So you’ve heard of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) hair treatment. But have you thought about using PRP for beard growth?
Facial hair is more popular than ever, and this is particularly true for young men in the UK. Surveys show that 69% of UK men aged 18 to 39 choose to have some type of facial hair [1].
If you want to keep up with trends but you’re struggling with beard hair loss, or have developed a patchy beard, you may wonder what to do about it. PRP may be able to help you grow a full, healthy beard. In this article, we’ll explore:
PRP is a type of regenerative medicine. It uses a concentrated sample of platelets from your own blood to stimulate hair growth in thinning or sparse areas.
These platelets contain growth factors which can stimulate cell growth and repair. When used for beard growth, a clinician injects PRP into areas of beard hair loss or desired hair growth around your chin, jaw, and neck.
PRP growth factors that help with beard growth include [2]:
This treatment can stimulate hair follicles and encourage beard growth. It’s minimally invasive, making it a very popular treatment among men who want thicker beards. The higher the concentration of platelets in the injected plasma, the greater the effect on hair growth and density will be [3].
Research specifically on PRP and beard growth is limited. However, there is plenty of evidence for PRP‘s role in treating hair loss in general, and early research and positive case studies suggest these effects also apply to facial hair.
For example:
Benefits of PRP as a treatment for beard growth include:
PRP hair treatment usually lasts between 3 and 6 months, and injection sessions are usually needed every 2 to 4 weeks [6]. However, this may vary depending on your specific symptoms, the clinic and clinician treating you, and how you respond to initial PRP sessions.
PRP hair treatment, including PRP for beard growth, costs around £200-£500 per session in the UK. Some clinics charge up to £850 per session.
Generally, you can get a reduced rate if you book multiple sessions in advance. Prices vary depending on:
Some clinics also combine PRP with other treatments like microneedling or biotin injections, increasing the cost further. At the Wimpole Clinic, PRP injections are provided by our skilled technicians. Prices start from just £295 per session.
PRP is not an option for everyone, but it can give excellent results if you’re a good candidate. Here are some of the factors that will affect whether PRP is right for you.
Several health conditions may mean PRP is unsuitable for you. These include [7]:
If you’re a smoker, you may also be asked to stop smoking for several days before and after the procedure [8]. Smoking isn’t a contraindication for PRP, but smoking can cause hair loss and negatively affect your results.
PRP works best to improve results after a beard transplant. It also works well for androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness) when treating scalp hair loss [9], but there’s limited evidence for the use of PRP for other types of hair loss. A few small studies and case reports also support PRP for alopecia areata, but further research on this topic is needed [10].
PRP comes with a risk of mild side effects such as headaches and itching. If you’re not willing to accept these risks, the treatment isn’t right for you.
PRP has very few side effects when used as a hair growth treatment. If you’re having PRP for beard growth, you may experience mild itching, temporary redness, or swelling around your beard area [6].
No serious side effects like infections, scarring, deep inflammation or allergic reactions have been reported [6]. After your treatment session, you can go back to your normal activities straight away. Provided your procedure took place in a safe, clean environment, there’s no need for any antibiotics to prevent infection.
A beard transplant is a procedure to move hair from other body areas to the beard area. The back and sides of the scalp are typically used as the donor area because these areas are often resistant to future hair loss.
A beard transplant can be performed using follicular unit extraction (FUE) or follicular unit transplantation (FUT). Learn more about the differences between FUE and FUT here.
Dr James Vogel (Associate Professor of Surgery at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and School of Medicine) asserts that PRP is playing an increasingly important role in hair restoration surgery [11]. This includes beard transplants.
Having PRP injections after a beard transplant can stimulate the newly transplanted hair follicles. A study of 40 patients who had an FUE hair transplant suggests that PRP increases final hair density and improves recovery time [12].
Have you got a patchy beard? PRP could be the beard growth solution you’ve been looking for.
You can rest assured you’re in safe hands at the Wimpole Clinic because all our PRP sessions are performed by expert clinicians. Before you have any PRP sessions, you’ll first be assessed by a skilled trichologist.
These hair doctors will identify the reason for your patchy beard or beard hair loss using comprehensive diagnostic trichology tests (like blood tests for hair loss). If you’re a candidate for a natural-looking hair transplant, you may be able to combine this with PRP.
Research suggests that combining a hair transplant with PRP gives better outcomes than having a hair transplant alone [13], so opt for a clinic that offers both. Even if you’re not ready for surgery, we can discuss all your hair restoration options in a no-obligation consultation. Book a consultation at your nearest clinic location today.
PRP can help regrow your beard if you have alopecia barbae, or if you’re recovering from a beard transplant. However, if you genetically lack hair follicles in some areas of your beard, PRP can’t create new follicles. You’ll need a beard transplant to grow hair in those areas.
No, PRP isn’t required after a beard transplant, but your surgeon may recommend PRP to improve outcomes. The same is true of Minoxidil, which is often recommended after a transplant. Clinicians will advise what they think is best for you and your new hair, but ultimately, you get to make the final decision on any additional therapies.
Yes, there is plenty of research on PRP as a treatment for regrowing a receding hairline. It works particularly well for androgenetic alopecia (male or female pattern baldness) [9], which can cause temple hair loss and a receding or M-shaped hairline in men. However, the effect of PRP is likely to be small if you have significant hairline recession, and it only works slightly better than medications like Minoxidil.
If you’re a candidate for Minoxidil and PRP, you can choose whether you’d prefer one or both treatments. Depending on your symptoms and your doctor’s advice, both treatments may be recommended together. Research suggests PRP and Minoxidil work well together [14], and combining these treatments may improve overall beard growth and give you better results.
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