Background Mobilized CD34+ cells in peripheral blood have angiogenic potential, which is an important factor in active hair growth. In addition, activated autologous platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) has been reported to induce the proliferation of dermal papilla cells.
Objectives To investigate the clinical efficacy of interfollicular injection of CD34+ cell‐containing PRP preparation for pattern hair loss.
Patients and methods CD34+ cell‐containing PRP preparation was injected on the scalps of 13 patients with pattern hair loss, and 13 patients were treated with interfollicular placental extract injection as a control. The numbers of platelets in PRP were microscopically counted and CD34+ cells were evaluated with flow cytometry.
Results Three months after the first treatment, the patients presented clinical improvement in the mean number of hairs, 20.5 ± 17.0% (P < 0.0001), mean hair thickness, 31.3 ± 30.1% (P < 0.0001), and mean two‐point score, 84.4 ± 51.7% (P < 0.0001) compared with baseline values. At 6 months, the patients presented clinical improvement in mean hair count, 29.2 ± 17.8% (P < 0.0001), mean hair thickness, 46.4 ± 37.5% (P < 0.0001), and mean two‐point score, 121.3 ± 66.8% (P < 0.0001) compared with baseline. The MIXED procedure revealed that CD34+ cell‐containing PRP treatment presented a higher degree of improvement than placental extract treatment in hair thickness (P = 0.027) and overall clinical improvement (P = 0.023).
Conclusion Our data suggest that the interfollicular injection of autologous CD34+ cell‐containing PRP preparation has a positive therapeutic effect on male and female pattern hair loss without remarkable major side‐effects.