort, however, so it should only be pursued if you are already doing the core hair loss remedies (like minoxidil and finasteride). Which leads us to…

How PRP Ranks Compared to Other Hair Growth Treatments

Think of hair loss remedies as a puzzle with many pieces, says Paul. “The steps you take against hair loss should fit together and be complementary to one another. PRP does different things than minoxidil or finasteride, so it brings its own benefits.” (He compares PRP most closely to anti-inflammatory scalp treatments, but way better.)

Still, in terms of prioritization tiers, hair loss treatments would probably go something like this:

Top-tier hair loss solutions: Minoxidil and finasteride/dutasteride, for their ease of use, accessible costs, and universally terrific results. Read more about them here, paying close attention to the risks that can come with oral finasteride in particular. These processes should be monitored by a licensed professional—especially when a prescription is used. Dr. Paul agrees that these two top tier options should be everyone’s first lines of defense against hair loss.

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Mid-tier hair loss solution: Hair growth supplements. Some ingredients are better than others here; for example, many of the ingredients found in Nutrafol and other hair loss vitamins (like saw palmetto and ashwagandha) can respectively interfere with the production of DHT and stress-spiked cortisol levels—thus protecting your strands from premature shedding. Still, it’s best paired with at least one (if not both) top-tier solutions above.

Low-tier hair loss solutions: PRP and LLLT (low-level laser therapy). Neither of these is low tier because they are bad, but because they are expensive, often time-consuming and inconvenient. Studies suggest efficacy, but you wallet may suggest saving cash and investing in some pills and potions.

Does PRP Hurt?

PRP feels uncomfortable, but if you can tolerate a standard small-prick numbing injection without agony, you’ll be just fine. Ensure that your doctor plans to apply that numbing agent (small localized injections at most—the topical numbers aren’t going to be effective enough, says Paul), and then you won’t feel much from the more pronounced PRP injections that happen 20 minutes later. “There were rumors that numbing agents would lessen the performance of PRP, which is entirely untrue,” Dr. Paul adds. “Do the numbing, and it’s going to be a lot less painful!”

The doctor’s team will then draw blood from your arm, and place it in a centrifuge to separate the plasma and blood. Afterwards, they will inject that plasma into your scalp in a series of quick injections across the dome.

The weirdest part, honestly, is the crunching noise the PRP needle makes as it goes into the scalp over and over. It sounds worse than it is; think of it as an oddball ASMR experience more than anything. The process of PRP takes under half an hour, and you may experience some numbing and fuzziness in the subsequent days, but the pain should be past.

The Cost of PRP for Hair Loss

PRP ain’t cheap. We’re talking a thousand bucks or more, per session, increasing in expensive zip codes and at in-demand clinics. And PRF will be even more expensive, given it has the best results and technology. (It could be the better value, given you will need less frequent re-ups.)

Again, PRP is supplementary, so I wouldn't rank it as essential in terms of hair care retention efforts. Maybe if you want that one-time jolt following a stress-related hair shedding, or as an add-on treatment post hair transplant, then it could be worth the singular expense. Otherwise, I would really only suggest regular, semi-annual (or more frequent) PRP appointments for people with extra cash to burn.

Before and After Your PRP Appointment

Avoid any steroids and anti-inflammatory NSAIDS (Advil, Ibuprofen etc) for 48 hours before and after a PRP appointment. Avoid alcohol the day before, although you can drink alcohol after PRP. In very rare cases, you may experience some forehead swelling—it will subside. You can return to work immediately after PRP, though numbness may persist for 90-120 minutes afterwards—which can evolve into a sort-of fuzzy effect for the next couple days (a sensation that is curious but not uncomfortable).

As Dr. Paul notes, you can expect significantly less shedding as quickly as two weeks post-PRP, with improved density and fullness for 3-6 months (depending on whether you chose PRP or PRF).

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Adam Hurly has been covering men's grooming since 2013 (and for GQ since 2016). He is also a travel writer. In Fall 2024, Adam is launching Blue Print by Adam Hurly, a men's grooming platform. Adam resides in Lisbon (previously Berlin, NYC, and San Francisco). He is a Sioux Falls, SD, native... Read moreWriterInstagramRelated Stories for GQHealthHair