Evaluation of hair regrowth in men with androgenetic alopecia treated with autologous platelet-rich plasma

Introduction
Androgenetic alopecia, the most common form of hair loss in men, is associated with significant distress and lowered self-esteem. Various medical, surgical, and miscellaneous therapeutic modalities are available for management. Autologous platelet-rich plasma has yielded encouraging results in androgenetic alopecia.

Objective
To evaluate the application of easily available techniques to prepare autologous platelet-rich plasma and study its effect in promoting hair regrowth.

Material and methods
After ethical clearance, 30 men were enrolled in this prospective, interventional, non-randomized study. After baseline evaluation, autologous platelet-rich plasma was injected on pre-anaesthetised scalp. 20 ml of whole blood yielded 2 ml of platelet-rich plasma by double centrifugation. A 4–5 times increased platelet concentration from baseline was obtained. Six sessions done at 3-week intervals. The last follow-up was taken 3 months after the last platelet-rich plasma session. An evaluator assessed the improvement by pre- and post-treatment photographs, trichoscopic parameters, and basic and specific classification of androgenetic alopecia. The patient subjective score was also recorded.

Results
The mean age of participants was 27.47 years. The most responsive area was frontal (p = 0.001). The hair-shaft thickness improved by a mean of 45.11%. The mean number of hairs per follicular unit increased by 31.79%. A mean gain of 6.53 follicular units was obtained. 53.3% of patients sustained benefits from platelet-rich plasma. Evaluator assessment score overall was +5 on the Jaeschke scale of –7 to +7. The overall patient subjective score was 2 on a scale from 0 to 4.

Conclusions
Autologous platelet-rich plasma causes an increase in hair shaft thickness and numbers of hairs per follicular unit in men with androgenetic alopecia with no major side effects. It can be prepared easily in the dermatological office setting.