Why I added PRP for hair to REGEN — and the patients it works on

PRP for hair is the treatment patients most often ask for before they need it — and the treatment most often delivered without the diagnosis it requires. Both of those problems were on my mind when we introduced it at REGEN, and they shape how we still approach it today.

This is the story of why we do PRP for hair, and how I think about whether it's right for any individual patient.

The gap I introduced it to address

We started seeing patients in their thirties and forties whose hair was visibly thinning — diffuse over the crown, parting widening, a feeling of less volume even when the hair was washed and styled. They were arriving at REGEN already booked into one or another high-volume hair clinic, often with a treatment plan that involved oral medication or a transplant consultation as the next step.

For some of those patients, the medical pathway was the right one. For others — particularly those with early-stage thinning, post-pregnancy shedding, or stress-related telogen effluvium — the medical pathway felt premature. They weren't ready for medication. They didn't need surgery. They needed something that supported the follicular environment while we worked out what was actually driving the change.

That's the gap PRP fills. Not as a replacement for medical hair treatment — as a more measured, biological intervention that buys time, supports the scalp, and helps the doctor and the patient understand whether the trajectory is reversible.

What it actually is (briefly — the longer version is on the treatment page)

PRP for hair uses a sample of your own blood, processed in clinic to concentrate the platelets and the growth factors they carry. We then inject those growth factors directly into the scalp around hair follicles. The aim is to support the local environment — slow shedding, optimise the cycle, stimulate dormant follicles into more active growth.

The treatment works in three sessions, four weeks apart, with maintenance every six months. Results build gradually: reduced shedding within six to eight weeks, visible new growth at twelve to sixteen weeks, full assessment at six months.

The patients it works on

In my clinic, I see the strongest results in three groups.

Early-stage androgenic alopecia in men and women. Hair thinning that follows the genetic pattern (recession at the temples and crown in men; widening of the central parting in women) responds well to PRP when caught early. The follicles are still active enough to respond to growth factor stimulation. Once the follicles have miniaturised significantly, the response curve drops sharply.

Post-pregnancy shedding (telogen effluvium). Patients with significant hair loss in the months after childbirth often experience near-complete recovery with no intervention — but a course of PRP accelerates the recovery substantially and gives back confidence faster. It's one of the most rewarding indications.

Stress-related shedding. Telogen effluvium triggered by significant illness, weight change, or emotional stress responds similarly well. The underlying cause has resolved by the time the shedding becomes visible; PRP supports the recovery.

The patients I'd send to a different conversation first

Anyone whose diagnosis isn't clear. Hair loss has many drivers — androgenic, scarring (which is irreversible), hormonal (thyroid, PCOS, perimenopause), nutritional (iron, vitamin D, ferritin), and inflammatory (alopecia areata). Treating PRP-style without confirming the underlying cause is treating a symptom. We always start with diagnosis.

Patients with advanced loss. If the follicles have miniaturised significantly, PRP cannot wake them up reliably. The conversation in that case is medical hair treatment, transplant referral, or honest acceptance — not a course of PRP that won't deliver.

Patients with active scalp inflammation or infection. The scalp environment has to be ready. Active dermatitis, fungal infection, or significant scalp acne all need to be controlled first.

How we work it at REGEN

Every hair patient starts with a Reveal Consultation. We assess the scalp, take photographs in standardised lighting for comparison, review medical and family history, and where appropriate request blood work to rule out reversible causes (ferritin, thyroid, vitamin D). Only then do we recommend a treatment plan — which may include PRP, may include HydraFacial Keravive for scalp environment, may include referral for medical hair treatment, and may include nothing at all if the loss is post-stress and trending towards recovery on its own.

Where it fits in the REGEN Method

PRP for hair sits in the Generate pillar — using your own biology to support the follicular environment. It pairs naturally with HydraFacial Keravive (Nurture) for clients who want both follicular stimulation and an optimised scalp environment, and with structured topical care from Elevate where the right products support the same outcome.

The honest closing

If you're worried about your hair and you're not sure what's driving it, the best first step is a clinical conversation, not a treatment booking. PRP works beautifully for the right patient. For the wrong patient, it wastes money and time when the underlying cause needed addressing first.

That's what the Reveal Consultation is for. Hair is the area where consultation matters most.

— Dr Chris, Founder and Medical Director, REGEN Clinic

Want the full clinical detail and pricing? Visit the PRP for Hair treatment page.