Mesotherapy and PRP

What is it?

Mesotherapy is a method that aims to support the tissue with a mixture injected under the skin in small amounts. PRP is the injection of platelet-rich plasma, separated from the person's own blood, into the same area. The two are different things, and they are often described as though they were interchangeable.

The most important part of this page is the part about expectations. Both treatments are supportive: they aim to preserve and improve what is already there. They do not bring back an area of hair that has been lost completely, and they are not an alternative to a hair transplant.

The basic difference lies in the substance that is injected. In PRP, what is injected is not a product from outside: the person's own blood is taken, platelet-rich plasma is separated from it by centrifuge, and this plasma is given into the target area. In mesotherapy, it is a mixture injected under the skin that is intended to support the tissue. In practice this difference determines two things. First, because the substance injected in PRP belongs to the person, the question of a reaction to an external substance is assessed differently. Second, the content of PRP can vary from person to person, and even in the same person over time — it depends on the person's blood values. In mesotherapy, the mixture injected is standard. With both methods the result is assessed not after a single session but across a series of spaced sessions. The most common mistaken expectation on the hair side is this: these treatments are aimed at slowing shedding and supporting existing hair; they do not create new hair follicles in an area that has become completely bare.

Who does it help, and who does it not?

An honest account of these two treatments starts by saying where their limits lie. In hair loss, the situation in which an effect is expected is an area where the hair follicles are still present and in the thinning stage; the aim here is to support existing hair and to slow shedding. In an area where the follicles have been lost completely and which has been bare for a long time, the expected result is not achieved — a different option needs to be assessed for that area, and this is said plainly at the examination. Investigating the cause behind the hair loss also comes before these treatments: thyroid problems, iron deficiency, hormonal causes and some medicines can cause hair loss. A treatment carried out without these causes being addressed does not deliver the expected benefit, because it does not solve the underlying problem. On the skin, the target is tissue quality and moisture balance; wrinkles, pigmentation and volume loss are not the primary concern of these treatments, and someone expecting them to address these will be disappointed.

1. Investigating the cause: in hair loss, underlying medical causes are assessed.
2. PRP preparation: the person's own blood is taken and the plasma is separated by centrifuge.
3. Treatment: given into the target area in small amounts, close to the surface.
4. Session pattern: continued as a series of spaced sessions; the result is assessed across the sessions.

Treatment Areas

• Scalp — hair loss in the thinning stage
• Facial skin — tissue quality and moisture balance
• Neck and upper chest — skin support
• Not possible: creating new hair in an area of scalp that has become completely bare
• Not possible: replacing a hair transplant
• Not possible: volume loss, pigmentation and deep wrinkles

Procedure Steps

1. Assessment

   In hair loss, the type and stage of the shedding are assessed; whether the hair follicles are still present is decisive. Where the expectation cannot be met, the treatment is not recommended.

2. The underlying cause

   Thyroid problems, iron deficiency, hormonal causes and the medicines you take are asked about. If needed, tests are requested before treatment.

3. Preparation

   If PRP is to be given, blood is taken and the plasma is separated by centrifuge. The area is cleaned; a topical anaesthetic is applied if needed.

4. Treatment

   It is given into the target area in small amounts, close to the surface. The procedure is short.

5. Session plan

   Spaced sessions are planned. The result is assessed not after a single session but across the series of sessions.

Duration and Longevity

Neither treatment produces a lasting result; if the effect is to be maintained, the sessions need to be repeated at certain intervals. This matters especially for hair: shedding continues for as long as the underlying cause continues, and the treatment does not remove that cause, it only supports the existing hair. How many sessions are needed, the intervals between them and how long the effect lasts vary with the person and the clinical picture.

Who is it suitable for?

• People whose hair loss is in the thinning stage and whose hair follicles are still present
• People whose hair loss has been investigated for underlying medical causes
• People looking for support for skin quality and moisture balance
• People who can keep up a process carried out in sessions
• People who come knowing that the effect to expect is a supportive one

Who is it not suitable for?

• People expecting new hair in an area of scalp that has become completely bare — these treatments do not create hair follicles
• People looking for an alternative to a hair transplant
• People with a blood disorder or a clotting disorder, or taking blood thinners (physician assessment required for PRP)
• People with an active skin infection at the treatment site
• Pregnant and breastfeeding people
• People expecting a clear result from a single session: both treatments require a series of sessions, and no assessment can be made on the basis of a single session.

Aftercare

• Do not wash your hair on the day of treatment; ask your physician when you can wash it.
• Do not have chemical treatments (colouring, perm) on the area in the first days.
• On the first day, stay away from strenuous exercise, saunas and steam baths.
• Do not massage or scratch the area yourself.
• Keep to the session intervals; irregular sessions reduce the benefit expected from the process.
• If you have widespread redness, a fever or increasing pain, contact the clinic.

Possible Side Effects

• Temporary redness and tenderness at the injection points
• Brief swelling and small bruises
• With PRP, a temporary bruise on the arm where the blood was taken
• A feeling of tightness lasting a few hours after treatment
• Rare: infection at the treatment site — sterile conditions are aimed at reducing this possibility

Frequently Asked Questions