PRP for Hair Loss
PRP has been used for many years to treat hair loss. Overall, it works well for some people, moderately for some and minimally if anything in others. Why are results so variable? The blood carries many growth factors that stimulate hair follicles, but some that can also inhibit them. It is thought that one reason that PRP works well for some and less for others is that this mix of growth factors varies a lot. Some people make more inhibitory factors than others. If your PRP happens to have more inhibitors, it will not work as well for you.
What is KeraLase?
Kerafactor is a product that attempts to fix this problem. The idea is to make a mix of bio-identical growth factors that are only stimulatory-- and none of the inhibitors. This mix of the good growth factors is then packaged into tiny particles called nanolysosomes that can be absorbed by the skin. Now the Kerafactor can be applied in a topical solution and does not have to be injected. They make a shampoo that stimulates the scalp and a topical solution to apply after shampooing that stays in.
In addition to that, they make a highly concentrated serum for application in a procedure. To increase the absorption of the serum factors, a light laser treatment is performed first. In Asia, light non-ablative lasers have been developed to maximize penetration of many different skin treatments. The company (Lutronic) that makes one such popular laser purchased Kerafactor in order to use the serum in combination with the laser. It has been shown in studies that the use of the laser can increase the absorption of topicals by 7x (that’s 7 times the amount that gets into the scalp if placed without the laser treatment). The idea is to maximize hair growth without a blood draw and without the inhibitory factors in your blood. The best part about this treatment is that is doesn’t hurt. In our experience, we have seen at least as good results from the KeraLase procedure as we did with PRP-- without the blood draw and without the pain of scalp injections.
Exosomes for Hair Loss
The newest treatment uses exosomes to stimulate hair growth. The company plated uses platelet-derived exosomes, which are formulated into a serum that can be used daily on the scalp, but can also be used in a similar treatment as KeraLase, using the light laser treatment to increase absorption of the exosomes. We do not yet have data on this treatment, but at this time it seems promising.