There have been major leaps in technology aimed at hair treatments, especially when it comes to thinning hair. Our beauty editor, Jade Smith, breaks them down.
Platelet-rich Plasma Treatment (PRP)
You might have heard of the ‘vampire facial’, which sounds and looks a lot scarier than it is. It’s a science-based treatment (that must be performed by a doctor) in which your own blood is used help stimulate the healing process in the skin. Using this effective facial rejuvenation process, it has been shown to be a beneficial hair treatment for stimulating hair growth.
HOW IT WORKS: Blood is made up of red and white blood cells, and plasma, which contains platelets (rich in growth factors). These growth factors are like messengers, communicating with the skin cells to function, and they can also stimulate the hair follicles and promote new hair growth. PRP treatments increase hair count, thickness and a healthier growth cycle.
WHAT TO EXPECT: Blood is drawn from your arm, and placed in a centrifuge machine that spins and seperates the red blood cells from the plasma. The plasma is then injected into the affected area. This is an exacting process, as the injections need to be about one and a half centimetres apart, covering the whole area.
This is a lunch-brunch hair treatment that requires little down time and is usually over in 30 minutes. A numbing cream is applied to make it comfortable, and there are minimal risks. Women who suffer from androgenetic alopecia – a condition characterised by hair thinning along the top of the head – benefit from this treatment.
HOW MANY TREATMENTS DO I NEED? A treatment once a month for three to four months. Then every six months, depending on results. Unlike many hair treatments, results from PRP are noticeable from the first session. There should be less hair shedding and then regrowth from about two to three months in.
Growth Factor Induced Therapy (GFIT)
Hair follicles can harden and thin from a build up of hormones and a loss of nutrients. This causes thinning and shrinking of the hair shaft. Eventually the hair stops growing and teh scalp becomes exposed. ‘Stem cells lining hair follicles are crucial for the production and maintenance of hair,’ says Dr Ahmed Al-Qahtani, founder of AQ Skin Solutions. ‘Supplementing with growth factors and active ingredients provide support to these stem cells so that hair can thrive, holding in to healthy hair, for longer. AQ’s advanced formulation works by nourishing hair follicles to a more functional and healthy state with growth factors, active ingredients and fruit oils,’ he adds.
WHAT TO EXPECT: A DermaStamp (a device with tiny titanium needles) is used to create micro channels in the scalp. At the same time, the growth factor is applied. The treatment only takes 15 minutes and there is no downtime.
HOW MANY TREATMENTS DO I NEED? Five hair treatments, one week apart, followed by a resting period of five weeks. Then another five treatments over five weeks. The in-clinic GFIT treatments are supported by an at-home GFIT treatment, which is a topical serum applied every other night directly to the scalp.
