This Crazy Treatment Will Make Your Thin Hair So Much Thicker

When it comes to beauty, there’s nothing scarier than your locks losing their volume. In fact, we are constantly asked questions about thinning hair. (Will it grow back? How can I make it grow back?) So we’re always on the lookout for innovative solutions, which is how we learned about a new injection process called PRP. The treatment is already proving to be successful in helping women regrow their hair. Read on for the details.

Let's start at the beginning: PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. According to Beverly Hills dermatologist Brian Dubow, MD, "Platelets, which are found in your blood, are loaded with proteins called growth factors that accelerate wound healing." When injected directly into the scalp in high concentrations, these healing proteins are believed to combat hair loss. We've heard over and over that stimulation of the scalp can wake up hair follicles and help strands grow longer and thicker, and these injections are a form of stimulation. That paired with the platelets is a winning combination.

So, where are these platelets coming from? You guessed it—the doctor will first need to draw your blood. Once it's separated into red blood cells, plasma and PRP, the latter is treated to achieve a higher concentration of growth factors before being injected into the scalp. So here's where things get uncomfortable. While the treatment takes less than 20 minutes, it consists of as many as 35 injections concentrated on the area of thinning. You’ll see results after one appointment, but six sessions within a year are recommended. As for the price of new hair growth, each treatment will cost you between $500 and $1,250.

Another thing to keep in mind is that PRP treatment isn't for everybody. It can't regrow hair on areas that have stopped producing hair. But if you're experiencing thinning and are looking for results, this could be your saving grace. Dr. Dubow says that after less than a year of offering the treatment, "about 80% of my patients have seen their shedding slow down or stop completely. A lot also see new growth and tell me their existing hair feels thicker and fuller."