Talent & techniques: Smart PRP for improved hair restoration

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a biological product defined as a portion of the plasma fraction of autologous blood with a platelet concentration above the baseline. It is obtained from the blood of an individual collected before centrifugation. PRP has been utilized for enhancing the condition of the body since the 1970s and is growing increasingly popular. 

PRP has gained the attention of millions, and today’s uses are vast – from tissue regeneration, wound healing, scar revision, skin rejuvenating effects, and now to treat hair loss. Growth Factors (GFs), and the bioactive molecules present in PRP, promote four main actions in the local environment of administration, such as proliferation, migration, cell differentiation and angiogenesis. Various cytokines and GFs are involved in the regulation of hair morphogenesis and cycle hair growth.

While many doctors are trying to implement PRP in their practices, without having the proper knowledge or technology to produce excellent results, the effectiveness is often perceived as poor. 

A New Triple-Spin Technology

I have created my own spin to PRP with my patent-pending technology, Smart PRP^®. With Smart PRP platelets are obtained with a centrifuge system that collects a vast gathering that is impossible from a single-spun centrifuge. 

Smart PRP is a temporary fusion of A-Cell and platelet-rich plasma, along with a dosage of Kenalog substance. A combination of these substances results in an injection that will cause newly transplanted hair grafts to reinstate into the natural growth cycle of the human hair. 

Using Smart PRP during hair transplantation not only highly increases the health and survival rate of implanted follicles, but simultaneously nourishes and maintains the native hair as well. During the transplant, the recipient site awaits the transplantation of hair grafts provided by the assigned donor site, then after all of the new grafts have been placed, these recipient sites receive Smart PRP injections, which rapidly begins to accelerate the wound healing process.

During the Smart PRP procedure with hair transplantation, the patient's blood is extracted then placed in the centrifuge where it is then triple spun to extract the highest number of platelets. The concentrated platelets are then injected into the entire scalp. This process can also be done individually without undergoing a transplant. During the hair transplant, this promotes the healthiest environment for natural and implanted hair follicles to flourish.

Considerations for Maximum Success

The success of PRP treatment also depends on the individual. Not all individuals are created equal, thus they should not be treated as such. 

An individual’s PRP treatment should be as unique as they are. With advances in technology, it is now possible to count a patient’s platelets to make certain that they are receiving the proper dosage. This will ensure a successful outcome. A week or two before the Smart PRP treatment, the patient's blood is drawn to count the number of platelets they have. If that number is too low to deliver the maximum result, the patient is placed on a regimen to increase their platelet count before the procedure.

It is also crucial to ensure that patients have realistic expectations about what can be accomplished with PRP treatment. As a standalone treatment, Smart PRP will make the hair texture thicker, stronger and more abundant, but it is not meant to replace a hair transplant. It will not regrow hair in an area that has completely lost the follicle, but it will significantly decrease, if not entirely stop, excessive shedding. 

Post Treatment

After a hair transplant, individuals should return once a year for another dosage of Smart PRP. Patients can expect to see their hair at the peak of its health. Results can be seen in as little as three weeks. The effects of thicker, stronger, and more nourished miniaturized follicles will be seen throughout the entirety of the year. 

PRP will continue to grow in popularity and indications. And, individualizing the treatment to each patient will only increase the rate of success. Whether it be IV infusion, facials, hair regrowth, healing of joints, etc., PRP is proven to increase the quality of each injection site. 

About the author

John Kahen, MD 
Dr. Kahen is a world-renowned hair restoration surgeon. He is one of the first hair transplant surgeons to apply the science of platelet-rich plasma in hair restoration. As a UCLA graduate and board certified surgeon who did his training in general surgery in New York, he became passionate about hair transplantation. He has performed thousands of hair transplant surgeries with award-winning results. Dr. Kahen entered private practice exclusively as a hair restoration surgeon in Beverly Hills, Calif., in 2007 and proudly retains membership with the International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery. He has performed thousands of hair transplant procedures and implanted more than 20 million follicles. Learn more at https://beverlyhillsmedspa.com/