PRP injections can meaningfully help regrow hair density, especially when platelets are 'activated' before injection, but they work better for density than for making existing hairs thicker -- the specific PRP preparation method affects both how well it works and its side-effect risk.
What they did
Pooled 43 randomized controlled trials (1,877 participants) testing PRP injections for various types of hair loss against placebo/saline or other treatments, separately analyzing 'activated' versus 'non-activated' PRP preparations.
What they found
Activated PRP (platelets chemically triggered before injection) significantly increased hair density and reduced relapse compared with placebo. Non-activated PRP was associated with more frequent side effects. PRP did not significantly improve hair thickness in either form.
Limitations
Full text could not be accessed (publisher login wall blocked retrieval); summary relies on search-engine excerpts of the abstract and author list could not be confirmed. High heterogeneity across the 43 included trials in PRP preparation protocols; potential publication bias common in this research area; most individual trials were small.
Who paid for it
Not confirmed from accessible sources
Read the original
Platelet-Rich Plasma in the Management of Alopecia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Evidence ↗ · Not confirmed from accessible abstract (author list unavailable) · DOI 10.1007/s13555-025-01542-8 · we summarised this from the abstract
Discussion
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