Hair loss treatment has come a long way, in recent years. Your only real option used to be to have "plugs" of hair transplanted from one area to another, an extensive surgical procedure that caused pain and was not always as successful as you'd hope. Now, the go-to treatment is PRP, or platelet rich plasma treatment. The process involves injecting your own blood plasma, which has been enriched with platelets, into your scalp. PRP is quite effective, and the recovery process is pretty simple, too. Here's a look at what you can expect, in the days and weeks after PRP hair treatment.
Mild Discomfort
Since PRP involves injections but no incisions, the recovery is pretty easy. Your scalp may be a little sore, especially when you touch it. You won't want to wear a hat or style your hair in a way that involves extensive combing or pulling on your hair, for a few days, as this may enhance the soreness. However, the discomfort should not be severe enough to stop you from going to work or even working out at the gym. It's probably about as bad as the pain you experience after bumping into something and bruising yourself.
Mild Redness and Inflammation
Your scalp will probably look a bit red after the injections. You may also notice some swelling in the area. This is completely normal. The swelling is not really a reaction of your skin to the injections; you're just seeing the fluid taking up space beneath your skin. The swelling and redness should dissipate within a day or two. If you're self-conscious about the redness and swelling, then you may want to schedule your PRP for a Friday. By the time you go back to work on Monday, your scalp should look normal.
Slow Restoration of Hair Growth
PRP does not cause instant results. You won't wake up the next day with a full head of hair. However, you should notice that hair starts to regrow in the previously bald spot, within a couple of weeks of treatment. Most people need a couple of PRP treatments before their hair grows back as thick as they would like. Your doctor can help you judge when your results are good enough to stop treatments.
Now that you have a better idea of what to expect after PRP, schedule that appointment! It's a safe, relatively painless way to get your hair back.
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