Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia, as well as establish an effective treatment protocol and optimal PRP preparation procedure.
Methods: We searched the PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Cochrane, CNKI, and Wanfang databases from inception to October 29, 2021, using PROSPERO's International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (registration ID: CRD42022295921).
Results: The original literature search revealed 215 reviews; after duplication removal, 89 papers were eliminated, 95 were eliminated after reading the titles and abstracts, and eventually, 28 articles were included after reading the complete text.
Conclusions: PRP treatment for androgenetic alopecia is effective, and we recommend the following: (1) a PRP volume of at least 0.05 ml/cm2 , preferably 0.1 ml/cm2 ; (2) at least three consecutive treatments at an interval of 1 month; (3) intensive therapy is beneficial and can be provided from 3 to 6 months after continuous treatment; (4) objective indicators such as hair diameter, hair count; (5) long-term follow-up.
Keywords: PRP; androgenetic alopecia; efficacy; platelet-rich plasma; umbrella review.
© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.