The Complete Guide to PRP Hair Treatment: From First Session to Visible Growth
Hair loss or thinning can be distressing, but modern treatments like Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy offer new hope – especially for women facing postpartum shedding, menopausal thinning, or gradual hair loss. At Mindful Aesthetics in Reigate, Surrey, we take a doctor-led, holistic approach to hair restoration. PRP hair treatment harnesses your body's own healing factors to stimulate hair growth naturally. In this complete guide, we'll explain the science behind PRP, what to expect from your first session through to seeing visible results, and who can benefit most from this treatment. Our goal is to set realistic expectations (no overnight miracles, but steady improvement) and empower you with knowledge about how PRP can help you regain fuller, healthier hair.
What is PRP Hair Treatment and How Does It Work?
PRP hair treatment is a non-surgical procedure that uses your own blood's healing components to encourage hair regrowth. "PRP" stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma – a concentrated serum derived from a small sample of your blood. Here's how it works: a tube of your blood is drawn (just like a routine blood test) and spun in a centrifuge machine to separate out the platelet-rich plasma. Platelets are cells famous for clotting cuts, but they also release powerful growth factors that aid in tissue repair and regeneration. By injecting this platelet-rich plasma into areas of your scalp with thinning hair, we essentially deliver a boost of growth factors directly to the hair follicles.
These growth factors help stimulate inactive or weak hair follicles, increasing blood supply and prolonging the follicle’s growth phase. Think of PRP as calling dormant hairs back to work – it can "wake up" follicles that have started shrinking and shedding hair due to hormonal changes or other factors. The result is that over time, those follicles produce stronger, thicker hair strands. Another advantage is that PRP is very safe; since it’s derived from your own blood, there's no risk of allergic reaction or foreign chemicals. The procedure is performed by our qualified doctor right here in our Reigate clinic and typically takes about 30-45 minutes. There’s minimal downtime, aside from some scalp tenderness the first day, you can resume normal activities.
Understanding the Hair Growth Cycle
To appreciate what PRP can (and cannot) do, it helps to understand the natural hair growth cycle. Each hair on your head goes through a continuous cycle of growing, resting, shedding, and regenerating. The main phases include:
Anagen (Growing Phase)
This is the active growth period when hair strands are steadily growing longer. At any given time about 85–90% of your hairs are in the anagen stage, and this phase can last 2-7 years for scalp hair.
Catagen (Transition Phase)
A brief transitional phase (around 10 days) where growth stops and the hair follicle begins to shrink.
Telogen (Resting Phase)
A resting period (often 2-4 months for scalp hair) where the hair strand isn’t actively growing but remains in the follicle. Scalp hair can stay in telogen for a few months; normally around 10–15% of hairs are in this phase.
Exogen (Shedding Phase)
Sometimes considered part of telogen, exogen is when the old hair finally sheds to make room for new growth. It's normal to lose 50-100 hairs per day as part of this cycle.
Problems like thinning and excessive hair loss occur when a large number of follicles shift into the resting/shedding phases and stay there, instead of cycling back to growth. This can happen due to factors like hormonal changes, nutritional deficiencies, stress, aging, or illness. For example, after pregnancy or during menopause, changing hormone levels can send hairs into a shedding mode (a condition known as telogen effluvium), leading to noticeable thinning. The key point is that hair regrowth takes time because of this cycle – even if you stimulate a follicle today, it may take weeks or months for that follicle to produce a new visible hair. PRP's job is to accelerate and enhance this natural cycle: it helps more follicles move from the resting (telogen) phase back into the growing (anagen) phase, and it improves the health of the scalp and follicles so they can produce thicker hair shafts.
From First Session to Visible Growth: Timeline of Results
One of the most common questions we hear is, "How soon will I see new hair growth with PRP?" It's important to have realistic timing in mind. Here’s a general timeline of what to expect after your PRP hair treatments:
Immediately After Your First Session: The PRP procedure itself is quick. After injection, there usually isn’t an immediate visible change in your hair. You might have a bit of scalp redness or mild swelling at the injection sites, but this subsides within a day or two. The growth factors have been delivered to your follicles – now the groundwork is laid for new growth to begin, but you won't see it yet.
Weeks 1–4: In the first few weeks, many patients notice a reduction in hair shedding. It's a great early sign – you might see fewer hairs coming out in the shower or on your hairbrush. Some people also report their hair appears slightly fuller or healthier in texture, likely due to improved follicle activity. By the end of the first month (around 4 weeks), it's common to have your second PRP session (PRP is often done in a series of monthly treatments). With each session, we are reinforcing the stimulation to your follicles.
Month 2–3 (around 8–12 weeks): This is typically when visible new growth starts to become noticeable. Tiny "baby hairs" may sprout in areas that had been thinning. You may feel your hair is thicker when you run your fingers through it, and sparse patches start filling in. Many patients, by the third or fourth PRP session, can clearly see improvement in density. Remember, hair grows slowly – roughly about 1 cm per month – so in 3 months you might have around an inch of new growth in areas that were previously struggling. Clinical observations back this up: most people see significant changes by about 3 to 6 months into treatment, with early signs like less shedding and increased hair thickness coming first.
Month 6 and Beyond: Around 6 months after starting PRP, the results are usually at their peak. At this point, the hair that began growing in earlier months has had time to lengthen and thicken. You should see noticeably fuller hair compared to before. In fact, one medical aesthetics center notes that after about 6 treatment sessions, patients saw significant visible regrowth and improved scalp coverage. Now, individual results vary – some may achieve their desired improvement sooner, while others with more severe hair loss might continue to see incremental gains up to 12 months. Studies and experts often evaluate final results around the 12-month mark. Beyond the first year, maintenance sessions (for example, 1–2 PRP treatments per year) are recommended to sustain the benefits, since PRP is not a permanent cure and hair may gradually start to thin again if maintenance is stopped.
Throughout this process, it's important to keep in mind that patience is key. We set up review appointments to track your progress – taking baseline photos and comparing at 3, 6, and 12 months. Seeing the before-and-after can be really encouraging. PRP works gradually, and everyone’s response is a bit different, but the general trend is: first you shed less, then you see thicker hair, and finally you see new hairs growing in.
Who Can Benefit Most from PRP Hair Treatment?
PRP hair restoration can be effective for a range of hair loss scenarios, but certain groups of patients tend to see the best results:
Postpartum Hair Loss:
Many new mothers experience significant hair shedding a few months after giving birth (due to hormonal shifts after pregnancy). The good news is this type of hair loss is usually temporary, and PRP can help speed up the regrowth. By injecting growth factors, we can help those postpartum follicles return to growth mode faster, mitigating the duration of thinning.
Menopausal or Perimenopausal Thinning
Hormonal changes during menopause (lower estrogen, higher androgen levels) often lead to hair becoming finer and sparser. PRP offers a natural option to improve hair density for women in this stage of life. It can strengthen existing thin hairs and encourage dormant follicles to reactivate, addressing the diffuse thinning many women experience in menopause.
Genetic Hair Thinning (Female Pattern Hair Loss)
Women who have hereditary thinning (androgenetic alopecia) can benefit from PRP especially in early to moderate stages. If you’ve noticed your part widening or overall volume reducing in your 30s, 40s, or 50s, PRP might help by stimulating those shrinking follicles before they become completely inactive. It’s less effective when hair follicles have totally died out, so earlier intervention yields better outcomes.
Stress-Related or Telogen Effluvium
Severe stress, illness, or even events like surgery can shock hair into a resting/shedding phase (telogen effluvium). PRP can be useful here to nourish the follicles and help push them back into growth phase sooner. Essentially, it can accelerate recovery from a shed.
People Avoiding Medications or Surgery
PRP is a great option for those who want to try improving hair naturally before resorting to prescription drugs like minoxidil or hair transplant surgery. It's an excellent choice for women, since alternatives like finasteride are not typically recommended for female patients. PRP is also often used alongside other treatments: for example, some patients combine it with topical minoxidil or low-level laser therapy for a multi-therapy approach.
It's worth noting that PRP works when there are weak or miniaturized hair follicles to rejuvenate – it cannot revive areas where the follicles have completely disappeared (such as shiny bald patches or longstanding scarred bald areas). Our doctor will evaluate your scalp to ensure you're a good candidate. The ideal PRP candidate has thinning hair or patchy hair loss, not total baldness. Because we emphasize an ethical practice, if we feel your hair loss pattern wouldn't respond to PRP, we'll be honest and discuss alternative options.
Your Personalised PRP Plan at Mindful Aesthetics
Every patient’s hair journey is unique, which is why we create a customised treatment plan for PRP therapy. Typically, we recommend a course of 3 to 6 PRP sessions, spaced about 4 weeks apart, for initial treatment. This frequent dosing in the beginning helps build momentum by repeatedly triggering the follicles. Our experienced doctor performs each session, adjusting techniques and injection points based on your response. We take into account factors like your overall health, the extent of hair loss, and any underlying causes (for example, thyroid issues or anemia) – addressing those in parallel if needed, because holistic care can improve your results.
We also set realistic goals together. Perhaps you want to grow back the thickness you had 5 years ago, or just stop the rapid shedding you've had recently. We'll discuss what PRP can achieve and how soon, so you have a clear outlook. Throughout the months of treatment, our team is here for support: we might suggest supplements for hair health, good scalp care practices, or lifestyle tips (like managing stress or nutrition) that complement your PRP treatments.
Internal Links & Local Touch: If you're curious about the technical details of the procedure, check out our PRP Hair Treatment page, where we explain how PRP is prepared and administered at our clinic. Being based in Reigate, Surrey, we have helped many local patients regain confidence in their hair. Our doctor-led approach means you’ll always have a medically qualified professional performing your PRP treatments, ensuring safety and the best possible outcome.
Ready to See New Hair Growth? Don’t let thinning hair undermine your confidence. PRP therapy at Mindful Aesthetics is a safe, natural way to rejuvenate your hair. If you're in the Reigate or Surrey area and dealing with hair loss – whether it's recent postpartum shedding or gradual thinning over time – we invite you to get in touch for a personalised consultation. Our team will assess your suitability for PRP and guide you through the process, so you know exactly what to expect. Contact us today to schedule your PRP hair restoration consultation, and take the first step toward thicker, healthier hair!