Hair Restoration at Physician Skin Services: The Clinical Case for PRP Therapy
Hair Loss Is More Common Than Most People Discuss
Hair thinning affects roughly 50 percent of women over the age of 50 and more than half of men by the time they reach their mid-fifties. But the reality is that significant thinning often begins much earlier, in the thirties for many men and during or after hormonal transitions for many women. Despite how common it is, hair loss remains a condition that patients frequently delay seeking help for, often because they are unaware that effective non-surgical options exist.
At Physician Skin Services, hair restoration is addressed through PRP therapy, a treatment that works with the biology of the follicle itself rather than simply masking the appearance of hair loss. Understanding how hair grows, why it stops, and how PRP changes that conversation is the foundation of everything we do in this area.
How Hair Growth Actually Works
Hair grows in cycles. Each follicle moves through three phases: the anagen phase (active growth, which lasts two to seven years), the catagen phase (a brief transitional period), and the telogen phase (a resting state during which the old hair sheds and a new growth cycle begins).
In healthy hair, the vast majority of follicles are in the anagen phase at any given time. In thinning hair, this balance shifts. More follicles spend time in the telogen phase or miniaturize — producing progressively thinner, shorter, and lighter-colored hair with each cycle until production eventually stops.
The primary driver of this miniaturization in the most common form of hair loss (androgenetic alopecia, or pattern hair loss) is the hormone dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which binds to receptors in the follicle and progressively shrinks it. But hair thinning also has other causes, including nutritional deficiencies, thyroid dysfunction, chronic stress, postpartum hormonal shifts, and autoimmune conditions such as alopecia areata.
PRP therapy addresses the follicle from a biological standpoint — not by blocking DHT (which is the mechanism of pharmaceutical options like finasteride) but by delivering concentrated growth factors that reactivate dormant follicles and support the health and function of those that are miniaturizing.
What Is PRP and What Does It Contain?
Platelet-rich plasma is a preparation made from the patient's own blood. A small blood draw is taken at the appointment, the sample is placed in a centrifuge, and the centrifuge separates the blood into its components. The layer that contains a high concentration of platelets is extracted and prepared for injection.
Platelets are best known for their role in clotting, but they also contain a significant concentration of growth factors that play a direct role in tissue repair and regeneration. The specific growth factors most relevant to hair restoration include platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). When these are delivered directly into the scalp at the level of the hair follicle, they stimulate several simultaneous biological processes.
VEGF promotes the formation of new blood vessels around the follicle, improving nutrient delivery. PDGF stimulates the proliferation of dermal papilla cells, which are the cells directly responsible for hair follicle development and cycling. The combined effect is a follicle that is better nourished, more metabolically active, and better supported to move through a full, productive growth cycle.
Because PRP is derived from the patient's own blood, the risk of allergic reaction or rejection is essentially zero. This is one of the meaningful clinical advantages of PRP over synthetic or pharmacological approaches.
Who Is a Good Candidate for PRP Hair Restoration?
The single most important factor in determining whether PRP will be effective is the integrity of the follicle itself. PRP can reactivate a dormant or miniaturizing follicle; it cannot regenerate a follicle that no longer exists. This is why early intervention produces the best outcomes.
Ideal candidates include patients who have noticed their hair thinning over the past one to five years, patients whose scalp shows visible diffuse thinning but still has hair present in the affected areas, patients with early to moderate pattern hair loss (Norwood scale I through IV for men, Ludwig scale I through II for women), and women experiencing postpartum hair shedding or hormonally related thinning.
Patients who are not good candidates include those with severe, long-standing baldness in which the scalp is completely smooth and follicles have been absent for many years, patients with certain active scalp conditions, and patients whose hair loss is related to an underlying medical condition that has not been addressed. A consultation at PSS includes an assessment of the scalp to determine whether the follicles are still viable and whether PRP is appropriate.
It is also worth noting that PRP pairs well with supplements that support follicle health. At PSS, we may suggest specific supplements as part of a comprehensive hair restoration protocol to complement what the PRP therapy is doing at the follicle level.
What Does the PRP Hair Restoration Appointment Involve?
The appointment begins with the blood draw, which typically takes two to three minutes. The sample is centrifuged for approximately ten minutes. The PRP is then injected systematically across the areas of concern using a fine needle in a grid pattern. The injections are spaced apart and are placed at the depth of the follicle, typically just below the epidermis and into the dermis. The injection phase takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes depending on the size of the treatment area.
Post-treatment, the scalp may be mildly tender and slightly pink for 24 hours. Patients are advised to avoid washing their hair for 24 hours, avoid intense exercise or sweating for 48 hours, and hold off on any topical products containing active ingredients for a day or two. Most patients return to their normal routine the following day.
What Results Can Patients Expect and When?
Hair restoration is one of the areas in medical aesthetics where patience is most essential. Hair grows slowly — approximately half an inch per month under normal conditions — and the biological changes PRP initiates take time to translate into visible improvement.
Most patients begin noticing a reduction in shedding within the first four to six weeks following their initial sessions. This is often the first sign that the treatment is working — the hair that was falling out in the shower or on the pillow begins to decrease. Visible increases in density and thickness typically become apparent around the three to four month mark, with the most significant improvement visible at six months following a full treatment series.
A standard protocol at PSS involves three to four sessions spaced four to six weeks apart. This series creates cumulative stimulation of the follicles across multiple growth cycles. After the initial series, most patients maintain their results with one to two treatments per year, which continues to support follicle health and prevent the progressive miniaturization from resuming.
Hair Restoration as Part of a Broader Wellness Approach
At Physician Skin Services, hair restoration fits within a broader framework of helping patients look and feel consistent with their health. It pairs naturally with our skin rejuvenation services for patients who are addressing multiple aspects of aging simultaneously and aligns with our approach to treatments that work with the body's own biology rather than against it.
Patients frequently come to PSS having tried over-the-counter options like minoxidil (Rogaine) with limited results or a desire to reduce dependence on topical treatments. PRP offers a path to addressing the underlying follicle health rather than just the cosmetic appearance of thinning.
Is PRP Hair Restoration Right for You?
If you have noticed your hair thinning, your part widening, or your scalp becoming more visible, and that change has begun within the last few years, there is a good chance that PRP therapy can make a meaningful difference. The earlier treatment begins, the more follicles there are to work with and the stronger the response tends to be.
The team at Physician Skin Services in St. Louis Park, Woodbury, and Edina conducts individualized consultations to assess your specific pattern of loss and determine the right approach for you. Call 612-799-2135 or email Anita@PhysicianSkinServices.com to get started.
