A recent study conducted by Talker Research has revealed that 40% of Americans cite hair loss as their most dreaded physical change associated with aging.

While a variety of solutions exist, many are costly or demand significant time investments. In the United States, a hair transplant can cost as much as $50,000, driving individuals to seek more affordable options in countries like Turkey and Thailand.

Alternative solutions, such as toupees and adhesive hair systems, often fall short of expectations, with users frequently reporting that they don’t achieve the natural look promised by advertisements.

However, a new non-surgical option is gaining popularity, offering a cost-effective and quick solution that can be completed within a lunch break.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, a technique established in the 1970s, has recently emerged as a leading treatment for combating hair loss.

This method involves injecting a patient’s own concentrated platelets to enhance healing in tissues such as tendons, ligaments, muscles, and joints, and is now being used for the purpose of cosmetic hair regrowth.

The Daily Mail has spoken to two experts on the process who have both claimed to have invented, or at least popularized, the groundbreaking treatment.

Dr John Kahen and Dr Kimberly Lee both operate out of celeb-filled Beverly Hills, California, and said PRP is among their most sought after cosmetic services.

Kahen is the founder and medical director of Beverly Hills Hair Restoration and has claimed to be doing PRP since 2007 as one of the first ever hair restoration surgeons to offer the service.

Two in every five Americans have named hair loss as their most-feared physical change when thinking about aging, according to a study by Talker Research 

The pioneering hair restoration expert – who said that an average hair transplant done by him costs about $30,000 – confirmed that PRP does cost significantly less. An average session will run a client $3,500, which he admitted is more expensive than other physicians due to the technology he uses. But, he added, only one session per year is necessary as opposed to others who require two or three.

Meanwhile, Lee – who offers many cosmetic procedures at her office including plastic surgery, Botox, facelifts, jaw contouring, buccal fat removal and Asian eyelid surgery – said her PRP sessions average about $1,200, with an appointment needed every four months.

Both physicians indicated that a PRP injection session would only take about 45 minutes, so it could be considered a ‘lunchtime procedure’ much like Botox.

This is not the case for a hair transplant, which can take longer than eight hours and weeks to recover from.

Prospective patients should not be worried about any potential judgement from coworkers or passersby when they return to their busy lives as there is no swelling. The only thing that could be visible, the doctors said, are small bumps at the injection sites, which are usually covered by your other hair anyway.

‘There is nothing visible,‘ Kahen explained. ‘There‘s no swelling, there‘s no discomfort. They just, you know, most people go back to their routine daily activity, same day.‘

They also boasted that the procedure is much safer in comparison to other hair restoration services as a patient uses their own blood, which means there is a lower risk for allergic reaction or rejection.

‘I think that there is a lot of interest in more of a natural, regenerative approach… to treating this,‘ Lee said.

One thing that both physicians have stressed, however, is that PRP should not be seen as an alternative to hair transplants or a hair system. Rather, they encourage folks to utilize it as a first step.

‘I usually recommend [patients] combine PRP with another modality, whether it is something like exosomes, which are stem cell derivatives, or Nutrafol, minoxidil finasteride or sprays and shampoos that have high concentration of peptides,‘ Lee said. ‘Because we only see them eventually once every four months.

‘We also want to make sure that they‘re taking care of the hair the other days.‘

Lee told the Daily Mail PRP should be thought of as a base treatment. 

‘That‘s one thing that we do to help the hair, and to really decrease that progression of hair loss,‘ she said. ‘So the thing that I tell patients is that this is not an injection that you do, or a treatment that you do, and then the next day you expect to have a whole mushroom full of hair. That doesn’t really happen…

‘[At first,] you’ll see less hairs that you‘re losing, and then it will promote the hairs that you have to become thicker and fuller.‘

Before and after PRP done by Dr Kimberly Lee

Lee’s office offers many cosmetic procedures including plastic surgery, Botox, facelifts, jaw contouring, buccal fat removal and Asian eyelid surgery

Patients of both doctors seem to be happy with their results, as an anonymous celebrity client of Lee’s told the Daily Mail that they would recommend the therapy.

‘Especially for someone who feels insecure about their hair loss,’ they said. ‘Hair loss can be emotional, and PRP felt like a gentle first step rather than something drastic. 

‘What I liked is that PRP helped me feel like I was doing something proactive instead of just worrying about or trying to hide the problem. I was actually doing something to improve my hair health. The process felt safe, natural and manageable, which really mattered to me.’

The patient continued, saying the therapy is good for folks seeking ‘subtle, natural-looking improvement.’ 

‘It helped boost my confidence because the changes felt like me, just healthier,’ they added.

A patient of Kahen’s named Jason was ‘so over the moon’ about his results.

Jason said he felt like he was learning a lot throughout the process from Kahen ‘without me feeling like I was being sold’ the procedure. 

‘Not only am I thrilled with my results, but my baby hairs are growing back thicker and with more density than I could ever had hoped for,’ he added.

Kahen told the Daily Mail that he was inspired to begin trying PRP for hair restoration after late NBA great Kobe Bryant went to Germany for the therapy – only he was having it done to treat chronic knee degeneration and cartilage loss.

Dr John Kahen is the founder and medical director of Beverly Hills Hair Restoration and has claimed to be doing PRP since 2007

From then, Kahen thought, ‘Maybe we can implement the same technology from Germany into the scalp.’

‘Back then it was very experimental,’ the doctor added.

In recent years, there has been much more advertising promoting therapies like PRP and medications like Minoxidil aimed at customers who are looking to prevent hair loss.

Kahen is not surprised by this phenomenon.

‘The reason for this is because people are looking for more prevention,’ he said. ‘We see a lot less bald people out there 1773663313 – you know, versus 15, 20 years ago, even ten years ago.

‘Because as soon as somebody sees they’re shedding, they’re more proactive about it.’

He went on to explain that there are more options than ever to prevent further hair loss, and that people are willing to do whatever they can to keep their mane.