Why Do Doctors Think PRP is Helpful?

Dear Dr. Rassman

I hope you can help explain something to me regarding the treatment of hair loss with PRP. I was considering have a treatment of PRP + Acell but then read that one of the growth factors in PRP is TGF-B1 which has been claimed to be something that actually causes hair follicle death. Could you please explain to me how this growth factor supposedly helps when introduced to the scalp in PRP treatments? Is it somehow changed? or do the doctors using PRP not see it as harmful?

Thank you in advance for you answer and insight.

Regards

The use of platelet-rich plasma therapy (PRP) is a good way for a doctor to make money and probably not harm his patient. It’s the buzz du jour and is an excuse for some doctors to sell something extra. I’ve yet to see any satisfactory study that shows using PRP in a hair transplant has any value.

The NY Times wrote about PRP earlier this year — Does Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Really Work?.