Clinical Reflections · Medical aesthetics
PRP for hair concerns: setting realistic expectations
Presentation
A patient attended concerned about increased hair shedding and reduced hair density. She had read about platelet-rich plasma treatment and wanted to know whether it would restore her previous hair.
Clinical approach
Before discussing treatment, we explored the pattern and duration of hair loss and whether there were features suggesting that further medical assessment might be appropriate.
I explained that PRP should not be presented as a guaranteed method of regrowing hair. In suitable patients, it may help reduce shedding and support hair quality, but response varies and expectations need to be realistic.
A treatment plan was therefore considered only after discussing both its potential role and its limitations.
Reflective practice
Patients are frequently exposed to dramatic before-and-after claims in aesthetic and regenerative medicine.
That makes careful expectation-setting part of the treatment itself. I would rather a patient make a well-informed decision with modest expectations than agree to treatment because of an exaggerated promise.
This case is illustrative. It draws on Dr Godara's clinical experience, with identifying details removed or changed, and does not describe any identifiable patient. It is not a guide to what is right for you: treatment suitability is assessed individually and results vary from person to person.