What is mesotherapy with PRP?
Mesotherapy is the technique by which substances (medications, vitamins, peptides, antioxidants or plasma) are injected directly into the area where we want them to take effect, in our case in the scalp, at a depth of 4 mm, where the follicular unit is located.
It is important to bear in mind that mesotherapy is not a treatment in itself, but a technique of administration, since depending on the substance that is injected we will have one result or another.
The idea then is to inject the Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) at a specific depth and place in the scalp, the utility is that by applying it locally we will be able to increase its concentration at that level achieving better results than applying it on the scalp, since the first layers of skin are impermeable.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
PRP or Platelet Rich Plasma (formerly known as Plasma Rich in Growth Factors) is the fraction of blood that, as its name suggests, contains a higher concentration of platelets.
Platelets are acellular elements (not cells, but derived from them) present in the blood and whose main purpose is hemostasis (stopping bleeding) and tissue repair when the body suffers damage. They contain a large amount of growth factors, stimulators of the formation of new blood vessels, inducers of collagen formation, repairers of cell damage, cytokines and other anti-inflammatory mediators that favor stimulation, cell proliferation and differentiation and hair growth.
Numerous scientific studies have shown that the injection of PRP into the scalp favors an increase in hair density at the expense of a greater proportion of active hair follicles, an increase in the caliber of the stem and the number of stems per follicle, as well as the development of stronger, more homogeneous and shinier hair.
In general, PRP mesotherapy is used as an adjuvant therapy to improve growth, but not as a sole therapy, as it does not cure the cause or reverse the effect of androgens or the trigger of an effluvium. In addition to its use in androgenetic alopecia, it is also used and accepted for telogen effluvium. It is considered a “natural” treatment that does not contain chemicals and comes from the patient himself, being therefore useful in pregnant women, during lactation or in patients of childbearing age seeking pregnancy.
Most frequent aesthetic indications of hair mesotherapy with PRP
- Male (MAGA) and female (FAGA) androgenetic alopecia.
- Acute and chronic telogen effluvium
- Loss of hair density
- Preparation of the scalp prior to or after surgery.
- Maintenance of hair structure and density.
Contraindications
These are the most frequent contraindications:
- Active scalp infection.
- Basal inflammatory disease.
- Poorly controlled arterial hypertension.
- Uncontrolled autoimmune disease.
- Uncontrolled blood-borne disease.
- Tendency to form keloids (hypertrophic scars).
- Treatment with anticoagulant and/or antiplatelet drugs.
- Children under 18 years of age.
Are there any adverse effects?
PRP mesotherapy is a minimally invasive technique, so it may have some unwanted effects inherent to the technique:
- During the technique needles are pricked to inject the PRP, it can be somewhat uncomfortable. To reduce the sensation of pain, local anesthesia or capillary massagers can be used.
- Immediately afterwards, discomfort and headache may appear. Days later, hematoma that can reach the forehead. If there is poor aftercare, folliculitis (infection) may occur.
- Other less frequent complications are hair loss in subsequent weeks in the areas where the infiltration has been performed (infiltration trauma, usually due to excessive pressure or volume), so it is important to know the technique.
How often do I have to do the sessions?
It depends on the type of circumstance to be treated, the individual conditions of each patient, as well as the desired objectives. Generally, for androgenetic alopecia, an initial guideline is usually applied with monthly sessions for 3 months, with subsequent maintenance sessions every 6 months, depending on the effectiveness. In the case of effluvium or simply improvement of hair quality, quarterly or biannual sessions are performed.
When are the results visible?
Generally, after 3-4 months results begin to be seen, being more visible after the 6th month, achieving maximum and stable effect after a year of treatment. The hair follicle is a “mini organ” that despite having a very active metabolism, requires time to appreciate visible changes.