I've been getting prp treatments for four years now, with no other treatments. Prior to the prp my hair looked pretty good but under a microscope there was definitely a bit of miniaturization visible under the microscope. Four years later the top of my head looks just like my permanent zone under a microscope. My hair also feels stronger and fuller and I have virtually no shedding. I don't think it's a miracle treatment and certainly not a "cure," but overall I am a believer.
This is why I think hair loss researchers need to step back from their microscopes and have a long hard look at the big picture. I believe that PGD2 saturated miniaturizing follicles are being somehow starved of blood platelet growth factors. You give the follicles platelet rich plasma and the miniaturizing hairs increase in diameter.
If researchers can find a way to prevent PGD2 from saturating susceptible follicles, it would be interesting to see if hair in the "loss zone" improves.
Many different approaches toward finding a solution.
35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office
forhair.com
Cole Hair Transplant
1070 Powers Place
Alpharetta, Georgia 30009
Phone 678-566-1011
email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck
06-30-2014 03:17 AM
shreyas24
Definitely it helps you, no doubt on it. And won't get any side effect from it because it's a non surgical method.
07-29-2014 09:28 PM
FuzzyWuzzy
Guys,
long time lurker. Tried both Fin and Minoxodil, and unfortunately didn't respond well to either. Since I cant use either of the two most powerful (and approved) preventative treatments I am hoping to go with PRP + Acell and see how I respond. I'm going with two treatments roughly 8 months apart. I'd like to do two regardless of weather or not the first treatment has any noticeable effects as some have suggested that continued treatments tend to have greater effect.
I'm currently in NYC and would appreciate any doctor recommendations. I can (and have) done the requisite searches online but some of the top rated docs are also accused of some pretty poor practices. I am also asking both my dermatologist and some of the hair specialists here in NYC if they can recommend anyone.
Happy to come back to this thread and post replies on how my own success (or lack there of) works.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
07-30-2014 06:36 AM
35YrsAfter
Quote:
Originally Posted by FuzzyWuzzy
Guys,
long time lurker. Tried both Fin and Minoxodil, and unfortunately didn't respond well to either. Since I cant use either of the two most powerful (and approved) preventative treatments I am hoping to go with PRP + Acell and see how I respond. I'm going with two treatments roughly 8 months apart. I'd like to do two regardless of weather or not the first treatment has any noticeable effects as some have suggested that continued treatments tend to have greater effect.
I'm currently in NYC and would appreciate any doctor recommendations. I can (and have) done the requisite searches online but some of the top rated docs are also accused of some pretty poor practices. I am also asking both my dermatologist and some of the hair specialists here in NYC if they can recommend anyone.
Happy to come back to this thread and post replies on how my own success (or lack there of) works.
Thanks in advance for your responses.
At Dr. Cole's, we recommend PRP/ACell with hair transplant surgery. These treatments promote healing and nearly always improve hair shaft diameter at least a little. Dr. Cole keeps an extensive record of his patient's hair mass index. We nearly always see an improvement in hair shaft diameter. The question is, are stand-alone ACell/PRP treatments worth the expense. In many cases, I don't believe they are for the average income man or woman. The most frustrating thing about the state of current treatments for MPB is the fact that all of the topical and oral treatments only help a little bit. ACell/PRP treatments vary from doctor to doctor. Dr. Greco in Florida says he is having success with women in particular. I don't believe he uses ACell though. He says he found something more effective. In one of his videos, he states that with regular treatments (women), improvement will gradually "ratchet" forward. At Dr. Cole's, we use the Angel brand PRP device. We have one patient in particular who got an excellent result from PRP/ACell. He contacted me several months back and let me know he was undergoing a massive shed. Fortunately, the last I heard the shedding stopped and his hair thickened up to where it was. All this to say, If you have the money, it's worth a try and if you have a lot of time and money, it wouldn't hurt to give Greco's regular PRP treatment plan a shot. Hopefully better treatments are on their way soon. A lot of guys in the forum are getting frustrated, mainly because there are so many studies that have been presented in an over optimistic way, making it sound like the cure has been found and will be available within a year or two.
35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office - forhair.com - Cole Hair Transplant, 1045 Powers Place, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 - Phone 678-566-1011 - email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck
07-30-2014 06:52 AM
walrus
Quote:
Originally Posted by 35YrsAfter
This is why I think hair loss researchers need to step back from their microscopes and have a long hard look at the big picture. I believe that PGD2 saturated miniaturizing follicles are being somehow starved of blood platelet growth factors. You give the follicles platelet rich plasma and the miniaturizing hairs increase in diameter.
Anyone reading this should realise that the above statement is only the opinion of 35YrsAfter. That is, there is no evidence to link the PGD2 mediated pathway of hair growth inhibition with platelets or PRP. Be aware of financially motivated posters hijacking scientific theories for personal gain.
07-30-2014 09:07 AM
35YrsAfter
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by walrus
Anyone reading this should realise that the above statement is only the opinion of 35YrsAfter. That is, there is no evidence to link the PGD2 mediated pathway of hair growth inhibition with platelets or PRP. Be aware of financially motivated posters hijacking scientific theories for personal gain.
Did you even read my post? At the very least PRP improves healing. Have you heard of Emory University and Emory hospital? If not, read about the healing success they are having using PRP. If money were motivating my post and I had my eye on profits as you imply, wouldn't I be singing the praises of PRP and encouraging forum readers to have PRP treatments at our clinic rather than sending them to Dr. Greco in Florida? Below is a better than average PRP/ACell treatment. Attachment 33893
Does everything in your life require a formal study? Some things are a no-brainer. Patients having PRP/ACell treatment show an improvement in hair shaft diameter. We keep track of hair mass index numbers and roughly 90% of our patients who have had PRP/ACell treatments show some improvement in their hair mass index. I just think, in most cases the improvement of stand-alone ACell/PRP treatment is not worth the money. The effectiveness of PRP is not a scientific theory, it's proven fact.
The contents of your post is incredibly ignorant and you do a disservice to the hair loss community by writing such nonsense.
35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office - forhair.com - Cole Hair Transplant, 1045 Powers Place, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 - Phone 678-566-1011 - email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck
07-30-2014 11:36 AM
FearTheLoss
I don't understand why people on the forum relentlessly attack 35yrs...He clearly stated that Dr. Greco's PRP plan might be worth a try if you have the money, and he works for Dr. Cole. How do you guys then take this statement and turn it into him having an anterior motive to make money? It's unreal.
Dr. Greco does have a different PRP formation than any doctor out there, and I've seen numerous pictures of his patients that lead me to believe it works with a decent success rate. I'm going to be getting PRP done with Greco soon.
FTL
07-30-2014 03:51 PM
walrus
Quote:
Originally Posted by 35YrsAfter
The contents of your post is incredibly ignorant and you do a disservice to the hair loss community by writing such nonsense.
I stand by what I said. There is no evidence for what you posted regarding PGD2, only conjecture. You are either unwittingly, or intentionally, misleading readers (neither reflect well). PGD2 acts on the GPR44 receptor which has nothing to do with platelets.
Which does more of a disservice to the hair loss community: Spewing false information, or calling it out for what it is?.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 35YrsAfter
it's proven fact.
By your logic, facts don't require evidence.
07-31-2014 10:48 AM
35YrsAfter
Quote:
Originally Posted by walrus
I stand by what I said. There is no evidence for what you posted regarding PGD2, only conjecture. You are either unwittingly, or intentionally, misleading readers (neither reflect well). PGD2 acts on the GPR44 receptor which has nothing to do with platelets.
Which does more of a disservice to the hair loss community: Spewing false information, or calling it out for what it is?.
By your logic, facts don't require evidence.
A theory when stated as such is not false information. It may later be proven false, but in the case of Rogaine for example, there are currently only theories regarding how it actually works. All the theories in the world will have absolutely no impact on the actual effectiveness of minoxidil.
35YrsAfter also posts as CITNews and works at Dr. Cole's office - forhair.com - Cole Hair Transplant, 1045 Powers Place, Alpharetta, Georgia 30009 - Phone 678-566-1011 - email 35YrsAfter at chuck@forhair.com
The contents of my posts are my opinions and not medical advice
Please feel free to call or email me with any questions. Ask for Chuck
07-31-2014 01:31 PM
walrus
Quote:
Originally Posted by 35YrsAfter
A theory when stated as such is not false information. It may later be proven false, but in the case of Rogaine for example, there are currently only theories regarding how it actually works. All the theories in the world will have absolutely no impact on the actual effectiveness of minoxidil.
Good, so we have established then that your PGD2 'theory' is unsupported by actual science. Anyone can say they have a theory that there are fairies on the moon, but that doesn't make it creditable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 35YrsAfter
All the theories in the world will have absolutely no impact on the actual effectiveness of minoxidil.
No, but that is why we have double-blind placebo controlled studies.
