Camas, WA
Did you know that around 85% of men and 50% of women will deal with some type of hair loss over the course of their lives? 1,2
Hair loss and thinning are incredibly common issues for all adults, regardless of gender identity. At Skin by Lovely, we are excited to now offer PRF, Platelet Rich Fibrin, for Hair Restoration. This innovative treatment can help restore hair growth in as little as three months!
Below, Skin by Lovely Injection Specialist Nilu Rustomji PA-C goes over the 9 things to know about PRF for Hair Restoration and how it can help those dealing with hair loss.
About Nilu Rustomji PA-C:
Nilu is an Injection Specialist at Skin by Lovely’s Santa Monica practice. She is a graduate of Duke’s Physician Assistant Program, and she is trained in both medical and cosmetic dermatology.
It has become her passion to help patients feel their most beautiful and confident selves by enhancing their natural beauty through aesthetic medicine.
You can follow Nilu on Instagram: @nilu_skinbylovely.
1. What is PRF for hair restoration?PRF for hair restoration consists of drawing a patient’s blood, spinning the blood in a centrifuge, and then extracting the patient’s own platelets that are rich in growth factors to be re-injected into the scalp areas.
These growth factors help to reinvigorate dormant hair follicles and stimulate new hair growth! Additionally, it improves blood supply to the hair follicles and decreases inflammation which helps with the thickness of hair shafts and supports healthy hair follicles.
PRF is 100% natural and is a very safe and effective treatment.
Most patients make great candidates for PRF Hair Restoration!
Many of us suffer from factors that can cause excessive hair shedding and thinning of the hair. This includes stress, inflammation, inadequate nutrition, genetics, hormonal imbalances (including, but not limited to, thyroid imbalances, post and peri-menopausal patients as well as post-partum patients), and physical stressors such as harsh chemical hair treatments. PRF is a great way to help combat these stressors and give our hair the nutrients it needs to stimulate new and thicker hair!
There are a few circumstances in which hair loss cannot be treated successfully with PRF. This includes a medical condition known as scarring alopecia as well as any hair loss where the follicles are permanently damaged/inactive, or skin has grown over the follicles. Patients should be considered for a hair transplant in these cases.
3. What can someone expect from a PRF Hair Restoration treatment?Patients should expect to commit to at least three monthly treatments, and it is usually advised to follow this with three bi-monthly treatments.
This is due to the fact that our hair grows in various cycles, and we want to be sure to address the hair growth at each of these time points for best success. Ideally, a patient would do maintenance treatments about two to three times a year annually after this.
The treatment consists of numbing the treatment areas with topical numbing cream and having your blood drawn. Your provider then spins it in a centrifuge to separate out your PRF from your red blood cell; then, several injections are performed directly into the scalp area. A post-care serum is then massaged onto the treatment area.
Some bruising, swelling, and redness after the procedure are normal. A mild headache that day and the next day can occur as well, in which case Tylenol or Advil can be taken.
Watch one of our Lake Oswego Injection Specialists, Elle, perform a treatment! >
Patience is a virtue!
Restoring hair thickness and stimulating new hair growth takes time.
Improvement in hair thickness and length is most commonly seen after the third month, but it can take up to six months for optimal growth to be seen.
This treatment is a natural approach for treating hair thinning and does stimulate thicker and new hair growth. However, we normally shed hundreds of hairs a day, and this includes any new hair growth from PRF treatment.
Although the new hair growth is not “permanent,” by continuing maintenance treatments and our recommended Nutrafol supplements, we can help patients maintain a healthy amount of new hair growth.
Hair transplant surgery can be quite costly and may require more downtime compared to PRF hair restoration treatments. Additionally, it only consists of transplanting new hair follicles onto the scalp, which addresses just one stage of hair thinning.
PRF helps correct but also maintain and prevent future hair thinning.
7. How does PRF compare to PRP for hair restoration?PRF is the more advanced version of PRP.
While PRP is effective, it is not 100% natural as it does contain an anticoagulant ingredient.
On the other hand, PRF is 100% a patient’s own blood without any additive ingredients. This makes it a more “potent” formulation of a patient’s natural growth factors and platelets.
It’s natural, safe, and effective!
PRF for Hair Restoration is a relatively easy and quick treatment with minimal downtime.
Nutrafol supplements help to address several root causes of hair thinning to adequately boost our hair restoration treatments.
The supplements are from natural ingredients and help supply our body with adequate nutrients to fight stressors, inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and other factors related to hair thinning.
They can be purchased on Skin by Lovely’s website here.
Nilu Rustomji PA-C is available for PRF Hair Restoration consultations and treatment at our Santa Monica, CA practice.
Appointments can be scheduled at any of our four locations on our website at skinbylovely.com or by calling us at (877) 568-3594.
Looking for PRF for under-eye rejuvenation?
Check out this blog!
About Skin by Lovely™
Skin by Lovely specializes in FDA-approved, natural-looking, non-surgical, medical facial aesthetics and rejuvenation treatments. With practices in Santa Monica, CA, Portland, OR, Lake Oswego, OR, and Camas, WA, Skin by Lovely is certified by Allergan, the makers of Botox® and Juvederm®, as a Top 10 facial aesthetic practice in the United States and a Top 25 account for Galderma, the makers of Dysport® and Restylane®.
Convenient online scheduling is available for all four Skin by Lovely locations.
References:
1. “Men’s Hair Loss / Introduction.” American Hair Loss Association. Accessed April 5, 2022. https://www.americanhairloss.org/men_hair_loss/introduction.html.
2. “Hair Loss in Women: Causes, Treatment & Prevention.” Cleveland Clinic. Accessed April 5, 2022. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16921-hair-loss-in-women.
