Evaluation of platelet-rich plasma plus basic fibroblast growth factor combined with minoxidil in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia: A randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Platelet-rich plasma plus basic fibroblast growth factor (PRPF) has been confirmed to be a safe and valuable therapy for androgenetic alopecia (AGA). However, the efficacy of PRPF combined with minoxidil treatment remains unknown.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of combined PRPF and minoxidil treatment for AGA.

METHODS: In this prospective, randomized controlled trial, 75 patients with AGA were randomly divided into three groups and were administered the following treatments: Group 1, direct intradermal PRPF injection; Group 2, topical minoxidil 5% twice daily; and Group 3, PRPF injection combined with minoxidil. The PRPF injection was performed three times, 1 month apart. Hair growth parameters were evaluated using a trichoscope until the sixth month of the study. Patient satisfaction and side effects were recorded during the follow-up.

RESULTS: All patients showed improvements (p < 0.05) in hair count, terminal hair, and decrease in telogen hair ratio after treatment. The efficacy of PRPF complex therapy revealed significant improvements (p < 0.05) in hair count, terminal hair and growth rate, compared with monotherapy.

LIMITATIONS: Small sample size, short follow-up time and lack of quantification of GFs in PRPF.

CONCLUSION: The effect of complex therapy exceed both the effects of PRPF monotherapy and minoxidil treatment, which can be a beneficial AGA treatment strategy.