PRP: IS IT WORTH ALL THE HYPE?

Celebreties are raving about it, doctors are promoting it for many things, but is it really worth the hype?

In short, PRP is not FDA approved for anu Dermatologic or Cosmetic indication. There are several small studies that concluded that there is benefit when treating androgenic alopecia. That being said, larger, well-designed studies are needed. For other indications, such as photo-rejuvenation, studies are even more poorly designed.

There is a good scientific basis for why PRP may help a variety of conditions. Unfortunately, due to a lack of good clinical studies further research is needed. So the answer to the question of whether is is worth the hype is maybe. 

Often, PRP is combined with another procedure–laser resurfacing+PRP, or Restylane+PRP. When doing so, it is difficult to know if the PRP is adding any benefit.

Robert S. Bader, M.D., Dermatologist

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