PRP Platelet Rich PlasmaTesting by Dr. Chris Bisanga

Platelet Rich Plasma has been used in wound healing in various medical fields for some years. Dr Christian Bisanga believes PRP may have significant benefits in hair transplantation field for the patient. Potentially PRP can benefit the two important aspects of hair transplant, the donor and the recipient area healing and improvements in skin and hair physiology post operation.

The approximate consistency of platelets in 1 cubic cm of blood is 250,000 and when concentrated with PRP can increase to 1 million, 4 times the concentration. The platelets contain the “healing” tools that are released when a wound is made. Due to the concentrated nature of PRP and the fact it can be used in specific isolated areas the platelets can react faster to the area, improving coagulation, reduce bleeding and with less fibrosis and collagen manufacture. The conclusion not just a speedier healing process but improved healing of the skin tissue reducing the signs scarring with improved healing characters.

The platelets are rich in proteins and may aid the healing in the recipient placement sites for the new grafts to rest in and the donor healing of either the linear scar with Strip surgery or punch scarring with FUE surgery. The proteins growth factors should show an increase in speed of the healing, stimulating the formation of vessels so helping the follicle to bond with the site faster and with the tissue and cardio vascular system. The fibrotic inducing proteins will enhance the conversion of fibrinogen into fibrin but in a lesser amount than naturally. This conclusion can mean a scar of visibly less size, improved laxity, less separation and angle change between follicular units, reduced miniaturisation and less collagen production between the fatty tissue and dermis layer.

The process of isolating the platelets from the blood requires taking a sample of blood from the patient. The blood is “spun” (centrifugation) at specific speeds isolating the plasma. The plasma is separated further leaving the poor and rich plasma.

The two important factors are PDGF & TGF-β. PDGF or platelet-derived growth factors stimulates cell replication of important stem cells for fibroblasts and endothelial cells (increasing “budding” on new capillaries), stimulates production of fibronectin, a cell adhesion molecule, and helps bring our wound contraction and remodelling. TGF-β stimulates fibroblasts chemotaxis and the production of collagen, while inhibiting collagen degradation by decreasing proteases and increasing protease inhibitors, all of which favour fibrogenisis. Each growth factor has the capacity to induce a unique response in the enhancement of healing; PDGF accelerated wound closure markedly through augmenting connective tissue matrix deposition and TGF-β stimulated new collagen deposition and maturation into larger bundles on the leading edge of the wound, with the likely effect of by-passing some of the inflammatory phase of wound healing. Testing is already underway on various types of wounds; a small initial test of punch donor healing on an FUE donor has shown palpable signs of speedier healing.

Dr. Bisanga wants to install correct protocols to deliver the best results for the patient. This will take time to test variants in scar closure and wound healing and other possible handling. Dr. Bisanga feels he has found medical benefits to this application but at present it will only be applied on test cases. The potential benefits to hair transplant go much further than faster and improved wound healing, this can then affect the entire hair transplant basics of donor management and potentially placement within miniaturised hair to name just two possibilities. Donor healing properties can improve the prospect for future procedures, maybe able to extend the hair numbers able to be extracted, decrease miniaturisation and improved laxity. When Dr. Bisanga feels that he can see defining benefits he will be offering PRP to his patients as an established treatment to his patients.

A thankyou to Dr. I. Meyer for his contribution and input into the research

He should check in with Feller and Greco. Seems they are offering it already. Good luck with the research.

this could potentially help me in every way that you described that youll be testing on especially on donor scarring,i will defintely be watching for updates

Dr. I. Meyer ? I thought it was Dr. Greco who started this.

I like Dr. Bisanga’s approach of slow and steady. It’s just too easy to buy the equipment and to start offering it for $800 a session. There is plenty of money to be made using this approach. But the slow and steady approach says let’s see if this is of any benefit first before we start taking people’s money.

I was actually scheduled to have this procedure done this past week here in the USA. I spent the money to travel to the location and stay at a hotel. After speaking to someone that was much more knowledgeable about the procedure, I started second guessing my decision. When I arrived 2 days before the procedure, I heard several radio spots advertising the benefits of the procedure and how it could increase and thicken your hair. This was actually somewhat of a turn off to me. It sounded like so many other ads that I have heard before for products and services that have come and gone. I also asked myself have I even seen 1 picture of a before and after result, and the answer was no. I cancelled the procedure, and the doctor and office were very nice and understanding.

It didn’t turn out too bad since I have not had a vacation for over 10 years. So I made the best out of the 4 days I was there

This whole thing kind of reminds me of the mega bodyhair sessions offered in the past. The doctors that offered it made plenty of money, but the results are few and far between. It doesn’t mean that bodyhair doesn’t have it place, but the slow and steady approach is the proper course of action.

From my own personal experience I have seen the same type of marketing in the area of health and nutrition. We can easily look back over the last 30 years and products have come and gone each and every year. Each product was touted as a miracle product that was highly beneficial to the consumer. In reality it was all profit driven. There is actually very little profit to be made when follows a nutritional lifestyle that brings them abundant energy and health.

Maybe PRP has it’s place, but we will only know in time.

I also would like to let everyone know that I am hoping to get the chance to win the pro-bono work done by BHR. But this has absolutely nothing to do with my reply to this post. Out of all the clinics that I have spoken to, BHR is one of the few that I felt was honest and compassionate I would not even think about accepting free work from some of the other clinics that I have consulted with in the past.

“After speaking to someone that was much more knowledgeable about the procedure, I started second guessing my decision”

I am thinking of getting it done too. Can you tell me what this person said about PRP? thanks.

Steve, I think we can sum things up by saying having you seen any results? And this does not mean that it does not have any benefit, it just means I have not seen any results.

» Steve, I think we can sum things up by saying having you seen any results?
» And this does not mean that it does not have any benefit, it just means I
» have not seen any results.

I have seen Jones and Greco results but they are not very impressive. The one that is really impressive is an alopecia areata patient so that doesn’t count.

I know Dr. Bisanga is not really looking at PRP from a hair growth perspective as such, the tests he is doing may obviously reflect some findings in that area but he has other criteria he feels could have significant benefits for HT candidates.

Dr. Meyer is a plastic surgeon who specialises in reconstructive surgery, cronic vascular ulcers, severe burns and excessive scarring, scalp and body. He therefore has had a good working knowledge of PRP for a number of years and his contribution to the tests have been very beneficial.

i think this therapy has shown some promise, specifically for diffuse type of hairloss, it was never meant to reverse mpb, i have seen some pics posted by feller that show some improvement, chrome a well respected long time poster had the treatment 6 months ago stated that it did thicken up his existing hair but didnt produce any new growth, we wont know the limits of this therapy in regards to enhancing ht results until it is tested, i dont think this is a scam, it just may not work for everyone,just like all the fda approved products

» i think this therapy has shown some promise, specifically for diffuse type
» of hairloss, it was never meant to reverse mpb, i have seen some pics
» posted by feller that show some improvement, chrome a well respected long
» time poster had the treatment 6 months ago stated that it did thicken up
» his existing hair but didnt produce any new growth, we wont know the limits
» of this therapy in regards to enhancing ht results until it is tested, i
» dont think this is a scam, it just may not work for everyone,just like all
» the fda approved products

I think this is all good, slowly moving away from hard core hair transplant surgeries. If this PRP testing shows promising results, many of us can put off getting fue until we are in our late 30s or 40s.

Does it cost anything to be a PRP test patient? any details for signing up as a patient?

» Platelet Rich Plasma has been used in wound healing in various medical
» fields for some years. Dr Christian Bisanga believes PRP may have
» significant benefits in hair transplantation field for the patient.
» Potentially PRP can benefit the two important aspects of hair transplant,
» the donor and the recipient area healing and improvements in skin and hair
» physiology post operation.
»
»
» The approximate consistency of platelets in 1 cubic cm of blood is 250,000
» and when concentrated with PRP can increase to 1 million, 4 times the
» concentration. The platelets contain the “healing” tools that are released
» when a wound is made. Due to the concentrated nature of PRP and the fact it
» can be used in specific isolated areas the platelets can react faster to
» the area, improving coagulation, reduce bleeding and with less fibrosis and
» collagen manufacture. The conclusion not just a speedier healing process
» but improved healing of the skin tissue reducing the signs scarring with
» improved healing characters.
»
»
» The platelets are rich in proteins and may aid the healing in the
» recipient placement sites for the new grafts to rest in and the donor
» healing of either the linear scar with Strip surgery or punch scarring with
» FUE surgery. The proteins growth factors should show an increase in speed
» of the healing, stimulating the formation of vessels so helping the
» follicle to bond with the site faster and with the tissue and cardio
» vascular system. The fibrotic inducing proteins will enhance the conversion
» of fibrinogen into fibrin but in a lesser amount than naturally. This
» conclusion can mean a scar of visibly less size, improved laxity, less
» separation and angle change between follicular units, reduced
» miniaturisation and less collagen production between the fatty tissue and
» dermis layer.
»
» The process of isolating the platelets from the blood requires taking a
» sample of blood from the patient. The blood is “spun” (centrifugation) at
» specific speeds isolating the plasma. The plasma is separated further
» leaving the poor and rich plasma.
»
» The two important factors are PDGF & TGF-β. PDGF or platelet-derived
» growth factors stimulates cell replication of important stem cells for
» fibroblasts and endothelial cells (increasing “budding” on new
» capillaries), stimulates production of fibronectin, a cell adhesion
» molecule, and helps bring our wound contraction and remodelling. TGF-β
» stimulates fibroblasts chemotaxis and the production of collagen, while
» inhibiting collagen degradation by decreasing proteases and increasing
» protease inhibitors, all of which favour fibrogenisis. Each growth factor
» has the capacity to induce a unique response in the enhancement of healing;
» PDGF accelerated wound closure markedly through augmenting connective
» tissue matrix deposition and TGF-β stimulated new collagen deposition
» and maturation into larger bundles on the leading edge of the wound, with
» the likely effect of by-passing some of the inflammatory phase of wound
» healing. Testing is already underway on various types of wounds; a small
» initial test of punch donor healing on an FUE donor has shown palpable
» signs of speedier healing.
»
» Dr. Bisanga wants to install correct protocols to deliver the best results
» for the patient. This will take time to test variants in scar closure and
» wound healing and other possible handling. Dr. Bisanga feels he has found
» medical benefits to this application but at present it will only be applied
» on test cases. The potential benefits to hair transplant go much further
» than faster and improved wound healing, this can then affect the entire
» hair transplant basics of donor management and potentially placement within
» miniaturised hair to name just two possibilities. Donor healing properties
» can improve the prospect for future procedures, maybe able to extend the
» hair numbers able to be extracted, decrease miniaturisation and improved
» laxity. When Dr. Bisanga feels that he can see defining benefits he will be
» offering PRP to his patients as an established treatment to his patients.
»
»
»
» A thankyou to Dr. I. Meyer for his contribution and input into the
» research

Please take some useful pics… not with before pics where there is a huge bald spot, and in the after the hair is combed over it.

» Does it cost anything to be a PRP test patient? any details for signing up
» as a patient?

Hi wheresmyhair
At present the PRP testing is being done in conjunction with our Hair Transplant surgery. We are not testing per se for PRP’s effectiveness in hair re-growth but looking at other factors.

There is no exrta charge for the PRP testing but I must stress it is not a procedure in itself that we are doing and therefore we are not advertising or offering it as such. If it does assist in hair growth then all so well and good but we are really looking at other angles.

Apologies but for the above reasons we ourselves are not taking people exclusively as PRP test patients.

Stephen

First phase of testing has been completed, Dr. Bisanga has been trying to test on a wide variety of cases, virgin scalp and previous procedure patients including scarring. Obviously some results will not be known for some time but testing has proven productive on donor healing speed and quality. Will try and update with pictures in the comming weeks.

Dr. Bisanga has finished his first phase of trails with PRP, he is pleased with many aspects of the tests, donor and recipient. He believes used in the correct circumstances PRP can aid the recovery in the recipient and donor, especially so far seen with FUE.

Certainly tests in the FUE donor healing have shown significant improvements in extraction point closure and speed of recovery. This can have benefits for FUE donor harvesting and management not just for that procedure but future procedures. In the recipient we have seen improvements in healing speed and growth rates, yield no difference as we have a high yield ratio anyway, but certainly in the majority of tests so far the regrowth speed improved. There is also positive signs that miniaturised native hair in the recipient area and donor for that matter, especially surrounding the area of the HT have shown signs of improvement in the calibre and strength.

Dr. Bisanga intends to continue the trails over the next 3 months, predominately with FUE patients free of charge to increase the research and potential for the treatment.

any PRP update or new before and after photos? still worth trying?

I think this is exciting info for those of us contemplating HT. Looking forward to data emerging from PRP tests.

Pictorial evidence is too early to be conclusive in the areas we are looking at for testing, it is not as such for regrowth of hair we are concentrating on, more scalp changes, also miniaturisation of hairs. Hence we are continuing to offer for the next few months the PRP test free to all patients the doctor feels may show a benefit in order to have more case studies and to evaluate the results.

We have seen certainly a speedier recovery time in the donor and possibly and improvement in the pick up of growth in the recipient but as said more case studies are required.