PRP Truth- Not All PRP Is The Same - Jerry Cooley MD

[HairCenter]

Dr. Cooley is one of the original pioneers of PRP with regards to hair loss and hair restoration. He has spent over a decade to come up with our current protocol used for our patients today. It is a constantly evolving protocol based on new technologies and developments in the field.

 

Dr. Cooley is confident in the efficacy of PRP, especially when properly combined with ACell, to help patients that have been deemed good candidates for the treatment. PRP w/ACell is effective for thickening hair in patients with diffused hair loss and is especially helpful for patients that are otherwise poor surgical candidates due to either poor donor supply or not enough loss to justify surgery in the first place. With our approach we've seen some very good results.

 

However, Dr. Cooley is becoming more concerned with the apparent explosion of PRP offerings in the marketplace as it seems that every medispa/ plastic surgeon/ dermatologist, etc. is offering the procedure, some with unrealistic claims.

We at Carolina Dermatology Haircenter wish to help set the record straight about PRP. We'll be presenting numerous cases of PRP results with varying levels of improvements to show you what you can realistically expect or not expect. In our experience, PRP does not need to be administered two, three or four times a year to achieve optimal results. We typically administer one treatment with the expectation that this will be enough for at least one year of improvement.

We see results manifest much like those of Propecia in that it generally takes three to six months to see the first signs of improvement and then the result can continue to improve for several months afterward. The longevity of these results does vary but we've seen some results stay strong for two and three years after only a single treatment. Per usual we find that PRP w/ACell works best when combined with other non-surgical treatments such as Propecia.

 

Below is our first case to present and it represents a mild visual improvement but an overall improvement of 25% was measured with cross sectional tricometry 7 months after the one procedure we administered. Looking at the part line you can see how it not only narrowed but the hairs on either side of the part line are stronger. This was what the patient experienced throughout the top of his scalp and he noted that he could have more hair styles due to the increased density. The patient was 45 years of age at the time of the treatment and was not on Propecia before or after treatment.

 

 

Case #2

In this presentation we have a 64 year old male that presented with general, moderate diffused thinning throughout the top off is scalp. Dr. Cooley administered one treatment of PRP with ACell. The patient had already been on finasteride consistently for ten years prior and he continues this medical regimen still.

 

The patient returned after one year for a follow up visit and the improvements were noted. The hairs throughout the top of the scalp increased in terminal diameter and density improved as well. This is noted in the part line but also the crown. At this time it was discussed and agreed that a second treatment could be performed.

 

The patient returned 18 months later with more improvements compared to the first procedure with an added increase in density and coverage. No other treatments were added and no alterations were made to his existing finasteride intake.

 

 

Continuing our "Not All PRP is The Same" series, we have another example of PRP with ACell performed by Dr. Cooley and the team at Haircenter in Charlotte, NC.

 

Case # 003 is a 21 year old male patient that presented with early onset male pattern hair loss with general thinning throughout the top of the scalp and miniaturization along the frontal hairline and into the temples. He was first started on Propecia but soon after we performed one procedure of PRP with ACell. The result is shown one year after the procedure was performed. The entire top of the scalp has thickened but of particular importance is how the hairline, particularly the temples, have thickened considerably. This is no doubt due to the synergy established by the combined use of Propecia and PRP.

 

 

 

 

PRP Results Case # 004

Our next case presented as a 61 year old male with a well defined area of crown loss. He had already been on dutasteride for a number of years so the patient's loss had already been stable for a long time. In order to continue a non-surgical approach the patient and Dr. Cooley agreed on one treatment of PRP with ACell.

 

The image on the far left is the "before" image before any treatment was administered. He had been on dutasteride already. The middle image is the result six months later. You can easily see a fairly significant improvement. The patient eventually returned four years after his initial visit, and single PRP with ACell treatment, and much of the original result has remained and the overall diameter of the balding area is still less than it was prior to treatment.

 

[Ffx305]

Looks like a legit option for diffuse thinning

[FollicleFanatic]

How is ACell used in conjunction with PRP? Is it added in the centrifuge? Also, how much of a difference does ACell make in PRP versus not using it? Does it significantly extend the results for the patient so they don't have to go back as frequently? Lastly, should a person even do PRP if ACell is not going to be used?

[Speegs]

Good to read up about this issue as it becomes more prevalent. Glad to see it being researched and explained by competent professionals, as there are a number of less than expert clinics out there offering PRP much the same way many are offering machine automated FUE.

 

There's definite promise to be seen in PRP and Acell research, however, provided trustworthy and ethical medical professionals are leading the way.

 

Thanks for the write up.

[HairCenter]

How is ACell used in conjunction with PRP? Is it added in the centrifuge? Also, how much of a difference does ACell make in PRP versus not using it? Does it significantly extend the results for the patient so they don't have to go back as frequently? Lastly, should a person even do PRP if ACell is not going to be used?

 

ACell is added to the PRP after the centrifuge portion is complete. There is a video on Youtube showing exactly how it is done. Search for the video with the title "What is PRP for Hairloss?".

 

We believe that ACell makes a difference but we cannot say for sure how long the effects are extended because of its use. This is not a standard procedure and while we have shared our protocols with some colleagues most clinics will have a different protocol than the next clinic. Our approach calls for only one treatment a year, but that is subject to change based on the clinic. We have had some patients with only one treatment in three or four years with documented improvements. You can see them on our website.