PRP/A-Cell

[TrixGlendevon]

Hi!

 

I have been reading more about it on the forum but I am still not entirely sure what it is and/or how it works. I am in my early 30s and would like to put off surgery as long as I possibly can, as Dr. Feriduni has recommended to me. I have thought of a few questions then.

1) What is it? The info I find online is mostly marketing/promotional stuff so I am not going to believe that.

2) Are there brands? If so, which are the best/worst?

3) Is this a skill in itself i.e. are there doctors that are better in it than others?

4) Side effects?

5) Is it a long-term solution?

 

Any assistance would be much appreciated!

[TrixGlendevon]

Anybody?

[Spanker]

1) What is it? The info I find online is mostly marketing/promotional stuff so I am not going to believe that.

 

Plenty of research can be found on what it is. It is your blood spun down with Acell injected to help produce growth. If you want the science behind it, it can be found easily.

 

2) Are there brands? If so, which are the best/worst?

 

Not brands, but the Angel System seems to be the gold standard right now for spinning down the platelets.

 

3) Is this a skill in itself i.e. are there doctors that are better in it than others?

 

I think that there is a skill to it, but I think that the protocol is the most important. Dr. Cooley probably has the most results to show.

 

4) Side effects?

 

That is a question for a doc, I know that itching for a while seems to be common. Also, shockloss has been reported as happening.

 

5) Is it a long-term solution?

 

It is a long term repeatable treatment. If it works for you, like finasteride, it may always help improve your hair, but that does not mean that your balding can't overtake the benefits. I have seen mixed reviews on its effectiveness from being close to nill to being mind blowing. I think your fist round is a roll of the dice to see if it helps. If it does, you can use it as tool until something better comes along.

[TrixGlendevon]

Thanks for the reply Spanker. I genuinely disagree with your answer to number 1. All the information is on clinic websites etc. or companies selling the machines praising the efficacy of this miracle treatment. I can find the same "science" on laser combs too. There is next to nothing on impartial forums like this. An example of this, one website claims you need 4-5 treatments per year and another claims 1 a year is enough. How am I supposed to know which is the truth?

 

I am trying to put off HT until I am in my mid-30s which will be in a 2-3 years. This will give me a better idea of the pattern I can expect later on and allow me to better plan. This treatment sounds ideal, assuming it works for me.

[hairman22]

Thanks for the reply Spanker. I genuinely disagree with your answer to number 1. All the information is on clinic websites etc. or companies selling the machines praising the efficacy of this miracle treatment. I can find the same "science" on laser combs too. There is next to nothing on impartial forums like this. An example of this, one website claims you need 4-5 treatments per year and another claims 1 a year is enough. How am I supposed to know which is the truth?

 

I am trying to put off HT until I am in my mid-30s which will be in a 2-3 years. This will give me a better idea of the pattern I can expect later on and allow me to better plan. This treatment sounds ideal, assuming it works for me.

I belive laser combs are useful.

 

I was very skeptical but my surgion suggested it. So I have used one for 2 months & had some good regrowth in thin area's.

[Spanker]

Thanks for the reply Spanker. I genuinely disagree with your answer to number 1. All the information is on clinic websites etc. or companies selling the machines praising the efficacy of this miracle treatment. I can find the same "science" on laser combs too. There is next to nothing on impartial forums like this. An example of this, one website claims you need 4-5 treatments per year and another claims 1 a year is enough. How am I supposed to know which is the truth?

 

I am trying to put off HT until I am in my mid-30s which will be in a 2-3 years. This will give me a better idea of the pattern I can expect later on and allow me to better plan. This treatment sounds ideal, assuming it works for me.

 

I don't have time to link all the threads I've read, but I've read plenty of posts on other forums about it by patients with mixed reviews. You question looked to me line you were asking what it was. That is likely going to come from clinics. That doesn't mean the information on what it is is not valid. A plumber isn't likely to write an article on prp. The website end hair loss by 2020 has a skilled technical writer that does a lot of research and is a good place for info.

[TrixGlendevon]

Thanks for the advice. I will check the blog out. I do not trust what I read on the hairloss clinic websites until I have a base of knowledge that allows me to determine what is marketing from what is fact.

[JohnArbuckle]

PRP is basically a sustained anti-inflammatory treatment for hair loss.

 

The DHT that makes follicles atrophy and die does so via inflammation -- the theory is that PRP throws a wrench in this process. It will wear off, and your follicles get more sensitive to DHT based inflammation with age, so it is not permanent, and it is expensive to have it done correctly. The protocol is key -- some have suggested that if not done just right, you can induce shock loss.

 

But, when you look at it like that, hair transplants often have a shelf life as well.

[HairCenter]

PRP is a very misused and misrepresented treatment and your concerns about the number of procedures and how it is marketed is becoming a concern for Dr. Cooley. This is why we've started a series of posts to show the reality of PRP as it relates to multiple cases we are in the process of presenting.

 

We've started a series of posts on the forums titled "The Truth About PRP" and we're showing that some cases can have a great result with dramatic improvements while others are moderate at best. PRP with ACell, properly administered, can and does have the same effect as Propecia and the same range of responses is also seen. Some respond great, some do not but one of the big issues that Dr. Cooley sees is the idea that one needs to have three or four treatments in a year. Dr. Cooley strongly believes that one procedure is usually enough and we'll be presenting cases that represent why he feels this way.

[TrixGlendevon]

Thanks for the replies. Where can I see these posts?