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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Hair Loss

Scalp mesotherapy with the use of platelet-rich plasma in Wroclaw, Poland

Injections of platelet-rich plasma PRP (English: Platelet Rich Plasma – PRP), known as PRP mesotherapy and the vampire facelift, are a method of restoring skin vitality through regeneration and biostimulation of stem cells, enhancing collagen production. PRP mesotherapy helps address the issue of volume loss and skin sagging associated with aging. As we age, cell metabolism slows down, and excessive, prolonged exposure to UV rays damages the epidermal and dermal cells, reducing the tissue’s ability to self-repair. The vampire facelift delivers nutrients directly to the dermis, activating the stem cells’ repair processes. PRP plasma delivers remarkable results in smoothing out the first wrinkles.

The vampire facelift is performed using plasma extracted from the patient’s own blood — the plasma contains substances that stimulate tissue growth, called growth factors. These compounds prompt the body’s stem cells to divide and transform into fibroblasts, which are cells that produce collagen and elastin fibers. Each year, mature skin loses about 1% of its collagen, but PRP mesotherapy can stimulate fibroblasts to produce new collagen fibers.

The vampire facelift is an aesthetic medicine procedure that offers long-lasting skin rejuvenation effects without the risk of allergic reactions or intolerance — thanks to the use of stem cells from the patient’s own body.

The term needle mesotherapy refers to the technique of administering the preparation directly into the skin cells using injections with a very fine needle. The active substances used in needle mesotherapy can be either autologous material (platelet-rich plasma PRP, platelet-rich fibrin i-PRF), or specially composed mixtures of active substances, vitamins, and hyaluronic acid.

PRP Mesotherapy – Procedure Overview

The vampire facelift is a completely natural procedure because the injection uses blood-like material, most commonly drawn from the cubital vein, similar to how blood is taken for a CBC test. A small amount of blood, typically 8-24 ml, is drawn and then centrifuged in a separator. The goal is to separate the plasma, which contains platelets, from the red and white blood cells. This takes just a few minutes. The resulting solution contains a low concentration of plasma but a high number of platelets—up to nine times more than in blood before centrifugation. Up to 90% of the platelets in the drawn blood sample are recovered. This concentrate contains the optimal amount of growth factors, which are substances that stimulate the development and division of stem cells.

In the test tube, you can see the stratification of the upper PRP plasma layer from the rest of the blood components. The doctor collects the PRP concentrate, and a substance is added to activate the release of growth stimulants from the platelets before administering it to the patient.

The resulting preparation is then injected into the skin using micro-needles (needle mesotherapy). The PRP injection can involve precise manual injections, creating a “mesh” of points on the treated skin or following a linear pattern (e.g., along the lip lines). Volumetric administration of PRP is also performed.

Centrifuging the plasma takes just a few minutes, so there is no need to collect the material in advance. The blood draw and the actual mesotherapy procedure typically take from 30 to 45 minutes.

PRP Mesotherapy — Is It Painful?

Despite the use of local anesthesia with lidocaine, the procedure can be unpleasant. The most painful injections are usually in the forehead area.

What Makes PRP Effective at Rejuvenating the Skin?

The principle behind PRP mesotherapy lies in the role that platelets and the growth factors they produce play in the body. When a wound occurs, it triggers not only the natural process of blood clotting but also cell division to quickly regenerate the area where the skin’s continuity has been interrupted. A PRP injection mimics wound creation, signaling the body to begin the repair mechanism.

PRP Injection Areas

The PRP injection area can cover the entire facial skin surface evenly or with a focus on key areas prone to wrinkle formation due to intense facial expressions. These include marionette lines, smoker’s lines around the mouth, nasolabial folds (bunny lines), under-eye wrinkles, crow’s feet, vertical (frown lines), and horizontal forehead wrinkles. Injections can be performed evenly across the entire surface (classic needle mesotherapy technique) or along the wrinkle or area to be reduced.

PRP Mesotherapy — At What Age?

The vampire facelift as an anti-aging treatment can be performed prophylactically on women and men as young as 25. In younger individuals, where regeneration mechanisms work faster, the effects of the treatment will also be visible sooner. It can be said that PRP mesotherapy gives the most satisfying results in patients aged 30-40, although several treatments may be needed to achieve optimal results. To prolong the skin regeneration effects, it is best to undergo the PRP treatment 3-4 times at 4-week intervals. PRP mesotherapy is suitable for individuals under 60. The age ranges are only approximate, as the effectiveness of PRP therapy depends on the skin’s condition, not the patient’s age. A maintenance treatment can be performed 1-2 times per year.

Indications

  • smoothing wrinkles and nasolabial folds
  • revitalization and restoration of lost skin elasticity and firmness
  • improving firmness and hydration of the face, neck, and décolletage (fighting the signs of skin aging)
  • lip revitalization
  • non-surgical face and cheek lift
  • frown lines
  • filling acne scars
  • fine lines around the eyes, revitalization of the eye area
  • skin regeneration after other aesthetic medicine or plastic surgery procedures
  • treatment of hair loss (male pattern baldness) and strengthening of damaged, weak hair, preventing excessive hair loss

The scope of platelet-rich plasma applications in aesthetic medicine procedures is very broad — in addition to facial and décolletage injections, PRP mesotherapy for the scalp is also an effective method of combating male pattern baldness (androgenic alopecia). Hair loss treatment with PRP strengthens damaged, weak hair and prevents excessive hair loss.
Learn more about hair loss treatment.

Results

  • wrinkles are smoothed, skin regains firmness, and complexion improves
  • regeneration of old or disease-damaged cells
  • hair growth is activated, dormant hair follicles become active
  • biostimulation of fibroblasts to produce collagen in skin cells
  • faster healing process after other aesthetic medicine treatments

Platelet-Rich Plasma — Contraindications

  • blood clotting disorders or taking medications that prolong clotting time (e.g., aspirin)
  • autoimmune diseases and cancer
  • various types of infectious diseases, active and chronic skin inflammations
  • pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • to achieve the best results, 2-3 treatments are recommended at intervals of 3 to 6 weeks

How to Avoid Complications?

The only “side effects” of PRP mesotherapy are needle marks or small bruises. Patients undergoing PRP mesotherapy during menstruation should inform the doctor — decreased blood clotting and dilated vessels during the period increase the risk of small hematomas and bruising at the injection site. Other complications with PRP mesotherapy are rare.

PRP Mesotherapy vs. Wrinkle Fillers

PRP mesotherapy is often mistakenly equated with injections using other artificial preparations, such as fillers (including hyaluronic acid) and botulinum toxin (Botox treatments). PRP injections and Botox injections, however, are entirely different categories of wrinkle-smoothing procedures. Some individuals may be allergic to hyaluronic acid, even though its molecules naturally occur in the human body. In the case of platelet-rich plasma injections using the patient’s own blood, the risk of an allergic reaction or intolerance is almost non-existent.

PRP mesotherapy also ensures a more natural effect than traditional fillers and other artificial preparations. It’s worth noting that Botox injections usually smooth out the upper third of the face, while PRP mesotherapy injections can treat every area where the skin has lost its firmness. The rejuvenating effect of PRP mesotherapy lasts longer because it works by stimulating the skin’s regeneration process, instead of filling the skin from the outside. This effect occurs gradually after the treatment and increases over the following weeks.