PRP Hair Restoration Review

 

I started noticing a “maturing” hairline around age 24. At 27, there was some thinning and that’s when the insecurities started to flood in. What could I do to stop it and potentially get some of it back? I tried everything I could find (that didn’t break the bank) – dermarolling, Finasteride, collagen supplements, etc. Nothing really worked. 

But at age 30, I started hearing more and more about PRP for hair restoration. 

So, I scoured the Google results, YouTube videos and Reddit threads looking for “real” testimonials. What I found was twofold: one group clamored for the treatment, calling it a miracle cure (but they obviously had some additional work done); the other side baselessly claimed that PRP was a waste of money without ever actually trying it out. 

I’m a real person who underwent four real sessions of PRP treatments for my hair – and this is what it really did for me! 

 

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What My Results Looked Like 

(Full disclosure: I’m not bald. That’s not who PRP is for anyhow and it is very important to know that before going down this path.)

I was looking for a solution that would stop the thinning, mitigate the shedding and maybe even give me back some of what I lost. I can confidently say that PRP did just that. However, it didn’t just magically give me the hairline I had when I was 18! 

I didn’t notice much growth after the first month, but something did change – my daily shedding decreased dramatically. Around month 2 or 3 was when the bit of regrowth started to happen. There wasn’t too much regrowth in the temple or hairline region, but the crown? The crown started sprouting new life, filling in the spaces that freaked me out when I saw pictures of myself from behind (and slightly above).

Three months after my final session, I’m still enjoying some regrowth in the crown region, increased hair growth in areas right outside of the crown and decreased shedding/loss along the hairline. 

 

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The Process, From The Eyes of a Normal, Non-Scientific Person: 

After a few conversations about my hair loss and a quick examination of what I had left/my future trajectory of loss, it was fairly obvious that I was a good candidate for PRP. From there, I went into the Donaldson Plastic Surgery office, met with Stacie and then she drew my blood. 

She put the syringe into a centrifuge-looking machine where it spun for a solid 18 minutes or so. My blood was separated, essentially, into two different parts – the darker stuff that they inject into my scalp and the magical cooling, transparent plasma that they use at the end. 

How It Felt: Not A Walk In The Park, But Also Not That Bad 

The needle was loaded up and it was go-time. Now, this wasn’t exactly the most comfortable thing. If your pain tolerance is low, you may opt for something called “Pro-Nox” – a VERY fast-acting sedative that you inhale. I tried it once and I felt completely normal in less than 20 minutes. It works fast and fades quickly. 

Stacie covered the most prominent problem areas – the crown, the temples, the part and creases. The crown didn’t hurt all that bad, but the temples were tough. Luckily, they also gave me a stress ball to squeeze and they really don’t care if you curse while they get the job done. When there was about 25% of the syringe left, Stacie asked if I was comfortable enough to continue and if there were any areas she wanted me to double up on. We kept going, adding a bit more into the front hairline. 

What My Recovery Looked Like

Recovery actually begins when you’re in the chair. They take the leftover clear plasma that was centrifuged out at the beginning and place it all over your scalp. There are no words to describe how relieving that feeling is. Once this was done, I was out the door and ready to face the day. The whole ordeal took about 45 minutes or so. 

A word from the wise: bring a banana (or something else with a bunch of sugar) and a ton of water with you. I was on the keto diet during one of my sessions and the loss of blood left me in a weakened state. 

And Then There’s Nutrafol 

The good folks at Donaldson suggested I supplement my treatment with a few bottles of Nutrafol. These are, in my words, a blast of every vitamin that could possibly help your hair grow – faster, stronger and just more. They are some pretty large pills and they will also make your nails grow quickly but I believe the one-two punch of these and the PRP injections did everything I needed it to do. 

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What PRP Is & Isn’t: My Personal Philosophy on PRP for Hair Restoration After Having It Done 

PRP is NOT a miracle cure for male pattern baldness nor is it going to give you a glorious Mario Lopez hairline. PRP IS an amazing option for people noticing moderate thinning in the crown and a receding hairline! It really helps to stop the bleeding and even fills in some of the gaps. I would take PRP injections once every six months forever if it meant keeping my hair and not having to take a daily pill that can carry some hefty side effects. 

Speaking of which…

Why I Ultimately Chose PRP vs. Finasteride 

If you’re a guy over the age of 25, you’ve probably been inundated by advertisements for solutions to hair loss. Every podcast, commercial break and Internet ad is designed to blanket a large demographic of dudes, hoping to poke at just enough insecurities to get someone on some hair retention supplement for life. 

We know the brands. We know the game. 

Well, I bit the bullet and tried one of the pill-based options for about 9 months. The results were fairly negligible, but the side effects were downright disastrous for me. One of the most talked about negative effects is on sexual wellness – that didn’t happen. What did happen were these intense, hours-long panic attacks and bouts with anxiety that didn’t really clear up until six months of ditching the prescription. 

As noted earlier, I’m not exactly bald – I’m just losing some of what I’ve got and I want to keep what I have forever. With Finasteride as a no-go, I dug for other options. PRP started showing up in hair loss threads, so I decided to give it a shot. Another option is full on hair transplant surgery, which I may consider in the distant future. 

For now, I’ll be happy with the recovery and, most importantly, the halting of hair loss that PRP has given me!