Abstract
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) was tested as a potential therapy for androgenetic alopecia (AGA) through two different clinical protocols in which one population (18 participants) received half-head treatment with autologous non-activated PRP (A-PRP) produced by CPunT Preparation System (Biomed Device, Modena, Italy) and the other half-head with placebo, and a second separated population in which all participants (n = 6, 3 participants per group) received treatment with calcium-activated PRP (AA-PRP) produced from one of two different PRP collection devices (Regen Blood Cell Therapy or Arthrex Angel System). For the A-PRP study, three treatments were administered over 30-day intervals. Trichoscan analysis of patients, three months post-treatment, showed a clinical improvement in the number of hairs in the target area (36 ± 3 hairs) and in total hair density (65 ± 5 hair cm2), whereas negligible improvements in hair count (1.1 ± 1.4 hairs) and density (1.9 ± 10.2 hair cm2) were seen in the region of the scalp that received placebo. Microscopic evaluation conducted two weeks after treatment showed also an increase in epidermal thickness, Ki67+ keratinocytes, and in the number of follicles. The AA-PRP treatment groups received a singular set of injections, and six months after the treatments were administered, notable differences in clinical outcomes were obtained from the two PRP collection devices (+90 ± 6 hair cm2 versus −73 ± 30 hair cm2 hair densities, Regen versus Arthrex). Growth factor concentrations in AA-PRP prepared from the two collection devices did not differ significantly upon calcium activation.
Highlights
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common form of hair loss affecting up to 50% of white men by age 50 and nearly 50% of women over the course of their lifetime [1,2]
No statistical differences in hair count or hair density existed between the A-Platelet rich plasma (PRP) treatment area and control area of the scalp
The results of this study indicate that 12 weeks after treatment with activated PRP (A-PRP) mean hair count increases significantly over baseline values
Summary
Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is a common form of hair loss affecting up to 50% of white men (male-pattern baldness, MPHL) by age 50 and nearly 50% of women (female-pattern hair loss, FPHL) over the course of their lifetime [1,2]. While onset in both males and females may be observed as early as age 18, the progression of hair loss differs markedly between the genders. Minoxidil 5% foam is approved by the FDA for female pattern hair loss FPHL. Daily treatment with 1 mg of finasteride has been shown to reduce serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) levels by 70% and promote the conversion of hair follicles into the anagen (i.e., growth) phase in male AGA patients [9,10], though significant improvements in hair density may require up to one year of treatment and users may experience adverse sexual side effects which may persist after the medication is discontinued [11]
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