ABSTRACT
Autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been used in diverse indications for more than 30 years with effective results. The procedure to obtain PRP begins by doing a blood sample on an anticoagulated tube. Since individual follicular units are extracted in the follicular unit extraction procedure, PRP is injected into the donor site before extraction to promote hemostasis. The growth factors in PRP provide an enriched environment to promote angiogenesis. Injecting PRP into the recipient area may have other advantages for the nontransplanted hairs. Adult human hair follicle neogenesis has been an important target in regenerative medicine, both for biological research and clinical interest. Hair follicles also contain stem cells, and some researchers predict research on these follicle stem cells may lead to successes in treating baldness through the activation of already existing stem cells in the scalp. The decreased dihydrotes-tosterone levels allow some intermediate follicles to enlarge and regrow normal terminal hairs.
