PRF (platelet rich fibrin) and PRP (platelet rich plasma) scalp treatments have been approved by Health Canada to promote hair growth in healthy men and women who suffer from male or female pattern hair loss. Scientific studies have shown that PRF and PRP treatments are beneficial in the treatment of Alopecia Areata. The two regenerative treatments have similarities and differences that will be explained in more depth in the next paragraphs. PRF and PRP procedures require a blood draw of 10-60ml or more, followed by a spinning process to separate the different blood cells and plasma. In both procedures the patient’s own blood products are reinjected into the scalp.
With PRP treatments, the drawn blood is thinned and spun at high speed with a centrifuge to separate the red and white blood cells from the platelet rich plasma. The platelet rich plasma is activated to release cytokines and growth factors followed by the injection of the final product into the superficial layers of the skin.
In comparison, PRF treatments are an advanced version of PRP where the collected blood is spun at a lower speed to collect fibrin rich plasma consisting of platelets, white blood cells, stem-cells and cytokines. The drawn blood is not thinned and the end product contains more platelets, has a thicker consistency and is larger in volume.
There are no official studies available to compare the efficacy of PRP vs PRF treatments in stimulating hair growth.
There are a variety of PRP and PFR preparations on the market that differ in the final yield of platelets and in their activation processes, resulting in a varied response to treatment. In Canada, PRP and PFR treatments need to be performed by, or under the supervision of, a licensed healthcare professional. Feedback from patients that have undergone PRP and PRF treatments indicate that scalp injections are painful. Four to six PRP/PFR treatments are usually scheduled two to four weeks apart.
