PRP preparation: why the centrifuge protocol decides results

Why two PRP sessions can give completely different results

PRP is not a product with a fixed dose; it is whatever your own blood becomes after the centrifuge, and the protocol changes the concentration several times over. A single low-speed spin yields plasma barely above baseline platelet count. A double-spin protocol concentrates platelets to roughly three to five times baseline, which is the range where growth factor release becomes meaningful. Very few clinics publish which of the two they run, and it is the first question worth asking.

The variables that actually change your tube

Four things decide the output: spin speed and duration, whether the kit separates with a gel barrier or relies on manual pipetting, whether red cells and granulocytes are excluded, and how much plasma volume is kept at the end. Leukocyte-rich preparations cause noticeably more soreness after injection; leukocyte-poor ones are gentler on the scalp. We use a closed double-spin kit per patient, prepared in the treatment room and injected within minutes of preparation.

What we ask you to do beforehand

Arrive hydrated, two glasses of water in the hour before the draw makes a visibly better sample. Avoid aspirin, ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatories for five days, because they blunt platelet function, and skip alcohol for twenty-four hours. Do not come fasting; a normal meal keeps the plasma clearer. Tell us about blood thinners, a low platelet count or any active scalp infection, since those are genuine contraindications rather than minor inconveniences.

How many sessions, and what €600 buys

Our stem cell and PRP therapy package is €600 and covers a course rather than one injection: typically three sessions four weeks apart, then maintenance every four to six months. Reduced shedding usually comes first, around week six to eight, with visible improvement in shaft calibre by month four. Anyone selling you a single injection as a cure for pattern baldness is selling optimism, and we would rather you spent the money on grafts.

The Ones People Actually Ask.