A quick look at a common nail condition you've never heard of
If you've ever had a hangnail, you know how irritating they are. Hangnails can be painful and getting rid of them is an exercise in trying to avoid an infection.
Have you ever considered how quickly a scratch begins to heal?
It can happen so fast that sometimes you don’t even notice until after the scratch has begun to form a scab and is well on its way to healing. Your body works fast, and that’s thanks to a component of your blood called platelets, and through Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy, you can apply that speed to more than just a scratch, including COVID-related hair loss.
The coronavirus pandemic has produced many strange side effects, but by far, one of the most embarrassing ones is hair loss. Sometimes even months beyond initial infection, coronavirus patients report their hair falling out in clumps.
There are a few reasons this could be happening. It’s very common for your hair to fall out after prolonged illness. Another reason hair can fall out is stress: even some people who never had coronavirus have reported hair loss due to the pressure of the last two years.
While hair usually returns to normal on its own, many people find they don’t want to wait.
Plasma is the liquid part of your blood. It acts as a medium to carry white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets around to the different parts of your body. While those things are essential, the absolute superstar is the platelets. They’re the part of your blood that encourages your blood to create scabs when you get a cut and helps your body naturally heal. Platelet-rich plasma therapy involves harnessing this natural healing and applying it to other body parts and has several different applications, from anti-aging to hair loss.
The first step in any PRP treatment is to draw some blood. The blood will be placed in a centrifuge machine that separates the platelet-rich plasma. Then, depending on your goals, the plasma will be injected into the site that needs treatment. Platelet-rich plasma has been known to speed up the healing process significantly. In injuries, it can heal pain and restore motion, and in hair loss, it can help stimulate the re-growth of your hair.
It may take several sessions, but PRP therapy has been shown to encourage significant hair growth and could answer COVID hair loss. If you’re suffering from hair loss that leaves you self-conscious, talk to your City Derm dermatologist today and get started on your journey back to feeling like yourself again!
