PRP with Dr. Arocha

[Mycroft]

Hey guys,

I had posted my results in another thread over in Open Discussion, but I thought I would consolidate and update my poor pictures with some of the before/after photos the clinic was kind enough to share with me. If I miss any information recapping, the original thread will be linked under "Patient Results"

I had initially stopped by to consult with Dr. Arocha about surgery. After taking a look at my hair he recommended that I try adding PRP+Acell to the Finasteride and Minoxidil treatments. I had been on Finasteride 1mg daily for around three years by this time, and Minoxidil for several months. The doctor felt that my generalized thinning might benefit from the treatment, so I agreed to give it a shot. We also discussed the possibility of LLLT since all of these things seem to be more effective when used in conjunction with one another rather than standalone treatments, but I wanted to evaluate the PRP first since there were already a number of variables in the mix and budget was a concern. That was back on 11/5/18. I went back to his office last Monday, 4/8/19 around the five month mark, so the after pictures are from then. A couple of things to note:

1. To reiterate, I am also on Finasteride 1mg and Minoxidil twice daily. I added dermastamping a few months ago, which I do once a week with 2 mm needles.

2. Dr. Arocha performed PRP+Acell injections into my scalp around five months ago. In theory I will continue to receive benefits up to the twelve month mark if not a bit longer, but twelve months is what the doctor recommended for maintenance. He did confirm that a booster session could be beneficial for to accelerate "lagging" areas like the corners in the front, but he didn't feel that was in any way necessary unless I was feeling impatient. I decided to see how things progressed without the booster this time. Most of the PRP injections were done in the frontal area with just a little in the crown.

3. I am actually a redhead of sorts. My hair is that kind of dark auburn color with red highlights mainly visible when the light catches them. As a result, my sprouting hairs tend to be very light, fine, and nearly invisible before they thicken and darken up to the deeper brown-red of my more mature hairs. There are actually a bunch of them growing in the hairline and corners that you can't see in these photos, and based on my experience thus far there's a very real chance they may end up becoming terminal. We'll find out.

4. All pictures are taken without any kind of concealer or special product other than the leave-in conditioner I use after showering. The photos were all taken in the same spot, same lighting, with the same camera. If anything, the lighting does me a few favors in the before pictures as you can see from the harsh lighting pictures. Hair is combed back in both pictures, but I think it was just a tad longer in the "before" images.

I hadn't actually realized how rough the crown had started to get, so I'm grateful to be able to see my scalp from angles I'm not usually privy to. It's still lagging a bit, but in fairness it was looking rough to begin with and the PRP injections were not concentrated in that area. Beyond obvious regrowth and filling in of sparse areas, the thickness and strength of the existing terminal hair seems to have improved quite a bit as well. It seems to have much more volume and strength to it at the moment, and I think that actually comes across in how limp my hair looks in some of the before pictures.

PRP treatments can be somewhat treacherous territory because based on my research there is absolutely no standardization for how it is performed. Technique, equipment, etc. can vary wildly from place to place and that means if you're going to try it you absolutely need to go somewhere reputable that can show you a history of good results. There are a couple of doctors on this site that fall into this category, and based on my experience I would highly recommend speaking with Dr. Arocha if you're looking to give PRP a shot. 

Clinic Photos:

 

Patient Photos in Harsh Light (Please excuse poor quality)

 

 

 

[ArochaAngel4247]

Thanks for sharing your story, Mycroft!

[Melvin- Admin]

Wow this is pretty dang impressive for PRP. 

[Shifty]

Man, I wish you weren't doing the other things, or at least not started them so recently. I am thinking about PRP but no one has a stand alone thread....

[Mycroft]

6 hours ago, Shifty said:

Man, I wish you weren't doing the other things, or at least not started them so recently. I am thinking about PRP but no one has a stand alone thread....

I hear you. What I can tell you for sure about my results is that the Fin had been in play for years before my PRP, so that is a non factor. The minoxidil had been going for three months but I had only been applying it to the frontal third. While I have since moved to using it on the entire scalp, at the time these pictures were taken I had not yet started applying it to the crown. I had definitely been microneedling in that area for about two months when the after pictures were taken, five months after my treatment.

The conclusion I can draw from this is the crown improvement is entirely PRP and microneedling in these photos. The doctor actually microneedled my scalp during my session, and from my understanding based on what he said and what I've read, the wounding helps to activate the PRP, similar to how it activates your natural growth factors, but with that extra boost.  

I've got some areas that are lagging behind a bit, and I'm hoping to get some slightly more scientific documentation of how they're impacted by my second PRP treatment in a few months. I'm going to ask the doctor to concentrate a few more of the injections in those areas to see if I can better gauge results this next go around.

 

 

 

[Shifty]

@Mycroft ill be watching. I might bite the bullet for my crown. I have been doing it all for pretty much a year so if there is a quick difference after PRP  I'll now. 

[Mycroft]

Hey guys, my hair is a bit shorter in these pictures but I figured I'd share an update from today. As of now I'm around ten months from my first treatment and I can still see improvements in my hair. My phone camera is limited but hopefully you can see a few interesting points.

1. The crown is definitely looking stronger. In the five month images it still looked a bit thinner than which may have been partly due to less PRP concentrated in that area. 

2. The weird segmented horn look on the right side of my hairline has less contrast and is blending in much better. You can still see it scrutinizing up close, but at a glance it is far less obvious.

3. The gap in the front center of the hairline has a number of new, pigmented sprouts popping up, which I hope you can see here. The left corner, which is definitely the weaker side, has a whole new row of small, pigmented hairs as well. They are soft in both cases, so it remains to be seen whether they will be able to grow out to an appreciable length and thickness. Second round of PRP may help this. What you're not seeing is a bunch of vellus, non pigmented hairs that are intermingled in there. Not providing much cosmetic benefit right now, but the dark sprouts looked that way initially, so you never know.

Obviously this is slow going, but on top of this I've noticed that any shedding and hair fall has dramatically reduced. Hair still sheds from time to time but well within "normal" amounts each day. While my hair is by no means bulletproof, I'm pretty happy with the fact that I still seem to be making small forward progress even this late in the game.

[paddyirishman]

Great results ., probably better than medication and which is a win win for everybody .

What does the doctor say if you stop taking the treatment?  Do you need to keep the treatments going ? Does your hair go back to where it was before if you dont take more treatments.

.....thanks and all the best Paddy.

 

 

 

[Mycroft]

1 hour ago, paddyirishman said:

Great results ., probably better than medication and which is a win win for everybody .

What does the doctor say if you stop taking the treatment?  Do you need to keep the treatments going ? Does your hair go back to where it was before if you dont take more treatments.

.....thanks and all the best Paddy.

 

 

 

Dr. Arocha recommended treatment every 12 months to maintain the results, which seems pretty standard for the PRP+Acell combo as far as I have seen. I have certainly seen some patients whose results seem to last longer than this without any "renewal" treatments, but beyond simply maintaining my results I've actually found some patients see additional improvement with subsequent treatments, and I'm curious to see if that is the case with me. I don't want to push it longer than the 12 month mark at the moment though.

My plan is to see if we can get a little more concentration of the PRP towards those lagging areas in the front that I've highlighted to see if I can bring them up a bit.

[Mycroft]

Managed to snag a better picture without the selfie function. I used flash on this one to help show the contrast against my skin. Notice that cluster of little hairs in the center. The left side is/was the lagging side which you can still see, but with the flash you can kind of catch a glimpse of some of the growth currently happening there.

 

Edit: also including a frontal image from the five month mark for reference.

Edited August 29, 2019 by Mycroft

[Melvin- Admin]

6 hours ago, Mycroft said:

Managed to snag a better picture without the selfie function. I used flash on this one to help show the contrast against my skin. Notice that cluster of little hairs in the center. The left side is/was the lagging side which you can still see, but with the flash you can kind of catch a glimpse of some of the growth currently happening there.

 

Edit: also including a frontal image from the five month mark for reference.

Man I wish I had that much hair lol 😅

[Mycroft]

So funny that you say this. Despite my hair being far from bulletproof, I've actually had a number of compliments on it lately. A friend asked me for advice with his own hair after remarking that mine was looking pretty good, and I recently had a gal in her mid-twenties comment that I had a "nice hairline" which was hilarious to me. Still, it does seem like all of the effort I've put in is yielding some results. 

[bags]

Hi,

Great results. 

Any updates since it's been just about the 12 month mark? I'm very close to getting PRP, but it's $4,000 for three sessions (NYC top rated doctor). I was doing a light search of results and before seeing yours I hadn't seen many positive reviews - I'm sure a lot has  to do with the doctor and where they went. 

 

Best

[champybaby]

That's impressive. 

Questions: 

- Do you really believe microneddling works? It seems like a gimmick, but so many people are trying it. 

- What is a ballpark of cost for a PRP  procedure like yours with a reputable doctor, in your opinion? I am not asking for your docs prices, but what can I expect if I go somewhere reputable? Thanks. 

[Steeeve]

26 minutes ago, champybaby said:

That's impressive. 

Questions: 

- Do you really believe microneddling works? It seems like a gimmick, but so many people are trying it. 

- What is a ballpark of cost for a PRP  procedure like yours with a reputable doctor, in your opinion? I am not asking for your docs prices, but what can I expect if I go somewhere reputable? Thanks. 

You would have to speak to the doctor individually as most doctors range in price. I have found that most doctors who I contacted (who I contacted through this forum and whom I deemed reputable) are going to charge $1500 to $3500 with an average of about $2500. Lots of clinics do post their prices on their websites though so that should be your first place to look. If you can’t find it just contact the clinic. They’re usually happy to tell you their prices without any hassle.