PRP Hair Restoration

Westlake Dermatology's Houston clinic offers platelet-rich plasma (PRP) hair restoration for patients experiencing androgenetic alopecia (pattern hair loss), early-stage diffuse thinning, or post-partum hair loss. A blood draw is centrifuged to concentrate growth factor-rich platelets, which are then injected into the scalp at the level of the hair follicle. PRP growth factors stimulate dormant follicles, prolong the anagen (growth) phase, and promote increased hair shaft calibre. Treatment is suitable for both men and women as a standalone intervention or in combination with surgical hair transplant to optimise graft survival and overall density.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) hair restoration at Westlake Dermatology West University Houston applies the growth factor concentration technology of PRP to the scalp to support hair follicle health, stimulate miniaturised follicles in thinning areas, and promote increased hair density and shaft thickness. The procedure begins with a venous blood draw (typically 30–60 mL) that is centrifuged in a specialised PRP preparation system to separate the blood into its component fractions and concentrate the platelet layer. The resulting PRP contains platelets at three to five times their baseline whole-blood concentration, and with them a proportionally elevated concentration of the growth factors stored in platelet alpha-granules — including platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), epidermal growth factor (EGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). These growth factors, when delivered to the perifollicular tissue at the level of the hair follicle bulge and dermal papilla, activate molecular signalling pathways that promote the transition of resting (telogen) follicles into the active growth (anagen) phase, support the dermal papilla cells that regulate follicle cycling, stimulate proliferation of follicular keratinocytes and fibroblasts, and increase perifollicular vascularity through angiogenic signalling. The clinical result — demonstrated in multiple randomised controlled trials — is an increase in hair density (number of hairs per unit area of scalp) and in hair shaft diameter (a measure of follicle health), with the most pronounced effect in patients presenting with early-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia (Hamilton-Norwood classification I–IV in males, Ludwig classification I–II in females) and in diffuse non-scarring alopecia. PRP is administered via intradermal microinjections spaced approximately 1 cm apart across the entire affected scalp zone at a depth of approximately 3–4 mm, targeting the level of the hair follicle bulge. A topical anaesthetic is applied before the procedure. The initial protocol typically consists of three monthly sessions, followed by a reassessment and maintenance sessions every four to six months. PRP is also offered as an adjunct to surgical hair transplantation — injected into the recipient site around transplanted grafts at the time of surgery — where it may support graft survival and accelerate the return of growth in the post-transplant period.