Activated Platelet Rich Plasma versus Non-Activated Platelet Rich Plasma in the Treatment of Alopecia Areata.

INTRODUCTION: Alopecia areata is a common recurrent T cell-mediated autoimmune-induced non-scarring hair loss with not fully understood pathogenesis. It affects nearly 2% of the general population during lifetime. The course of the disease is unpredictable, and currently no treatment is available for complete cure or prevention. Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is an autologous blood-derived product, which has widely spread in the last decades for treatment of different dermatological conditions including hair disorders. METHODS: The aim of this work was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of activated PRP in comparison to non-activated PRP in the treatment of alopecia areata. This study was conducted on two groups of 20 subjects each who received 4 treatments of intradermal injection of activated and non-activated PRP. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Data obtained in our research confirm that PRP is safe, effective, and well tolerated by patients as a treatment modality for alopecia areata. Besides, such a method is cost-effective as there is no need for any expensive tools for preparation and it can be done in outpatient clinics. Also, activation of PRP prior to injection is not mandatory as there was no statistically significant difference between both groups.