PRP/ACELL with Dr. Cooley

[KeithJagger]

Hello,

 

I have seen a few other posts in this forum regarding PRP/ACELL. Some say that it provides a substantial benefit, some say the jury is still out.

 

I am scheduled for 2,500 graphs with Dr. Cooley in March. I elected to get the PRP/ACELL for an additional $1,500, which isn't that much in the grand scheme of things.

 

I wanted to know if anyone has actually undergone PRP/ACELL and can share their thoughts/opinions on it?

 

I am not so much hoping to grow any new hair out of it (although it would of course be nice) but rather to help minimize any scarring and prevent shockloss.

 

Dr. Cooley is a big proponent of the procedure, but a lot of other well respected doctor's say it is not effective.

 

I don't mind spending the money, but perhaps the money would better be spent on some more graphs. Although, that of course gets into the issue of not doing too many graphs and depleting my donor hair in case I need it in the future.

 

Pictures of my hair in its current state can be found on my profile page.

 

Thank you!

[Spanker]

I have not had it done, but I do not think it minimizes scarring. I have not seen any proof of it at least. Dr. Cooley has done a lot of research on it and he can tell you what he feels the benefits are exactly. I think the biggest difference from the research that I have done is that it (ACELL) will leaving you with a softer scar which may be more vascular (not sure about that part). My scar is very hard to find, but I can feel it. If it were soft I wouldn't even know it is there, so I guess that would be a benefit, but I have not seen much proof that there is a visual benefit to it. If money is a factor, I would skip it, if it isn't, go for it, I don't think it will hurt.

[KeithJagger]

Money really isn't a factor, but at the same time I don't just want to throw it away! I have heard the exact same thing you said, i.e., that it makes the scar softer. If that is true, I think it is money well spent. The only concern I have is this: Dr. Cooley has a great reputation among the HT community. When I met him I was very impressed. But I am perhaps a bit -- concerned isn't really the word -- but puzzled that he would put such confidence in a procedure that many reputable doctors claim is not effective. He does not strike me as the kind of doctor that would push something if he wasn't confident it would work. There are just so many snake oil salesman pitching things to guys with thinning hair. I would think that sort of thing would be beneath the caliber of surgeon that Dr. Cooley is purported to be. But if Dr. Cooley has had positive experiences with it, then I suppose I am just going to trust him. Who knows, it may be the best decision that I have made during this process.

[Spanker]

If it is concerning to you, I would ask him to reiterate the benefits to you. He has posted a lot of his findings on here. I do not think he is a snake oils salesman at all, and I believe that he does feel that there are benefits to them, but the benefits that he has found may or may not be worth the price. You can also search his previous posts, as he did embrace the research side of profession while exploring the benefits of ACELL and posted some of it on the site. I really do not recall him being blown away by the results, but it has been a long time and can't recall all of his research.

[hairthere]

I've also heard some reputed doctors say they felt PRP might help with early and robust regrowth. I don't see how it would hurt, and if money isn't an issue then I think it's worthwhile exploring.

[losingmyhair123]

i recently had a transplant with dr cooley. I was originally scheduled to have the prp procedure done but on the morning of the surgery, He thought that I would benefit from more grafts rather than paying the 1500 dollars for the treatment. His reasoning was because my hair is rather thick and was only receding. Don't quote me on that but that is what I took from the conversation. After seeing someone else on here that had similar number of grafts, and the prp treatment from dr. cooley. Comparing his progress to mine, he seems like his hair or grafts are growing a lot faster than mine. So I would think it's worth the gamble.