Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy | Dr. Joseph Greco Ph.D. Answers Your Questions

[Refuse2GoBald]

Robyn,

While I wouldn't know anything about your particular situation, I would definitely contact Dr. Greco regarding this. He has done a lot of work in the PRP arena. I met with him last week and he performed the simple procedure on me. Also, I've read posts from Dr. Allen Feller and he appears to be very knowledgeable on the subject as well. I would contact him as well. Best of luck and please keep us posted.

[Dr Joseph F. Greco]

Last May I contracted a scalp fungal infection from a beauty salon that was misdiagnosed by my doctor as psoriasis. For 4 painful months I was using topical steroids in an alcohol base as treatment - which was doing nothing except perhaps making a stronger fungus, inflicting severe pain and making my condition worse.

I finally found a decent dermatologist who immediately recognized the real problem and arranged a correct treatment program. The pain, itching and flaking has now stopped, but it took a really long time to arrest the situation.

Hair regrowth has been SLOOOOW. Glacially so . . They say that now I am experiencing hair loss from stress and that my scalp suffered an injury and needs time to heal and balance out.

Under these circumstances - do you think this PRP treatment would be helpful to me? Is this effective for women and men? (I'm a woman) Thanks

Hello Robyn,

Sorry to hear about your problem and fortunately you have found a Dermatologist that is treating your problem. I would continue to follow your Dermatologists protocol and be patient.

I really do not know if PRP would be helpful in your case, but I would not want to do anything to change your treatment at this time. Sometimes the enemy of good is better!

From our experience females do just as well as males with PRP.

[smileyface19]

Dr. Greco

I am 19 years young and have been fortunate enough to save my hair (at least as of the present). I'm on propecia and r-squared and am simply curious... How does this procedure work for kids with mpb (not saying that I'm a child anymore... (but still youthful). I'm no guinie pig or lab rat or anything like that, simply curious and would like to know how this procedure would take place. Very interesting using stem cells to stimulate follicles. Is it the native follicles that are injected with the stem cells or is it these artificial punctured (1mm depth i believe i read) holes which become the new residual resting place of these stem cells? Thanks for your time and for doing a good thing.

[smileyface19]

What are the chances of shock loss after the traumatizing of the scalp?

[Dr Joseph F. Greco]

What are the chances of shock loss after the traumatizing of the scalp?

Good question. Never say never in medicine. Depending on the method and how aggressive you stimulate would directly relate to shock loss. It is not necessary to use a needle longer than 1mm and it is not necessary to cause any bleeding. GF's will not cause shock loss, but if you traumatize to aggressively you may certainly cause shock loss.

[Dr Joseph F. Greco]

Dr. Greco

I am 19 years young and have been fortunate enough to save my hair (at least as of the present). I'm on propecia and r-squared and am simply curious... How does this procedure work for kids with mpb (not saying that I'm a child anymore... (but still youthful). I'm no guinie pig or lab rat or anything like that, simply curious and would like to know how this procedure would take place. Very interesting using stem cells to stimulate follicles. Is it the native follicles that are injected with the stem cells or is it these artificial punctured (1mm depth i believe i read) holes which become the new residual resting place of these stem cells? Thanks for your time and for doing a good thing.

Great thought process..some of us need to listen to what you are saying.

First, PDGF signals are involved in both epidermis-follicle interaction and the dermal mesenchyme interaction required for hair canal formation and the growth of dermal mesenchyme, respectively.(Takakura et al, 1996)

In 2001, ( Yano et al) identified VEGF as a major mediator of hair follicle growth and cycling providing the first direct evidence that the improved follicle vascularization promotes hair growth and increases follicle and hair size.

This is what we feel is going on with GF's and hair, especially, in younger patients where miniaturization is beginning to occur.

Stimulation of the scalp initiates Stat 3 migration and inducing an early antigen response.

[smileyface19]

Would you recommend this treatment for younger people who are not good candidates for a surgical hair transplants yet?. I don't want to go under the knife as in HT this early just in case, you know? There is a doctor in Vancouver who is performing this now as well but by using a different technique. Could you try and explain his technique and how it differs from yours? Also I'd like to get off the Mino because it's kind of a pain in the ass putting it on and stuff, I mean I want to be able to go camping and not have greasy lotion in my hair. Just take a pill every second day and possibly this procedure twice a year. Easy.

[losinghope79]

I just wanna ask I got the prp treatment done but I didn't go to Dr. Greco (which I am now regretting) I went to another option in this area because I had not heard of Dr. Greco yet and the treatment cost me about $1300 and I got it done 2 months ago. The doctors there told me that this will help me didn't let me know that it may not. Basically they spoon fed me till I paid them and got my hopes up. Now 2 months later I've actually noticed my hair thinning and falling out more rapidly then ever before. Its awful its embarrasing I've pretty much gone into a deep depression where I hate going out in public and I've been getting picked by my peers and family for it. I just wanted to aske Dr. Greco is there still hope or if this is happening already am I pretty much done for? I'm still young live in the tampa area and had a future in the entertainment field but have been written off by several companies now just because my hairline is making me look older then I really am.
I've fought and scraped by for 16 years to live my dream and get to this point and now to lose it all because of this is the most heartbreaking thing thats ever happened in my life. So I guess my question is. Dr. Greco is there still hope after only 2 months? Is it normal to lose more in the first 2 months?

[Dr Joseph F. Greco]

I just wanna ask I got the prp treatment done but I didn't go to Dr. Greco (which I am now regretting) I went to another option in this area because I had not heard of Dr. Greco yet and the treatment cost me about $1300 and I got it done 2 months ago. The doctors there told me that this will help me didn't let me know that it may not. Basically they spoon fed me till I paid them and got my hopes up. Now 2 months later I've actually noticed my hair thinning and falling out more rapidly then ever before. Its awful its embarrasing I've pretty much gone into a deep depression where I hate going out in public and I've been getting picked by my peers and family for it. I just wanted to aske Dr. Greco is there still hope or if this is happening already am I pretty much done for? I'm still young live in the tampa area and had a future in the entertainment field but have been written off by several companies now just because my hairline is making me look older then I really am.
I've fought and scraped by for 16 years to live my dream and get to this point and now to lose it all because of this is the most heartbreaking thing thats ever happened in my life. So I guess my question is. Dr. Greco is there still hope after only 2 months? Is it normal to lose more in the first 2 months?

Sure there is hope and you may just be experiencing a shed of hairs like the dred shed people experience after begining a new therapy be it Rogaine or Finasteride. Hairs must go into the resting phase and when they come out of the resting phase into the growing phase this is when hair will improve. We see peak effect 4 to 6 months so don't worry there is still hope that you are will respond to the therapy. JG

[gillenator]

Dr. Greco,

Sure, I have heard and observed the same type of shedding from various individuals over many years from the initial use of hairloss meds and products like finasteride and minoxidil. I have also witnessed many guys immediately jump off these meds should they sustain a shed because they simply do not understand how hair behaves between the growth phases.

But "losinghope" is stating his shedding is a direct result from the PRP treatment he received, not hairloss meds/products.

Is this common or rare?

What about your own patients? How common is the shed/shockloss experience "after" a PRP treament?