Meta-analysis of efficacy of platelet-rich plasma therapy for androgenetic alopecia

Abstract

Background: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is used as an off-label treatment for androgenetic alopecia (AGA); however, published efficacy evidence is still preliminary.

Objective: Conduct a meta-analysis of current trial data to estimate efficacy.

Methods: Thirteen studies which investigated the use of PRP for treatment of AGA were identified from the literature. A meta-analysis was used to analyze results from four trials (N = 60) where sufficient quantifiable data extraction was possible. All 13 studies were analyzed qualitatively.

Results: When comparing PRP treatment to baseline, the overall standardized mean difference was 0.51 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.14, 0.88; I²=0%] in favour of PRP treatment.

Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest that the investigation of PRP for the treatment of AGA is promising. Controlled trials with quantifiable measures of treatment success are now required to confirm these results.

Keywords:

• platelet-rich plasma
• androgenetic alopecia
• hair restoration
• growth factors
• dermal papilla cells

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of this article.