Quick answer
PRP, platelet-rich plasma injected into the scalp, may add some hair density in pattern hair loss, about 25 to 28 hairs per cm2 over saline or placebo in two meta-analyses, but the evidence is low quality and protocols vary.
- What it is: a concentrate of platelets from your own blood, injected into thinning areas of scalp.
- What is reported: more hairs per cm2 at three to six months; no clear gain in hair thickness over placebo.
- Side effects: mainly injection pain; no serious events in the pooled trials.
- Where it fits: studied beside minoxidil, not instead of it; the cause of the hair loss is worked out first.
What is PRP for hair loss?
Platelet-rich plasma is prepared from a small sample of your own blood. The sample is spun in a centrifuge so that the platelets, which hold growth factors, are concentrated, and the result is injected or micro-injected into thinning areas of the scalp. The idea is that the growth factors support follicles that are still active.
The same material is used for other purposes, as the piece on three roads to collagen describes for facial skin. For hair, the trials mostly study androgenetic alopecia, the genetic pattern of thinning, with a smaller number in alopecia areata.
Does PRP work for hair loss?
It may add some density, and the strength of that statement is limited. A 2023 meta-analysis of 27 controlled trials with 1,117 people found PRP raised hair density by 25.6 hairs per cm2 against saline injections over the medium term, with a confidence interval from 2.62 to 48.57, and rated the evidence low quality. A 2024 meta-analysis of 14 randomised trials with 431 people found 27.55 hairs per cm2 against placebo, with a wide interval and very high heterogeneity.
Both rate the evidence low quality, and the 2024 authors call for high-quality trials. Hair diameter did not differ significantly from placebo in the 2024 analysis, and a 2023 meta-analysis of nine trials found hair count and diameter rose from baseline but not significantly against placebo. In plain terms, the reported change is in the number of hairs in a patch, not clearly in how thick each one is.
What do the meta-analyses report, in numbers?
| Meta-analysis | Trials and people | Main result | Evidence rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cruciani 2023 | 27 trials, 1,117 people | 25.6 more hairs per cm2 than saline (interval 2.62 to 48.57) | Low quality |
| Kieling 2024 | 14 trials, 431 people | 27.55 more hairs per cm2 than placebo (interval 14.04 to 41.06); diameter not significant | Low quality, publication bias |
| Zhang 2023 | 9 trials, 238 people | Density up at 3 and 6 months against placebo; count and diameter not significant against placebo | Not graded in the abstract |
| Xiao 2024 | 6 trials, 343 people | PRP with minoxidil gave more density than either alone | Level III |
The intervals matter as much as the middle figures. A gain that could be as small as about 3 hairs per cm2 or as large as about 49 is one the evidence cannot pin down, which is why the authors call for better trials.
Why do PRP protocols and results vary so much?
Because PRP is not one product. The preparation differs in how many times it is spun, whether it is chemically activated, how many sessions are given, how far apart they are, and whether the whole scalp or half of it is treated. A network meta-analysis of 25 trials found 10 distinct regimens and linked a larger gain at six months to more sessions, shorter intervals, chemical activation, double centrifugation, younger age and female sex.
Those links are associations across trials, not proof that any one setting is the right one. It does explain why one trial of PRP can differ from the next, and why a result quoted for one clinic's method may not apply to another.
Does PRP work better together with minoxidil?
In the one meta-analysis that asked, yes. Six randomised trials with 343 people found PRP combined with minoxidil raised density and diameter more than minoxidil or PRP alone, with higher satisfaction. A systematic review of eight articles also found the combination had the highest improvement and satisfaction.
That finding is for the combination, so it does not make PRP the base of treatment. Minoxidil and finasteride are the established medicines for pattern loss, and the article on what each does and the one on why hair sheds first set out what to expect from them.
Is PRP for hair loss safe, and what are the side effects?
The pooled trials report mainly pain at the injection. Two of seven studies in the 2023 randomised meta-analysis reported adverse reactions and none were serious, the 2023 controlled-trial meta-analysis found no serious adverse events, and a systematic review of eight articles found the pain ended with the treatment, with more serious effects in one article.
Because PRP comes from your own blood, the concern is less the material than the procedure: a clean preparation, a sterile injection and a doctor who can manage bleeding or infection. Trials of this size cannot show rare effects.
What drives the cost of PRP for hair loss in Malaysia?
The cost follows the protocol, since the evidence shows that sessions and intervals matter. The drivers are the number of sessions in a course, the gap between them, whether maintenance is needed after the first course, the kit and the way the plasma is prepared, and the doctor's assessment. Ask for the total for the whole course and what it covers. No price is given here.
Does The Retreat Clinic in Setia Alam offer PRP?
No. The Retreat Clinic does not offer PRP or any other injection for hair loss. The hair loss page describes how Dr Ong works: a history, an examination of the scalp, and blood tests where appropriate, so that the cause is named before anything is prescribed. For pattern loss the medicines on that page are topical minoxidil and, for men where suitable, oral finasteride. Hair loss is not one problem explains why the cause comes first.
