Platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, has become one of the most talked-about hair treatments of the decade. It is sometimes marketed as a miracle that can regrow a bald head on its own. It cannot. What PRP genuinely does, especially alongside a transplant, is more modest and more useful than the hype suggests.
What PRP is
PRP is made from your own blood. A small sample is spun in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets, which are rich in growth factors, and the resulting plasma is injected into the scalp. Those growth factors are thought to improve the local environment around follicles, encouraging weakened, miniaturising hairs to produce thicker shafts.
Where PRP shines
- Strengthening native hair: PRP can improve the calibre of thinning-but-living follicles, which is exactly the hair a transplant does not address.
- Supporting grafts: some surgeons use PRP around the time of a transplant to support healing and the transition of newly placed follicles.
- Early-stage loss: for patients not yet ready for surgery, PRP can be part of a holding strategy.
Where PRP falls short
PRP cannot create hair on bald skin, and its effects are not permanent. It requires an initial course of sessions followed by maintenance, and results vary between individuals. Anyone promising a full restoration from PRP alone is overselling it.
The combination that makes sense
This is why the strongest plans treat PRP as a partner, not a replacement, for surgery. A transplant rebuilds areas that are already lost; PRP helps defend the surrounding native hair so the overall result stays dense and even over time. Because the right protocol depends on your diagnosis and stage, it pays to start by comparing accredited providers on Medexpo and discussing a combined plan with an experienced team such as Rubenhair.