Accident -Related Hair Loss—Can PRP Therapy Help?

PRP for Hair Loss

Any traumatic physical event like a motor vehicle accident can trigger hair loss. An extremely stressful event can actually shock a person’s normal hair cycle, causing it to shift toward more of a shedding phase. Both the emotional and physical stresses of the accident can lead to hair loss. Although hair loss from emotional stress is not as likely to cause hair loss as physical stress, it can play a significant part and exacerbate a problem that’s already present.

If an accident where another party was negligent or at fault has led to a concerning (or alarming) amount of hair loss for you or a loved one, you may want to know if the cost of treatment will be included in a personal injury claim. Indeed, the cost of treatment for damages may be covered, and those are questions that you will want to ask both your hair treatment professional and your lawyer.

So, now that a traumatic accident has resulted in hair loss or thinning, you have a choice of treatment options. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy may just be the answer—and just what the doctor ordered.

What Is PRP Therapy?

Interestingly, PRP treatment, which is known to promote healing in injured joints, may also help restore your lost hair. Doctors began using PRP as a hair loss treatment after researchers found that high concentrations of platelets in plasma cells can help to promote hair growth by prolonging the growing phase of the hair cycle.The principle and process are both relatively straightforward.

During the treatment, a healthcare professional draws your blood into a tube, then puts it in a centrifuge to spin it thus separating out the platelets and plasma. Doctors then inject this platelet-rich plasma into the scalp at the follicular regions. The PRP then works to help strengthen and reactivate the hair follicles to regrow hair by repairing blood vessels, promoting cell growth and wound healing, and stimulating collagen production.

A hair treatment doctor injects PRP into the scalp in the areas where hair loss has occurred. They may administer injections monthly for three months, then spread them out to about every three or four months for up to two years. The injection schedule can depend on your genetics, pattern and amount of hair loss, age, and hormonal balance.

Get PRP Treatment

You may want to set up PRP treatment as soon as possible after a traumatic accident or injury. Since the PRP treatment is known to extend the growing phase of the hair cycle, the sooner you can get help to shift the status of the hair cycle from the accident-induced shedding phase back to the growing phase, the better you may be in terms of overall hair loss.

PRP treatment may be viewed as a cosmetic procedure, and insurances do not cover cosmetic treatments, You will likely want to coordinate with your hair treatment professional and your lawyer to help you present a personal injury case where the PRP treatment is covered in the damage settlement. Schedule a consultation with a PRP treatment professional today to get started.

Resources:

Wikipedia, Hair Treatment

Dr. Robin Unger, MD, PRP for Hair Loss New York