Are you considering getting a hair loss treatment? It’s undeniable that hair loss, also known as alopecia, is a widespread condition. Statistics show that 50% of men above 50 years will experience some kind of hair loss and that 30% of women suffer from hair loss and hair thinning. PRP and Minoxidil have been used to treat alopecia and both methods reveal varying results. Which treatment is the best for you? Well, before helping you figure out the best option, let’s see how each treatment works.
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PRP for Hair Loss
Besides portraying appreciable effectiveness in treating facial skin conditions, great results have been derived from using the procedure to treat hair loss. During the procedure, your doctor draws blood, typically 30 ml, from your arm and puts in a centrifuge (a machine that rotates rapidly to set apart liquids of varying densities). It normally takes about 10 minutes for platelet-rich-plasma, platelets-poor-plasma, and red blood cells to be separated.
Once the process is complete, a derma roller or an insulin syringe is used to make several micro punctures on the targeted area of your scalp and creates channels for the platelet-rich-plasma to flow into your skin. The micro injuries revive the skin to produce collagen and hence create a good environment for hair re-growth. In addition, the numerous injuries allow for easy absorption of platelet-rich plasma into your scalp. The high concentration of platelets stimulates the production of growth factors to revive dormant hair follicles.
Minoxidil Treatment
Minoxidil has been used for several years to treat hair loss and comes in the form of a solution or foam. Minoxidil treatment is home-based whereby a doctor prescribes for you the correct dosage for the product. When applying the solution, you squeeze the nozzle to put the solution on your finger and massage the affected area of your scalp. Minoxidil promotes hair growth by enhancing blood flow into the follicles and reviving the follicles from the resting stage to growth stage.
Which Is The Best For You?
PRP treatment has gained massive popularity among dermatologists, cosmetologists, and other health specialists due to its capability to rejuvenate the skin and enhance skin hair growth. Though it’s a relatively new treatment procedure for correcting hair loss and yet to be approved by the FDA, statistics and testimonials from patients show that the effectiveness of PRP can no longer be underestimated. In addition, it has been proven that PRP for hair loss has no adverse effects on the patients, unlike Minoxidil which expose the patients to a number of side effects.
Although Minoxidil remains the only FDA-approved product for androgenic hair loss, patients have reported hair itching and dryness on the scalp after using the product. In addition, your own blood is used in PRP treatment, which saves you from the risk of allergic reactions. On the other hand, Minoxidil products have been shown to cause skin rashes and irritation. There are high chances of the product being absorbed into your skin, consequently causing dizziness, headache, irregular heartbeat, and chest pain.
Conclusion
Both PRP and Minoxidil are used to treat hair loss. However, PRP edges over Minoxidil treatment due to the fact it has little or no side effects. Minoxidil may cause dryness and allergic reactions such as irritation and skin rashes on the area of application. In addition, it can be absorbed into your bloodstream and cause adverse health conditions.
