Can All Hair Transplant Patients Benefit from ACell and Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)?

This question, from a member of our Hair Loss Social Community and Discussion Forums, was answered by Dr. Jerry Cooley of Charlotte, NC who is a member of the Coalition of Independent Hair Restoration Physicians.

Dr. Cooley, do you now advise your patients to undertake PRP (platelet rich plasma) + ACell during their hair transplant procedure? If so, please feel free to share more of your observations.

In addition, do you believe oral collagen supplements with low Dalton weight will have a positive impact on the results of a hair transplant in terms of more naturalness and robustness of the grafts?

We now offer and recommend PRP and ACell to anyone undergoing a hair transplant with us who has significant areas of thinning (miniaturization), either in the area to be transplanted or elsewhere. In other words, the purpose is to thicken thinning hair, not necessarily beef up the results of the transplant (for which we use ACell on the grafts and liposomal ATP as a post op spray). My observations were summarized in the update, “Hair Transplant Surgery: The Effects of ACell on Healing and Hair Growth“. In short, we find that on average, we can expect moderate hair thickening in those with significant miniaturization; some get better than average results, some get less than average. I think the degree and duration of benefit likely depends on 2 factors: underlying genetic programming, and what medical maintenance treatments are in place, i.e. better if the patient is on Propecia (finasteride) and Rogaine (minoxidil).

I’m not familiar with the connection between collagen supplements and hair growth or wound healing. If you have any information, please share it! I am interested in the role of nutrition in hair loss and in speeding up recovery from hair transplants. To my knowledge, whey protein concentrate (undenatured) seems to be the best bet.

Dr. Jerry Cooley

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David (TakingThePlunge)
Editorial Assistant and Forum Co-Moderator for the Hair Transplant Network, the Coalition Hair Loss Learning Center, and the Hair Loss Q & A Blog.
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