Platelet-Rich Plasma for Treatment of Hair Loss Improves Patient-Reported Quality of Life

Background While numerous studies have demonstrated enhanced hair growth following platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments in patients with male and female pattern hair loss, no study has demonstrated its impact on quality of life (QoL) using a validated tool.Objective This prospective study aimed to assess the psychological impact of PRP treatment for hair loss. Methods PRP scalp injections were repeated monthly for the first 3 months, then quarterly for 1 year, and annually thereafter. HAIRDEX 48, a validated scale assessing QoL for patients with alopecia, was administered before PRP and at each visit. Scores were interpolated on a 0-100 scale: 0 representing highest QoL, 100 lowest, and compared using paired t-tests.Results Ninety-two patients receiving PRP were analyzed. Mean age was 48.2 +/- 17.4 years and 55% were male. Patients had an average of 4 +/- 2 treatments; most (60%) had >= 4. Thirty patients (33%) completed both pre-and post-PRP questionnaires. Prior to PRP, 61% tried minoxidil, 16% finasteride, and 1% hair transplant. Total HAIRDEX scores improved from a mean of 23.2 +/- 15.4 to 19.7 +/- 11.3 after 3-5 months after PRP (p < 0.001). There were also decreases in symptoms (10.0 +/- 12.0 vs. 9.6 +/- 10.8, p < 0.001), functioning (16.1 +/- 18.1 vs. 13.3 +/- 12.6, p < 0.001), and emotions domains (37.7 +/- 24.1 vs. 32.2 +/- 18.9, p < 0001). For stigmatization and self-confidence domains, improvements from pre-PRP were significant at 3-5 months (21.2 +/- 16.8 vs. 17.4 +/- 12.1; p < 0.001 and 24.8 +/- 17.7 vs. 20.9 +/- 15.5; p < 0.001, respectively) and > 6 months (18.9 +/- 13.9; p < 0.001 and19.5 +/- 18.6; p = 0.008, respectively).Conclusions PRP improves QoL and is an effective part of multimodal therapy for hair loss.

Automated summary

This study demonstrates that platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment can improve the quality of life for patients with hair loss, as assessed by the HAIRDEX 48 scale. Statistical analysis showed significant improvements in symptoms, functioning, emotions, stigmatization, and self-confidence domains after PRP treatment.