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A gel which is made from a patient's blood and then injected into their scalp could be a new way to tackle hair loss. The gel contains platelet-rich plasma (PRP) - a concentrated mix of substances in the blood that help cell growth and healing.
PRP is made by taking a small amount of blood from a patient's arm and then processing it in a machine that spins the blood at high speed until it separates into its various components.
Blood is largely made up of a clear yellowish liquid, called plasma but it also contains small, solid compounds; red cells, white cells and platelets.
U.S. researchers are testing PRP for the most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia
The plasma and the platelets are thought to help cell growth and healing; platelet-rich plasma is sometimes used to treat tendon injuries as well as burns.
Now U.S. researchers are testing it for the most common form of hair loss, androgenetic alopecia (known in men as male pattern baldness).
This is thought to affect more than half of all men aged over 50 and half of women over 65 to some degree, where it causes the hair to thin.
It is caused by a combination of genetic and hormonal factors, with a form of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone (DHT), thought to be the main culprit. This is needed for the development of certain characteristics during puberty, such as facial hair.
However, high levels are thought to trigger a change in hair follicles on the scalp so that hairs become progressively smaller in diameter, shorter in length and lighter in colour, and eventually the follicles shrink so they no longer produce hair.
A previous study found that it was safe and there was some improvement in hair growth
Current treatments include minoxidil, a solution that is rubbed on to the scalp and which has been shown to partially restore hair growth.
However, according to the British Association of Dermatologists, minoxidil seldom produces any worthwhile long -term improvement and the benefits last only as long as patients are actually using it.
In the new trial at New York University, 50 patients with alopecia will receive either an injection of PRP or a placebo into their scalp. The platelet-rich plasma can be injected within ten minutes of the blood sample being taken, so therapy can be completed in just one visit.
The theory is that injecting platelet-rich plasma into the hair follicles will increase the supply of blood and nutrients, boosting the activity of the hair follicle cells, resulting in more growth and stronger hair. A previous study of platelet-rich plasma on 42 alopecia patients found that it was safe and there was some improvement in hair growth after five sessions.
Dr Bav Shergill, a consultant dermatologist at the Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, says of the new treatment: 'Platelet-rich plasma has been used by orthopaedic surgeons to help to repair tendons and there is certainly some anecdotal evidence of hair regrowth in some individuals.
'I think that the results of this study will be closely watched by dermatologists specialising in hair disorders as there are not many options for andro- genic alopecia.'
Platelet-RICH plasma could also help to repair damaged heart tissue, according to the World Journal of Cardiology. Greek researchers analysed studies that had looked into the use of platelet rich plasma after heart attacks, where heart tissue is damaged and cannot repair itself.
They say studies using animals and a few clinical trials have shown that platelet-rich plasma contains many of the important compounds needed for the growth of blood vessels and repair of heart muscle tissue. The research concluded that additional human studies were needed.
Source: Gel made of your own blood and then injected into your scalp to cure hair loss
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