Another positive paper on PRP

benjt

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Yes, I also decided on getting one. I will have my first treatment session (out of three) scheduled for some time between late April and late May.
 

Mach

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I'm 4 months out of my first PRP with Dr. Cole. I can't say I notice a difference but I will get another treatment in 5 months with ACELL.
 

benjt

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Are you a diffuse thinner or a receder, Mach?
 

Mach

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Are you a diffuse thinner or a receder, Mach?

Both. I'd say nw2.5 or 3, depends who you ask. Diffuse thinning is my main concern. Yeah I want a NW2 line but only a hair transplant will give me that. I'm 35
 

BiqqieSmalls

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Forgive me for my ignorance, but what is the difference between RPP and RepliCel or Theracell?
 

benjt

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... sorry dude, this stuff can easily be googled. Its like asking "whats the difference between whiskey and milk". Both are drinks, but thats about it.

On topic: I have my first PRP session scheduled for beginning of May now. Doctor says results should be seen around the 8 week mark, so beginning of July. I'll report back right after the PRP session to share my experience and at the 8 week mark.
 

Baldie101

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benjt and Mach...there's something I don't get in what both of you are saying. The papers I'm reading are talking about treatment sessions where the break between a session is 4-6 weeks where the total is 3-5 sessions in one treatment. So how come you both wait that long and expect to see it work?
Isn't it like minoxidil where you continue to do it and you will see results than just doing it once and expecting some miracle to happen? I think the miracle is to happen after 3+ months after you start doing it.

Also waynakyo, doesn't it look like the male is getting it worse in picture B before getting it better in picture C and then best in D? :eek:

I just found out about this now...haven't really read up on this but if it works, then ****ing great. I should do it too since it's better than doing a hair transplant (although it will cost that much in the end) where you move the hair you already got to make an illusion.

Btw...do the treatments have to carry on forever or is it just for 3-5 sessions and then it should be good. The results you get stays and you don't need to do anything. Also...what do you do with the drugs you are taking? Keep taking it or drop it? :eek:
 

F2005

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I believe that the problem is that nobody tweaks these methods in order to make them more effective. I've seen peer reviewed papers showing how PRP has promoted hair growth, albeit minimal. So I wish that some of these doctors or scientists would try different concentrations and/or doses of PRP in order to make it more effective. Or maybe use a different combination of growth factors? But as I've stated, the principal players in the hair restoration field are the hair transplant surgeons and they will only concentrate on what makes them the most money, and that is the status quo of hair transplants.

Also, the theory of vasodilation. It is believed that minoxidil promotes hair growth (albeit very minimal and inconsistent) because it is a weak vasodilator which widens the blood vessels and increased the blood flow to the particular area of need. So since minoxidil is a weak vasodilator which promotes minimal hair growth, then why not try a stronger vasodilator which in theory could promote more substantial hair growth?
 

benjt

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benjt and Mach...there's something I don't get in what both of you are saying. The papers I'm reading are talking about treatment sessions where the break between a session is 4-6 weeks where the total is 3-5 sessions in one treatment. So how come you both wait that long and expect to see it work?
Actually, my Doctor himself said that in most cases around 8 weeks post injection you can witness first, albeit very weak, terminal hairs.

Btw...do the treatments have to carry on forever or is it just for 3-5 sessions and then it should be good. The results you get stays and you don't need to do anything. Also...what do you do with the drugs you are taking? Keep taking it or drop it? :eek:
No, you have to continue treatment at one session per year for maintenance apparently.

Well, I'll see if my PRP does do anything positive to my hair at all. As promised, I'll post before and after pics once the time comes. I'm not sure if a photo at 8 weeks already helps if there's only weak and thin hair coming through, but we will see.

@F2005: Vasodilation is only one of the theories why minoxidil works. Another one, which is equally or maybe even more compelling, is that minoxidil has some mode of action on PGE2, thus partially fixing the messed up PGD2/PGE2 ratio in male pattern baldness.
 

DoctorHouse

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Benjt, Dr Greco is now doing CRP? Have you read anyone who had this done on forums?
 

benjt

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Benjt, Dr Greco is now doing CRP? Have you read anyone who had this done on forums?

I don't know any Dr. Greco. At a first glance, CRP seems just like a marketing name for another PRP protocol, much like ACell (IIRC it was also just a PRP protocol). But no, I have not read anything by users on that.

Regarding detailed accounts by users: Feel free to ask me any questions about the procedure, progress, etc. so we finally get some experience reports on PRP which hair loss forums are clearly lacking.

I can tell you this much up front (just some unordered facts) :

  • I'm paying 600€ for the first injection session; if I decide for follow-ups I'll get them for 500€ per session. Tried to bargain with the Doctor and he told me that his costs for one session are around 300€ to 350€ everything included (i.e. personnel, licensing, running equipment costs and retrospectively financing the centrifuges, etc), just to give you a rough idea of the price range and why it can't be had for (much) cheaper.
  • Apparently the PRP is somewhat sensitive to external factors. He told me not to use any shampoo for 24 hours past injection, and no topicals for at least 48h, better 72h after the injection session. After that you can proceed as usual.
  • PRP activation lasts only for a few minutes after centrifugation. Treatment must be performed within 20 minutes after centrifugation; the quicker the better.
  • No sports for 24h so as not to risk sweat interfering with the PRP.
  • One injection session for my state (somewhere between NW3 and NW4) will be around 16 injections in total, each injection will cover an area of roughly 1 cm^2. He will use them to evenly distribute along the hairline (a bit below such that the covered area will be touching right with my current hairline) to maximize treatment area. A few remaining injections will be used to fill up my vertex a bit.
  • With some young clients, he has actually witnessed reactivation of completely dormant follicles. I.e. some single terminal hairs penetrating through slick bald areas, which definitely proves effectiveness. All in all, young patients are the most likely to receive gains.
  • First few very weak terminal hairs can be witnessed breaking through the skin around 8 weeks after the injection session, but obviously only in the areas covered by treatment.
  • Treatment will hurt a little bit, but can be endured without any anaesthetics.

If you got any more questions, feel free to ask.
 

benjt

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Sure looks interesting, thanks! Never had of it before to be frank.

Do you have any patient experience reports or peer-reviewed papers up your sleeve perchance? If there is some solid evidence it might work, i.e. through some clinical trials or user experiences, I'd go get this stuff and of course document all treatment and progress in detail.
 

Baldie101

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I don't know any Dr. Greco. At a first glance, CRP seems just like a marketing name for another PRP protocol, much like ACell (IIRC it was also just a PRP protocol). But no, I have not read anything by users on that.

Wait what? I think you are a little bit wrong there. ACell as I've read it is from the bladder of a pig and not your own body. Calling it a PRP protocol is a bit...well you know.

I found out that in Denmark where I live, there's also a clinic that does PRP. The price is about 536,06€ first time and then 469,05€ the next times. They have about 3 injections/sessions in a threatment with 1-3 months of break inbetween for maximum effect so 4-12 weeks of interval. I guess your doctor went with 2 months to go with the middle and not take too much blood from your body.

Thanks for the details. It's awesome that we still got people who actually do describe in details what they are going to do and what's happening. I pray it works...I'm thinking of trying it out too.

Random note: Today I also read about a Turkish hair transplant doctor using PRP too (taking about 60ml blood) and using it on the inserted grafts on the head for the healing effect and activating the sleeping hairs.
 

Mach

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Research Dr. Greco in FLORIDA. Dr. Carlos Wesley also has done some testing with acell and PRP. I had just PRP done with Dr. Cole. I'm 5 months out and no change. I hear 5.5 months us when noticable changes happen. In 3-4 months I'm adding acell with Cole or visiting Greco for his CRP.

It's really a mind field with no answers on what really works. I really don't think anyone knows exactly minoxidil works.
 

benjt

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Wait what? I think you are a little bit wrong there. ACell as I've read it is from the bladder of a pig and not your own body. Calling it a PRP protocol is a bit...well you know.
Yep, sorry, thanks for correcting me. Mixed up with A-PRP.

I found out that in Denmark where I live, there's also a clinic that does PRP. The price is about 536,06€ first time and then 469,05€ the next times. They have about 3 injections/sessions in a threatment with 1-3 months of break inbetween for maximum effect so 4-12 weeks of interval. I guess your doctor went with 2 months to go with the middle and not take too much blood from your body.
The amount of blood taken is actually quite low. For the approx. 16 injections I will take, they take around 0.2 to 0.3 L of blood, but closer to 0.2 L apparently.

Thanks for the details. It's awesome that we still got people who actually do describe in details what they are going to do and what's happening. I pray it works...I'm thinking of trying it out too.
I did read a lot of research papers before and, unlike the case of many other treatments, they all came to positive conclusions. The big questions are:
1) Will it make a noticeable difference, or just strengthen existing follicles a tiny bit?
2) Is the protocol used by my Doctor right?
The first point I can assess, the second I can't. Either way, it is worth a shot. And even if my Doctor doesn't perform it well, others might.


@Mach: Do you think CRP is worth it? I could fly over from Europe easily (more or less), the only issue I'd need to take care of is time. If there is conclusive evidence it really works, I might as well do it. But before that, I'd need to read some peer-reviewed papers. As I just quit my job in research I don't have access to full texts anymore, so I need to rely on others now to provide them.
 

Mach

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I don't know. Greco had a study on his web site. Look at it. IMO if you got the money then dig into it. Greco had been messing around with PRP for years. I'd say he's the most experienced out there.
 

F2005

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I actually just saw on another hair loss website that Dr. Cole is trying to recruit people to try different concentrations of PRP. I think this is a great idea since PRP has shown to induce regrowth and I believe that tinkering with it could bring much better results. I just don't trust these hair transplant surgeons for a variety of reasons though. If some one like Dr. Brett King was doing this, I'd participate in a second.
 
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