PRP for Hair

What it is

Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, is prepared from a person's own blood. Blood is drawn and processed, usually by centrifugation, to produce a plasma fraction containing a higher concentration of platelets. For hair treatment, the prepared PRP is injected into areas of the scalp affected by hair loss.

Platelets release signaling proteins and growth factors involved in tissue repair and cell activity. PRP has therefore been studied as a treatment for hair loss, particularly androgenetic alopecia, also called pattern hair loss.

PRP does not create new hair follicles. Research instead looks at whether treatment can improve measures such as hair density in areas where follicles are still present.

This page covers PRP injections for hair loss. See the PRP for Skin page for its cosmetic skin use.

Why people consider it

• They have androgenetic alopecia, or pattern hair loss, and are considering an injectable treatment
• Hair is thinning but follicles are still present in the affected area
• They prefer a treatment prepared from their own blood rather than an injected pharmaceutical product
• They are considering PRP alongside established treatments such as topical minoxidil and want to understand what evidence exists for combining them

What the experience is like

A small amount of blood is drawn and processed to separate the platelet-rich plasma. The prepared PRP is then injected at multiple points across the area of the scalp being treated.

Protocols differ considerably. Studies have used different blood-processing systems, platelet concentrations, activation methods, injection techniques, treatment intervals, and numbers of sessions. There is no single standardized PRP protocol used across the published literature.

Temporary pain, tenderness, swelling, redness, bleeding, or bruising can occur around the injection sites. Because PRP is prepared from the patient's own blood, it differs from treatments involving an externally manufactured injectable product, but the injection procedure itself still carries risks.

Hair changes are assessed over time rather than immediately after treatment. The number and spacing of sessions vary, so it is worth asking a clinic exactly what protocol it uses and why.

Limitations & considerations

• The strongest evidence is for androgenetic alopecia. Evidence should not automatically be transferred to every cause of hair loss
• A diagnosis matters before treatment because diffuse shedding, autoimmune alopecia, scarring alopecia, pattern hair loss, and other causes of hair loss are different conditions
• PRP does not create new follicles, so expectations should be different in an area with long-standing complete hair loss than in an area where hair is thinning but follicles remain
• Preparation methods vary substantially, and published studies have not established one universally superior PRP formulation or protocol
• A 2025 meta-analysis found a significant increase in hair density within the activated-PRP subgroup but not the non-activated subgroup. The difference between the two activation subgroups was not itself shown to be statistically significant, so this does not establish that activation itself produces better results
• Blood disorders, platelet abnormalities, anticoagulant medication, active infection, and other medical conditions may affect whether an injectable blood-derived treatment is appropriate and should be discussed with the treating clinician
• Evidence for combining PRP with minoxidil suggests a possible additional benefit, but the certainty of that evidence has been rated low to very low
• No specific increase in hair density or other outcome can be guaranteed