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Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) for Treatment of Hair Loss Improves Patient-Reported Quality of Life
Abigail Meyers, BS; Alison Jin, BS; Grzegorz Kweicien, MD; James Gatherwright, MD; James E Zins, MD, FACS
Cleveland Clinic Department of Plastic Surgery
2022-01-15
Presenter: Abigail Meyers
Affidavit:
I certify that the material proposed for presentation in this abstract has not been published in any scientific journal or previously presented at a major meeting. A majority of the study design and entirety of data collection, analysis, and writing in preparation of the abstract was carried out by the first author.
Director Name: James E Zins
Author Category: Medical Student
Presentation Category: Clinical
Abstract Category: Aesthetics
Purpose
This study aimed to assess the psychological impact of PRP treatment for hair loss. While numerous studies have demonstrated enhanced growth in patients with male and female pattern hair loss, no study has demonstrated enhanced quality of life using a validated tool in a large patient cohort.
Methods
PRP scalp injections were repeated monthly for the first 3 months, then quarterly for 1 year, and annually thereafter. HAIRDEX, a validated scale assessing quality of life (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-two percent (n=30) 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 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; 24.8±17.7 vs. 20.9±15.5, p<0.001) and >6 months (18.9±13.9, p<0.001; 19.5±18.6, p=0.008).
Conclusions
PRP treatment was associated with overall improved QoL related to emotional well-being, symptoms, functioning, stigmatization, and self-confidence. PRP is an effective part of multi-modal therapy for hair loss.
