PRP Accelerates Hair Regrowth in Murine Model, Study Finds

Subcutaneous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections accelerated hair regrowth and increased Wnt10b expression in a murine model, according to a study published in Aesthetic Plastic Surgery.

Investigators led by Guangyu Mao evaluated the effects of PRP on hair follicle cycling in 20 female C57BL/6 mice. After dorsal depilation, animals were randomized to receive subcutaneous PRP injections at the depilated site or normal saline as a control. Proliferating cells were labeled using 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine nucleoside. Serial photographs documented hair regrowth, and histologic analyses assessed follicular morphology and Wnt10b expression.

Mice treated with PRP exhibited faster visible hair regrowth compared with controls. Histologically, the PRP group demonstrated increased expression of Wnt10b within hair follicles. The spatial distribution and staining intensity of Wnt10b were consistent with proliferating hair matrix and inner root sheath cells, suggesting activation of pathways associated with follicular cycling.

The authors concluded that subcutaneous PRP injection “correlates with increased expression of Wnt10b in hair follicles, which promotes the proliferation of hair matrix and inner hair root sheath cells, and accelerates the follicular cycling cycle, characteristics that make PRP a promising new option for the treatment of alopecia.”

The study was limited by its small sample size and preclinical design. No level of evidence was assigned, consistent with journal policy excluding basic science and animal studies from evidence-based rankings. While the findings add mechanistic data to ongoing debate regarding PRP in alopecia, translation to clinical practice requires validation in controlled human trials.