Efficacy of autologous growth factor concentrate versus platelet-rich plasma injection in patients with androgenetic alopecia receiving topical minoxidil: A randomized controlled trial
Shini Choubey, Laxman Besra, Nithya Satish, C. R. SrinivasObjectives:
This study aims to evaluate and compare the efficacy of growth factor concentrate (GFC) and platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections as an adjunct therapy to topical minoxidil in androgenetic alopecia (AGA) patients.
Material and Methods:
This study is a prospective randomized controlled trial with a total of 44 patients diagnosed with AGA who were randomized into two groups. Group A received GFC, whereas Group B received PRP monthly once for three months in addition to application of topical minoxidil 5% solution. The primary outcome was measured as an improvement of the terminal/vellus (T/V) hair ratio at the end of 3 months as compared to baseline; whereas secondary outcomes included assessing the improvement in dermatology life quality index (DLQI), pain score using visual analog scale, and patient satisfaction score (PSS).
Results:
The study found significant improvements in the T/V hair ratio in both groups, with the PRP group showing a higher increase (Tf/Vf – 4.66) with p = 0.271 compared to the GFC group (Tf/Vf – 4.37), p = 0.419. Pain scores were significantly lower in the GFC group compared to the PRP group, which was statistically significant ( p < 0.001). Both groups showed improved DLQI and PSS scores, with GFC having 8 and PRP having 6 ( p < 0.001).
Conclusion:
The study found that autologous GFC injections, when combined with topical minoxidil, resulted in comparable hair regrowth and volume outcomes compared to PRP in AGA patients, with lower pain scores and improved PSS, indicating the potential of GFC as an effective adjunct treatment.