Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study on the Use of Platelet-Rich Plasma in Women With Female Androgenetic Alopecia

BACKGROUND 

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been suggested as a therapeutic intervention for female androgenetic alopecia.

OBJECTIVE 

To perform a pilot study on the effect of PRP scalp injections in women with female androgenetic alopecia.

MATERIALS AND METHODS 

This double-blind, multicenter, placebo-controlled study compared the effect of PRP with that of saline placebo as scalp injection. The endpoints were hair count and hair mass index (HMI), along with patient-opinion survey responses. Platelet-rich plasma was manufactured from patients' blood using the Angel PRP system.

RESULTS 

Hair mass index or hair count did not statistically significantly differ between the study and placebo groups. However, 13.3% of the treatment subjects (vs 0% of the placebo subjects) experienced substantial improvement in hair loss, rate of hair loss, hair thickness, and ease of managing/styling hair, and 26.7% (vs 18.2% of the placebo group) reported that their hair felt coarser or heavier after the treatment.

CONCLUSION 

Platelet-rich plasma failed to demonstrate any statistically significant improvement in HMI or hair count in women with congenital female pattern hair loss. The patient survey results suggest a therapeutic advantage of PRP as perceived by patients but not according to hair count or HMI.