A small volume of blood is drawn, similar to a routine blood test. This sample is placed in a centrifuge and spun at high speed. The centrifugation process separates blood into its components: red cells, white cells, plasma, and platelets. The platelet-rich layer is then extracted and prepared for injection.

Platelets are not just clotting agents. They contain a dense payload of growth factors including PDGF, VEGF, EGF, and IGF, each of which plays a specific role in tissue repair, cellular regeneration, and the stimulation of growth activity. When this concentrated solution is injected into the scalp, these growth factors bind to receptors on follicle cells and on the cells lining the blood vessels that feed them.

PRP works through three primary mechanisms. First, it stimulates dormant follicles, particularly those in the early stages of miniaturisation, to re-enter the active growth phase. Second, it improves microcirculation around the follicle, increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients that sustain the anagen phase. Third, it reduces localised inflammation in the scalp tissue, which is a significant and underappreciated contributor to progressive follicle weakening in many patients.

The result, when the treatment is well-matched to the patient’s condition, is a gradual reduction in shedding, an increase in hair density, and an improvement in the calibre and strength of individual strands.

PRP produces the best results in people who have active but weakened follicles. This means it is most effective in the earlier stages of hair thinning and hair fall, where the follicle is still present and capable of responding to stimulation.

It is particularly well suited for androgenetic alopecia in its early to moderate stages, telogen effluvium driven by stress or nutritional factors, and as a maintenance protocol after other hair restoration treatments. It is also commonly used following hair transplant surgery to support graft survival and accelerate recovery.

PRP is less effective for individuals with advanced baldness where follicles have been inactive for an extended period or where significant scarring has occurred.

A standard PRP protocol involves three to six sessions spaced four weeks apart. Results are gradual and cumulative. Most people notice a reduction in daily shedding within the first four to six weeks, with visible improvements in density and strand quality becoming apparent over three to four months.

PRP is not a permanent solution in isolation for progressive conditions like androgenetic alopecia, but it is a highly effective part of a broader, well-structured treatment plan.