Hair thinning and shedding
Thinning usually begins long before it is visible. Treatment works best while follicles are still active, which is why early intervention matters more than intensity.
Hair grows in cycles, and at any moment most follicles are growing while a minority rest or shed. Thinning happens when that balance shifts: more follicles resting, growth phases shortening, and each new hair emerging finer and shorter than the last. That process, miniaturisation, is why thinning is so much easier to treat early. A miniaturised follicle is still alive and can be pushed back towards a normal cycle, whereas a follicle dormant for years may be scarred and beyond recovery. By the time thinning is obvious in the mirror, roughly half the density in that area has usually already gone, because the eye does not register the loss until it passes that threshold. The most common pattern, androgenetic alopecia, reflects follicle sensitivity to DHT and shows as temple recession and crown thinning in men, and diffuse widening of the part in women. Telogen effluvium is different: a synchronised shedding two to three months after a physiological stress such as illness, surgery, childbirth or rapid weight loss, and it usually recovers on its own.
How we treat it
Because several of those causes are medical rather than cosmetic, the first step is establishing which is operating. Blood work for ferritin, thyroid function and vitamin D is often warranted before any treatment is offered, since correcting a deficiency may resolve the problem entirely and no injectable substitutes for that. Where the picture is pattern thinning with viable follicles, PRP is the mainstay: platelets concentrated from the patient’s own blood are injected across the scalp, delivering growth factors that extend the growth phase and improve hair calibre. It is a course rather than a single treatment, typically three to four sessions a month apart followed by maintenance every four to six months, and the results are gradual. Exosome therapy is used similarly and sometimes alongside. Vitamin injections have a role only where a measured deficiency exists; given without one they treat nothing. Realistic framing matters here more than in almost any other treatment: the aim is to thicken and hold what is present, not to regrow a hairline absent for a decade.
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sherwin Hariri, MD, Medical Director & Chief Longevity Physician. Last reviewed August 2026.
This page is for information only and is not medical advice. Suitability for any treatment is determined at consultation.
Common questions
How soon will I see results from PRP?
Shedding often reduces first, within about six to eight weeks. Visible thickening usually takes three to six months, because it depends on follicles completing a new growth cycle. Photographs taken at consistent angles and lighting are far more reliable than memory for judging change, which is why they are taken at baseline.
Does PRP work for everyone?
No. It works best where follicles are miniaturised but still active, meaning early to moderate thinning. Where an area has been completely bald for years the follicles are typically no longer viable and no injectable will recover them. An honest assessment at consultation is worth more than an optimistic one.
Do I need blood tests first?
Often, yes. Iron, ferritin, thyroid and vitamin D deficiencies are common and treatable causes of hair loss, particularly in women. Treating the scalp while an underlying deficiency continues is treating a symptom, so where the history suggests a medical driver, investigation comes before injection.
Is it painful?
The scalp is sensitive and the injections are felt. Topical anaesthetic, cooling and a fine needle keep it manageable, and most patients describe brief discomfort rather than pain. The session takes around forty-five minutes including preparation of the platelets, and there is no meaningful downtime afterwards.
Other concerns
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