Struggling with Hair Loss? Follow My PRP Journey for More Hair

Do you suffer from hair loss too? Last week I began sharing my PRP journey for more hair. Are you following along? Today I’ll share some details of my first PRP Hair Treatment with Dr. Rapaport, including some behind the scenes videos from our YouTube Channel.

And stay tuned for more on my PRP journey for more hair because my results are going to blow you away! I’ll be sharing my first set of side-by-side photos next time. Yay!

Disclaimer: I was supplied with PRP Hair Treatments on a complimentary basis by Dr. Rapaport. In order to test them first-hand. All opinions stated are my own.

My PRP Journey for More Hair

Androgenic Alopecia

If you read last week’s post, you know that I’m going through the dreaded postpartum shed. And I’m losing hair rapidly! I also told you about how I’ve been dealing with hair loss for the past 20 years.

What I didn’t get into are my underlying cause for hair loss — Androgenic Alopecia, caused by Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).

When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with a “hormonal imbalance”. I now know it’s actually PCOS. For years I struggled with irregular and very painful menstrual cycles. I was prescribed birth control at a very young age to deal with my “hormonal imbalance”. As it turns out, all that did was mask my PCOS symptoms.

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Those symptoms came back with a vengeance when I eventually got off birth control. And it brought on a BIG shed similar to what I’ve been experiencing post-partum. Only difference was that back then I had a lot more hair to work with.

Dealing with Hair Loss

At 19 years old I was watching my hair slowly turn from beautiful curls to stringy frizz. At such a young age I just assumed I could fix it by using more and more hair products. Little did I know what was in store for me! I tried every anti-frizz cream, thickening lotion, volumizing shampoo, conditioner, gel, mousse and hairspray on the market. My hair routine was serious!

It took me sometimes hours to “do” my hair. I used so many products plus a blow dryer diffuser to volumize as much as possible. If you have thinning hair you know exactly what I’m talking about… the good’ol apply product, flip you head down, tease, apply more product, diffuse, tease some more, flip the hair back and repeat until desired results are reached.

And when all else fails (and you can’t take the frustration anymore), you just end up pulling it up in a bun, even after an hour spent doing your hair. Yes, the struggle (and frustration) is real! 🙁

PRP Hair Treatment with Dr. Rapaport

I wish PRP Hair Treatment had been available back in my early hair loss days! It would have saved me loads of money. But most importantly, it could have saved me tons of heartache!

PRP treatment is not just a good fit with people suffering from hair loss, it’s also effective for patients with thinning hair! You can expect to see approximately 60% increase in size of hair shaft, creating thicker hair.

If I could offer one piece of advice to anyone with hair loss or thinning hair it would be to seek treatment NOW! The longer you wait the less effective the treatment will be. With PRP treatment, patients that have lost hair during the last three years see 70% hair regrowth. This means that the sooner you get treatment the better!

Visiting Dr. Rapaport’s

Once I got through the initial anxiety of having to take off my scarf and finally show Dr. Rapaport my hair or lack thereof, I began to relax a little and feel more comfortable sitting in a room with my scalp exposed. As I mentioned in my last post, Dr. Rapaport was very thorough.

Chatting with Dr. Rapaport

Before treatment, Dr. Rapaport came in and we chatted for a while. He reviewed the process with me as well as went over expectations in detail. He explained to me that he would typically not treat someone going through postpartum hair loss, as these patients would not be good candidates.

Postpartum hair loss is triggered by hormonal issues caused by pregnancy and is only temporary. Luckily for me, though (or not so lucky, depending on how you look at it), I have an underlying (PCOS) condition which has caused tremendous hair loss prior to my postpartum shed.

Dr. Rapport further explained that due to my current postpartum hair loss I might not see tremendous results right away. He did say however that I should see more drastic results once I got through this crazy postpartum shedding. He also pointed out that I should not expect the shedding to slow down as PRP is not effective in treating this temporary (postpartum) condition.

He went on to explain that if I was paying for this treatment he would advise me to wait until my shedding has stopped so that I’m not disappointed by not seeing immediate results. This was something that I thought was awesome of him to say. It showed that he was genuine! Any other doctor out there would most probably have just said ‘give me your money and let’s get started’.

Important to Note

One thing to also take note of is that the amount of hair you have lost in the last three years is key with this kind of hair treatment. Patients that have had most of their hair loss within the last three years seem to have better results.

That being said, I’m expecting that my results may not be as drastic or as immediate since you know I’ve been losing hair for the past 20 years. But still, I would be happy with any increase in hair at this point. That’s why I’m moving full speed ahead with my PRP journey for more hair!

My Thoughts on the PRP Process

First, one of Dr. Rapaport’s assistants came in to apply a topical anesthetic to my scalp. If you can imagine, I’m shrieking because now it seems that the entire world is just getting a close up look at my scalp. I’m starting to feel like a test monkey! But every single person I met at the office was so enthusiastic. Every one of them kept assuring me that this would work for me. They all insisted that in no time I would see results in hair regrowth.

Then another one of Dr. Rapaport’s assistants came in and drew blood to begin the PRP procedure.

This blood is then spun in a centrifuge to separate the PRP from the rest of the blood. It’s then injected into your scalp to stimulate your follicles and promote hair regrowth. No crazy chemical that can cause a ton of side effects, and no tedious routine to follow!

Great Care Makes All the Difference

I must say, the entire staff at Dr. Rapaport’s office seemed so genuinely happy for my journey. I got the feeling that they’re used to seeing patients come in with the same roller-coaster of emotions I was going through. And they seemed confident that in the end, I’d be glad that I took this chance and tried PRP.

After a few more pictures, videos and lots of laughs, the PRP was ready, and the anesthetic had taken full effect. We were ready to move to the procedure room. By now, I had absolutely no anxiety about the injecting I knew would follow.

I’d read some reviews that stated that this was a bit painful but honestly if it gets me my hair back I will just suck up the pain. Plus I just had a baby, it couldn’t possibly be worse than 24 hours of labor…. could it?

The entire staff really made me feel comfortable and managed to make me smile and laugh through this not so easy time for me.

The Low Down on PRP – Does it Hurt?

Dr. Rapaport’s assistant began by using a blow drying type device with very cold air blowing on my scalp as Dr. Rapaport began the injections. Once he got started it went so fast that I really didn’t have a chance to feel the pain. He did ask me a few times if it hurt but it really didn’t.

The procedure requires multiple very quick injections to the scalp but by the time you feel it he is on to the next, and the next, and the next. You just really don’t have time to feel pain! We talked and laughed through it, so it really was not uncomfortable for me, at all.

I had one of the assistants continue to take pictures and video. Dr. Rapaport kept mentioning how bloody it looked and I remember him saying “if I was watching this I would be scared to death”. We all broke out in laughter. I really had no clue that there was blood anywhere. Maybe it was the anesthetic.

But really all I felt was just a little pressure and a few needle pricks. Once I watched the video that was another story! I totally understand Dr. Rapaport’s comment now. If I had watched the video prior to having my first treatment, I might not have been as excited to get up on that table for my first treatment. But it didn’t hurt really, I promise!

I walked into Dr. Rapaport’s office feeling extremely anxious for so many reasons — reality about exposing my secret to the world, uncertain if this would actually work for me, and the list goes on. But I walked out of there feeling like a rock star, just with a bit of a sore scalp 😉

My Journey –  From NO HAIR to MESSY HAIR

Next week I’ll get into how hair loss has affected me — how it’s changed me and how its affected so many parts of my life. You might be shocked!

I also can’t wait to share my one-month side by side photos and get into details of my second treatment. I’m already seeing great results, much faster than I expected! I hope you stay tuned and continue to follow my PRP journey for more hair!

In the meantime, you can learn more about Dr. Rapaport and his PRP Hair Treatment by clicking here.

Remember to use our unique NYCTechMommy discount code ‘PRPHair10Tech’ when booking your PRP appointment with Dr. Rapaport online and receive 10% off. Also, make sure to mention the discount code at the office when you arrive for your first visit so that they know I sent you. 🙂

Are you suffering from hair loss too? Comment with your biggest struggles below. You are not alone! I would love to hear from you.

You can also read more post in this series and follow my journey for more hair by clicking here.

Signing off, for now ~ xo