PRP Hair Treatment: Does It Really Work?

PRP has become the default answer for thinning hair at med spas across South Florida, and the marketing around it has outrun the evidence in both directions — some clinics promise regrowth they cannot deliver, and some patients dismiss it as hype when it has real published support. Here is the calibrated version.

What PRP is

Platelet-rich plasma is made from your own blood. We draw a small sample, spin it in a centrifuge to separate the components, and concentrate the platelet-rich fraction. Platelets carry growth factors involved in tissue repair, and that concentrate is then injected across the thinning areas of the scalp in many small deposits.

Because it comes from you, there is no risk of rejection or allergy to a foreign substance. It is also worth saying clearly: the exact mechanism is not fully understood. Johns Hopkins and Penn State Health both state this openly, and so do we.

Does it actually work?

The best-supported outcome is hair density — more hairs per square centimetre — in androgenetic alopecia, the common pattern thinning that affects both men and women.

A 2024 systematic review and meta-analysis in Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia pooled 13 randomized controlled trials and found a mean increase of 27.55 hairs per cm² versus placebo (95% CI 14.04–41.06). The largest and most recent review, published in Dermatology and Therapy in 2025, covered 43 randomized trials and 1,877 participants and concluded that activated PRP effectively increases hair density.

Two honest caveats sit alongside those numbers. First, the evidence quality is graded low, with very high heterogeneity between studies — meaning the trials were not all testing the same preparation. Second, hair thickness did not improve significantly in either review; the 2024 analysis found a mean difference of 2.02 µm with a confidence interval that crosses zero. PRP appears to increase how many hairs you have, not how thick each one is.

The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery puts the practical expectation this way: available data suggest that at least 30 to 50% of patients will experience some benefit. That is a meaningful number and an honest one. It also means a substantial share of people will not respond, which is why we reassess rather than sell a fixed package up front.

Is PRP FDA approved for hair loss?

No — and be careful with any clinic that says otherwise. The centrifuge systems used to prepare PRP carry FDA 510(k) clearances, but those clearances are written for preparing platelet-rich plasma at the point of care, generally for mixing with bone graft material in surgery. As ISHRS states, no data has been submitted to the FDA sufficient to grant clearance for the hair loss indication.

Johns Hopkins summarizes it well: the equipment and injections have been cleared by the FDA, but the procedure is considered investigational and has not been officially approved for most uses. Using PRP on the scalp is an off-label application — legal, common, and a decision made by a licensed provider — but not an FDA-evaluated indication. “FDA-cleared PRP hair treatment” is a phrase that should never appear on a med spa website. It does not on ours.

PRP works best as part of a plan, not instead of one

This is the single most important thing in this article. The treatments with the strongest evidence for pattern hair loss remain topical minoxidil and, for appropriate patients, oral medication — the American Academy of Dermatology notes that finasteride is FDA-approved for male pattern hair loss and that minoxidil requires six to twelve months to judge.

PRP layers on top of those. A 2024 meta-analysis in PLOS ONE compared PRP plus topical minoxidil against minoxidil alone across five randomized trials and found significantly greater hair density in the combination group at one, three and five-to-six months. Penn State Health tells its patients directly that PRP is not a cure and that they still need to continue their medical therapy to maximize results.

If you come to us for PRP and you are not on any medical therapy, we will raise this. Getting the foundation right first is what makes the PRP worth paying for.

Why results differ so much between clinics

Not all PRP is the same, and this is rarely explained. The concentration of platelets achieved, whether the PRP is activated before injection, the injection volume per square centimetre and the number of injection sites all vary between providers — and the research reflects it. The 2024 meta-analysis reported heterogeneity of nearly 96% between studies, and the 2025 review named inconsistent reporting of preparation methods as the central obstacle to knowing which protocol works best. Notably, that review also found that non-activated PRP was associated with a higher frequency of adverse effects.

ISHRS describes a target concentration of two to six times baseline platelet levels, at least 6 mL of PRP available to inject, and as many as 120 injection sites per session. Those are fair questions to ask any clinic before you book — including ours.

What a session is like

Plan on about an hour. We draw blood, spin it while you wait, apply topical numbing to the scalp, then inject in a grid across the treatment area. Most people describe brief pressure and stinging rather than sharp pain. You can drive yourself home and return to normal activity the same day; the scalp may feel tender that evening. Avoid anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen and aspirin for up to two weeks afterward, as ISHRS advises, since they may blunt the inflammatory signal the treatment relies on.

The standard protocol is one session per month for three months, then a maintenance session roughly every three to six months. The AAD describes the same schedule.

When you will see something

The first change most people notice is not growth — it is that shedding slows. Visible density changes generally take three to six months. ISHRS notes growth can appear as early as one to two months but may take up to six.

On durability, the evidence is genuinely thin: most trials followed patients only three to six months, so long-term data barely exists. The clearest signal is that every clinical source builds in ongoing maintenance. PRP is not permanent, and pattern hair loss is progressive. Stop treating and thinning resumes.

Who is not a good candidate

Advanced hair loss where follicles are no longer active. PRP stimulates existing follicles — it cannot create new ones. For fully bald areas, a transplant is the effective option.
Scarring alopecias.
People taking blood thinners, and heavy smokers, both of which can reduce the quality or volume of usable PRP.
Certain blood disorders or uncontrolled thyroid disease, where platelet quality may be inadequate.
Anyone unwilling to maintain concurrent medical therapy — results will be smaller.

What it costs

PRP for hair loss at AETERNA is $399 per session, roughly 30 minutes of treatment time. A standard starter series of three sessions is $1,197, with maintenance one to two times a year afterward.

For comparison, ISHRS puts the national range at $400 to $1,500 or more per session, and RealSelf reports a national average total of $2,019. PRP is cosmetic and insurance does not cover it. Financing with 0% APR options is available for the full series.

Frequently asked questions

How many sessions will I need? Three monthly sessions, then maintenance every three to six months.

Is it permanent? No. It is a maintenance treatment for a progressive condition.

PRP or minoxidil? A head-to-head review of six randomized trials found the two roughly comparable, with each outperforming the other on different measures. The better question is usually both, not either.

PRP or PRF? PRF is spun differently and without anticoagulant, producing a slower release of growth factors. The comparative evidence in hair loss is limited; we will discuss which is appropriate for you.

Does it work for women? Yes — the trials include women with pattern hair loss, and it is one of the more useful options where oral medication is not appropriate.

Book a consultation at West Palm Beach or Fort Myers, or see all treatments and prices.

This article is general information, not medical advice. PRP is not FDA-approved or cleared for the treatment of hair loss; its use for this purpose is off-label. Results vary between individuals and a significant proportion of patients do not respond. For a diagnosis of the cause of your hair loss, consult a board-certified dermatologist.

PRP Hair Treatment: How Platelet-Rich Plasma Regrows Thinning Hair