Hair restoration science has improved dramatically over the last two decades to incorporate both surgical and non-surgical methods. Our Santa Monica Hair, Restoration Center at Kare Plastic Surgery provides innovative and state-of-the-art treatments to address hair loss in both men and women.
There are many different causes of hair loss in both men and women. Some of these are genetic in nature and involve familial patterns of hair loss that occur generation after generation. However, there are other types of hair loss that may involve deficiencies in essential minerals in the diet, stress-related-alopecia, pregnancy-related thinning of the hair, and hormonal patterns of hair attenuation. It is important to go to a board-certified surgeon who understands the unique complexities of hair loss as they relate to both men and women.
PRP Hair Restoration Treatment in Santa Monica
Among the non-surgical treatments for male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair thinning is a technique known as PRP. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is a unique protocol that involves the application of platelet derived growth factors into the skin and scalp to promote hair growth. The PRP treatment utilizes concentrated amounts of platelets found in plasma to stimulate hair growth through naturally occurring growth factors found in the bloodstream. The beauty of PRP is that it we can use naturally-occurring hair follicle stimulants without the use of medicines or surgery.
Growth factors have been found to be concentrated in platelet granules that normally occur in your body. By concentrating these platelet-derived growth factors using a centrifuge in our sterile lab, we can help you combat the early signs of hair thinning and alopecia.
Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center is a comprehensive clinic dedicated to the most advanced therapies in cosmetic dermatology, plastic surgery, and hair restoration. We have two board-certified surgeons who have been extensively trained in Hair transplantation, Hair, Restoration, and hair growth treatments. We utilize FUE and FUT procedures to advance hair growth in men and women.
In our Santa Monica plastic surgery office, we utilize non-surgical PRP treatments to improve the density and caliber of hair growth on the scalp. These treatments are supported by clinical data found in the National Library of Medicine and allow for non-surgical advancements in hair growth stimulation. Alopecia is not something you have to live with as we have options to help us.
PRP treatment begins with a careful examination and medical history to determine whether there are hormonal or non-genetic variables that may be contributing to balding of the scalp. Women usually have postpartum and post pregnancy thinning of the hair which may benefit from PRP treatments with hair vitamins. Our technique for PRP isolation and purification have been tested against laboratory standards in the United States. Our methods are reproducible and scientifically validated to optimize the concentration of PRP and the solution. Dr. Karamanoukian and Dr. Laimins also advocate the use of hair stimulating vitamins to further improve the results of PRP.
PRP injections for hair growth have widespread applications on the scalp, along the hairline, the temples, and the occipital scalp. Thinning areas of hair can be addressed using microinjections of PRP. Although PRP is not a cure for a balding scalp, alopecia can be addressed by strengthening hair follicles.
PRP can also be used for patients who have undergone a Hair transplantation technique in order to strengthen hair growth and nascent hair follicles after hair transplantation. We believe that most adult men and women are candidates for PRP, barring any medical history that may contraindicate the use of this non-surgical method for hair growth.
Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center is located on Montana Avenue in Santa Monica and has a dedicated hair restoration center with two board-certified surgeons trained in follicular unit extraction and hair transplantation. We use PRP to strengthen the results of hair transplantation and to stimulate hair growth in patients who want a nonsurgical option for hair growth.
PRP is usually a three-step treatment that is performed in a clinic setting in our office. We begin by carefully drawing blood from a patient's arm in a method similar to a blood draw at your internal medicine doctor’s office. We then transfer these vials of blood to a laboratory centrifuge, which spins the PRP blood into several layers that can be identified by their biometric properties. The platelet rich portion of plasma is usually centrifuged to the top layer of the vial and carefully extracted in a sterile method into syringes for injection. Dr. Karamanoukian and his staff will then use the concentrated PRP serum on the scalp that has thinning hair. The goal is to stimulate the vasculature of the hair follicles and improve hair follicle growth and strength. Patients will notice an increase in hair caliber, hair density, and rate of hair growth.
PRP for Women Experiencing Hair Loss
Women who are experiencing thinning hair after pregnancy or hormonal therapy can benefit from PRP procedures. We believe that hormonal influences can affect the quality of hair growth, especially after pregnancy and during perimenopause. The waning ratios of estrogen to testosterone are implicated in female-patterned alopecia and the use of PRP has been established as a non-surgical protocol to combat the brittleness and thinning of the hair . We can use PRP in combination with a hair transplant, or alone, depending on patient preference and severity of hair loss. Our methods directly attack weakened hair follicles in the hairline, temples, and scalp. Some patients will find benefits from hair vitamins, such as Nutrfol and topical preparations of minoxidil and finasteride. The utility of oral alopecia treatments on female pattern baldness is a subject of research and continues to evolve in controlled medical trials.
How often do you need PRP?
Your anticipated results after PRP injection depend on the severity of your hair loss. Men who have had progressive hair thinning may benefit from consecutive sessions spaced 3 to 4 weeks apart. Hair follicle growth takes time and the results of PRP manifest within 30 to 90 days after the initial procedure. We recommend that patients receive serial treatments of PRP to see maximal effect. Optimizing PRP results is dependent on your medical health and genetic factors, influencing, hair, growth, and hair loss.
The benefits of PRP are enormous for patients who are not candidates for follicular unit extraction and hair transplantation. We believe that PRP may be the right treatment for you when deciding on more aggressive options for hair transplantation and correction. Our Santa Monica plastic surgery office has a full-time staff dedicated to hair restoration and is the leading hair transplant center in Santa Monica . We work closely with dermatologists and hair restoration surgeons throughout the world to perform PRP injections on those patients who have received hairt ransplantations in other countries. If you have undergone Hair transplantation in the past, or are currently returning from Turkey or Mexico after a hair transplantation, we can perform PRP injections as a staged procedure to optimize your transplantation results.
Choosing whether platelet rich plasma is the right treatment for you depends on a host of factors, including your general health and genetic risk for hair loss. Our Santa, Monica plastic surgery, and Hair Restoration center is equipped with the latest treatments for hair loss and our highly trained, certified, and skilled experts are available to discuss PRP injections for you in our office.
Kare Plastic Surgery
Santa Monica
804 7th Street
Santa Monica, CA 90403
Consultations: (310) 998-5533
Kare Plastic Surgery and Skin Health Center
Hollywood Hills / Los Feliz
5636 Hollywood Blvd
Hollywood, CA 90028
Consultations: (310) 998-5533