PRP with ACell^® Injection Therapy

Platelet Rich Plasma, or PRP, with ACell is a non-surgical hair loss treatment designed to help you keep more of the hair you have. It may help reduce shedding, strengthen thinning hair and improve its thickness, density and overall quality by putting concentrated platelets and their growth factors to work around viable hair follicles. If you’re seeing more scalp or less coverage, those follicles may still give us something to work with.

That’s what makes this treatment exciting. Hair follicles are tiny biological factories, and as long as they’re still functioning, there may be an opportunity to support them before thinning progresses further. Dr. Matthew Lopresti and our team use PRP with ACell to help patients go on offense earlier and fight for the hair they still have. Because keeping a follicle producing hair is a lot more interesting than wishing you had acted before it stopped.

• What Is PRP with ACell Injection Therapy?
• PRP with ACell Therapy Process
• PRP with ACell Therapy Benefits
• PRP with ACell Treatment Areas
• PRP with ACell Candidates
• Patient Success Stories with PRP
• PRP with ACell Preparation
• Restrictions Before PRP with ACell
• PRP with ACell Therapy Recovery
• PRP with ACell Therapy Results
• Complementary Procedures

What Is PRP with ACell^® Injection Therapy?

PRP with ACell is a non-surgical treatment that uses the healing and growth factors found in your own blood to help strengthen existing hair follicles, reduce thinning and improve the quality and density of the hair you still have. It’s performed right in our office with little to no downtime, giving the right patient a way to fight hair loss without surgery.

The science is what makes it interesting. Your blood contains platelets packed with growth factors that act like messengers, sending signals involved in healing and tissue repair. We concentrate those platelets into PRP and use them where your hair needs the help. ACell adds a regenerative extracellular matrix designed to support the environment around the follicle. We’re not creating new follicles. We’re working with the ones that are still alive and giving them another reason to keep producing.

That changes the conversation around hair loss. You don’t always have to wait until enough hair is gone to start thinking about putting it back. For the right man or woman, PRP with ACell gives us an opportunity to go on offense earlier, while there is still hair worth fighting for. No surgery. No major interruption to your life. Just another way to make the most of what you still have.

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How Is PRP with ACell^® Injection Therapy Performed?

PRP with ACell is performed right in our office and usually takes about 30 to 45 minutes. We draw a small amount of your blood, separate and concentrate the platelet rich plasma, combine it with ACell and inject the treatment into areas where your hair is thinning. Your body already carries the raw material. We’re putting it to work.

Step 1 Preparing Your Scalp

We start by cleansing the treatment area and using a local anesthetic to numb your scalp. It’s a small step with an important job. We want you comfortable before we get started.

Step 2 Drawing Your Blood

Next, we draw a small amount of blood from your arm, much like a routine blood test. It only takes a few minutes, but inside that small sample are the platelets and growth factors that make PRP possible.

Step 3 Concentrating the PRP

Your blood is placed into a specialized centrifuge that spins it into separate layers, allowing us to isolate and concentrate the platelet rich plasma. This is where an ordinary blood draw becomes something very different. The PRP contains a concentrated supply of growth factors involved in healing and tissue repair.

Step 4 Adding ACell^®

The concentrated PRP is combined with ACell, a regenerative extracellular matrix material, before being prepared for treatment. Think of PRP as bringing the biological signals and ACell as helping support the environment where those signals are being put to work.

Step 5 Putting It Where Your Hair Needs It

Using a fine syringe, the PRP with ACell mixture is carefully injected into areas of your scalp where hair is thinning and existing follicles may benefit from treatment. This isn’t about creating follicles that aren’t there. It’s about giving the follicles you still have more support while they’re still in the game.

Then you get on with your day. Improvements in shedding, hair quality and density develop gradually because hair grows on biology’s schedule, not ours. But the treatment itself? About 30 to 45 minutes out of your day to do something proactive about the hair you want to keep.

What Are the Benefits of PRP with ACell^® Injection Therapy?

PRP with ACell may help reduce shedding, strengthen existing hair and improve the thickness, density and overall quality of thinning hair, all without surgery. For the right patient, that’s a pretty exciting proposition. You may not have to wait until more hair is gone to do something about losing it.

Key benefits may include:

• Help keep more of the hair you have by supporting existing follicles and potentially reducing shedding. Sometimes the biggest win in hair restoration isn’t replacing hair. It’s keeping it from becoming something you need to replace.
• Make thinning hair look stronger and healthier by improving the thickness and quality of hair produced by follicles that are still active. The hair is already yours. The opportunity is to help it perform better.
• Improve density and fullness in areas where viable follicles are still present. More coverage and less visible scalp can make a meaningful difference in how your hair looks.
• Fight hair loss without surgery with an office treatment that requires little to no downtime. Come in, do something proactive about your hair and get back to your life.
• Start while there is still hair worth saving. This may be the biggest benefit of all. PRP with ACell gives the right patient an opportunity to act while viable follicles are still there to work with.

Hair loss has a way of convincing people to wait. Wait another six months. See what happens. Hope nobody notices. But you can’t negotiate with yesterday’s hair loss. You can make a decision about the hair you have today.

What Areas Can Be Treated with PRP with ACell^®?

PRP with ACell can be used to treat thinning hair along the frontal area, temples, crown and areas of diffuse thinning throughout the scalp. It can be especially useful for women experiencing overall thinning and men in the earlier stages of pattern hair loss. It may also be used in certain cases to support existing transplanted hair or as part of the healing process following hair transplant surgery.

The important word is existing. PRP with ACell works with the hair follicles you still have, which is why waiting until an area is completely bald can mean waiting too long. During your complimentary consultation, we’ll look at where you’re thinning, how much existing hair you have and whether PRP with ACell makes sense for you. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you that too.

Who Is a Good Candidate for PRP with ACell^® Injection Therapy?

Good candidates for PRP with ACell are generally men and women with early to moderate hair thinning who still have existing hair in the areas of concern.

Hair loss rarely happens all at once. It’s a little more scalp showing, less density when you style your hair or more hair in the shower. You notice it before everyone else does. And you don’t have to wait until they notice it too. PRP with ACell is about getting ahead of thinning hair while you still have hair worth protecting.

A complimentary consultation can help determine whether you still have enough existing hair for PRP with ACell to make sense. If you do, it may become part of your plan. If you don’t, we’ll tell you that too and discuss other options. Good hair restoration isn’t about finding a reason to use every treatment. It’s knowing which treatment belongs in the conversation and which one doesn’t.

Patient Success Stories with Platelet Rich Plasma and ACell

WCVB-TV Features Rob Ninkovich and PRP Therapy

Former New England Patriots champion Rob Ninkovich knew hair loss ran in his family, and he wasn’t interested in waiting around to see how much hair genetics planned to take from him. He chose PRP with ACell therapy with Dr. Matthew Lopresti as a proactive way to support the hair he still had.

In his WCVB-TV Channel 5 interview with Emily Riemer, Rob shares his experience while Dr. Lopresti explains the science behind PRP and how the treatment works. Rob made a career out of playing defense. When it came to his hair, he decided to go on offense.

PRP with ACell Therapy Featured on Boston 25 News

During a feature on Boston 25 News, Dr. Matthew Lopresti explains the science behind PRP with ACell and how the treatment works. Patient Pam also shares what it was like watching her hair thin and why she decided to do something about it.

For women, hair loss can feel especially isolating because nobody expects it until it happens to them. Pam’s story puts a real person behind the science and shows why having a non surgical option like PRP with ACell can matter. Hair loss may have changed the way she saw herself. Doing something about it helped change the conversation.

Read more about Pam’s story

28 Year Old Says PRP with ACell Therapy Gave Him Unbelievable Results

At 28, Rich Kelleher wasn’t bald. That was the point. He was starting to see his hair change and knew genetic hair loss wasn’t likely to stop because he hoped it would. Instead of waiting to find out how much hair he would lose, Rich met with Dr. Matthew Lopresti to find out what he could do while he still had plenty of hair worth protecting.

PRP with ACell became part of his treatment plan along with Propecia^® and Rogaine Foam^®. Rich says his results have already been “unbelievable,” but his story makes an even bigger point. You don’t have to wait until hair loss becomes obvious to everyone else before it becomes worth doing something about.

Learn more about Rich’s story.

Female Patient Treats Thinning Hair with PRP and ACell Therapy

As the mother of one of our team’s technicians at Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, Donna was familiar with hair restoration, but she never thought she would need it. Once she reached age 58, however, Donna started noticing more hair left in her brush and in the drain after showering. This motivated her to seek the help of our team for possible female hair loss treatments. Dr. Lopresti determined Donna was a great candidate for PRP Therapy. Since starting PRP, Donna reflects on the process saying, “[It] was fast, easy and painless.” Having experienced thinning hair for five years before getting treatment, Donna says she felt especially “isolated and embarrassed,” as thinning hair is typically more accepted with men than women. Her continuing results have restored her sense of self-confidence, and she hopes her story inspires other women with thinning hair to look into the potential of PRP.

Read more about Donna’s story.

How Do I Prepare for PRP With ACell^® Injection Therapy?

Preparing for PRP with ACell is simple. We’ll provide pre-treatment instructions to begin following one week before your appointment, including guidance on certain medications and supplements, alcohol, smoking, topical hair products and staying well hydrated. If you take blood thinners or steroids, let us know before treatment.

On the day of your appointment, arrive with clean hair and follow the instructions we provided. Nothing complicated. We’ll give you everything you need to be ready, so you can focus on the reason you’re here in the first place. Your hair.

What Should I Avoid Prior to a PRP with ACell^® Treatment?

There are a few important things to avoid before PRP with ACell because certain medications, supplements and activities can affect your treatment. We’ll provide complete pre-treatment instructions, but here are the key things to know.

• Blood thinners and steroids Tell us if you take medications such as Plavix, Coumadin, Heparin, Prednisone or other steroids. Do not stop prescribed medication unless instructed by the prescribing medical provider.
• Three days before treatment Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen and other NSAIDs, along with Vitamin A and E, fish oil and Omega 3s, turmeric, gingko, garlic supplements, essential fatty acids and propranolol. Tylenol is permitted if needed.
• Alcohol and smoking Avoid both for three days before and after treatment.
• Topical hair loss products Stop Rogaine, topical minoxidil and similar topical hair loss products 24 hours before and after treatment.
• Hair color You may color your hair up to the day before treatment, but wait two weeks afterward before coloring it again.
• Flying and exercise Avoid flying for 24 hours after treatment and follow the exercise restrictions we provide to help reduce the chance of swelling.

Most importantly, follow the pre-treatment instructions we send you and contact us if you have any questions about a medication or supplement. We’d rather you ask than guess.

What Should I Expect After PRP with ACell^® Injection Therapy?

Most patients feel fine and return to their normal daily activities the same day after PRP with ACell. There is no surgical recovery and very little interruption to your routine. The main thing you may notice is that your hair can have a wet or damp appearance for about four hours after treatment.

We ask that you avoid strenuous exercise for 24 hours to help reduce the chance of forehead swelling. Other than that, you can get on with your day while the real work begins beneath the surface. That’s a pretty good return for a treatment that barely interrupted your day.

When Will I See Results from PRP with ACell^® Therapy?

Most patients begin noticing less shedding within the first few months after PRP with ACell, with visible improvements in thickness and density typically developing around four to six months. Why the wait? Because we’re working with living hair follicles, not flipping a switch. PRP with ACell is designed to stimulate and strengthen the follicles you still have, and biology works on its own clock.

Our protocol generally includes two treatments during the first year, approximately three months apart, followed by one maintenance treatment each year. That matters because genetic hair loss doesn’t take the year off. The idea is simple. Don’t wait for more hair to disappear before you start caring about the hair that’s still there. Preserve it. Strengthen it. Stay ahead of what comes next.

Combining PRP with ACell^® Therapy and Other Hair Restoration Treatments

PRP with ACell injection therapy can be used alone or in combination with other hair restoration treatments to optimize results.

When combined with hair transplant surgery, the treatments can play different roles in the same overall plan. Surgery is about restoring hair you’ve lost, while PRP with ACell is focused on supporting the existing hair you still have. Sometimes the best approach isn’t choosing one or the other. It’s looking at the whole picture.

Medical treatments such as Rogaine Foam^® or Propecia^® may also be part of the plan when appropriate. Hair loss doesn’t follow the same path for everyone, so the answer doesn’t always come in one treatment. The goal is to find the right combination to help protect what you have while addressing what you’ve already lost.

During your complimentary consultation, we’ll look at your hair loss, the hair you still have and what you’re trying to accomplish. Your treatment plan may include PRP with ACell, medication, hair transplant surgery or a combination of treatments. There is no prize for using every treatment we offer. The right plan is the one that gives you a reason to use each one.

Schedule Your PRP with ACell^® Therapy Consultation

If you’re noticing thinning hair, chances are you’ve already spent enough time wondering how much more you might lose. A complimentary consultation can help you stop wondering and start understanding what you can do about it. We’ll look at your hair loss, discuss whether PRP with ACell may be appropriate and help you understand your treatment options.

You can’t go back and save the hair you’ve already lost. But you can decide what you do with the hair you still have.