PRP vs GFC: how the two hair treatments compare
Both are made from your own blood and injected into the scalp. Here is how they differ, what the studies found, and where they fit in a plan.
- Written by
- Clinic Eximus clinical team
- Updated
- Reading time
- 7 minutes
The short answer
PRP and GFC are often sold as rivals, but they are close relatives: both start with a small sample of your own blood, both are injected into thinning areas of the scalp, and both are used for pattern hair loss. The differences lie in how the sample is processed and how much evidence stands behind each. This guide compares them using published studies rather than clinic claims, and answers the question many people ask first: should either come before medicines that are known to work?
In this article
PRP vs GFC at a glance
| Compare | PRP | GFC |
|---|---|---|
| How it is made | PRPBlood is spun in a centrifuge; the platelet-rich layer of plasma is collected | GFCBlood is collected in a kit that activates platelets; the released growth factors are separated |
| What is injected | PRPConcentrated platelets in plasma, which release growth factors in the scalp | GFCGrowth-factor-rich fluid with far fewer cells |
| Evidence base | PRPMany trials, including meta-analyses of randomised trials (for example, 9 trials, 238 people) | GFCSmall studies so far; one retrospective 42-person comparison with PRP |
| Early findings | PRPDensity better than placebo at 3 months; slower early change than GFC in the head-to-head study | GFCQuicker early gains in hair count, diameter and overall score in the head-to-head study |
| At 6 months | PRPDensity better than placebo; better diameter and overall score than GFC in the head-to-head study | GFCEarly lead on diameter and overall score not maintained in the head-to-head study |
| Sessions used in studies | PRPVaries; more sessions at shorter intervals did better across 25 trials | GFCThree sessions, 4 weeks apart in the head-to-head study |
| Indicative price per session | PRP₹5,000–₹10,000 (indicative; confirmed at consultation) | GFC₹8,000–₹20,000 (indicative; confirmed at consultation) |
Findings from PubMed 37533146, 36074501 and 40557953 (see sources). Prices: indicative range in Delhi NCR. Your doctor confirms the plan and final price at consultation.
What PRP and GFC are
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is made by drawing blood and spinning it in a centrifuge so the platelets gather in a layer of plasma. That platelet-rich layer is injected into the scalp, where the platelets release growth factors, signalling proteins thought to support hair follicles.
GFC (growth factor concentrate) also starts with your blood, but uses a kit that activates the platelets so they release their growth factors before injection. What goes into the scalp is the growth-factor-rich fluid, with far fewer cells. Kits and methods vary between clinics, so it is reasonable to ask which one is used.
What the studies show
PRP has the larger evidence base. A 2023 meta-analysis of 9 randomised controlled trials, covering 238 people, found PRP increased hair density compared with placebo at 3 and 6 months. Hair count and hair diameter, however, were not significantly better than placebo.
GFC has been studied far less, mostly in small groups. The most useful head-to-head study so far looked back at 42 people with male or female pattern hair loss who had three sessions, four weeks apart: 25 had PRP and 17 had GFC. GFC gave quicker early gains in hair count, hair diameter and the overall improvement score. At 6 months, PRP had the better hair diameter and overall scores.
That study was retrospective (it reviewed past records rather than randomly assigning people) and small. Its authors suggest using the two in sequence, GFC for a quicker start and PRP for a longer effect. Treat that as a reasonable idea to discuss with your doctor, not a settled answer.
- Plasma (platelet-poor)
- Platelet-rich layer (used for PRP)
- Red blood cells
- Small blood sample
- Spun in a centrifuge
- Platelet-rich plasma prepared
- Growth-factor-rich fluid (used for GFC)
- Cells left behind
- Blood collected in a kit tube
- Platelets activated, growth factors released
- Cell-poor, growth-factor-rich fluid separated
Sessions, intervals and upkeep
There is no standard protocol for either treatment. A 2022 network meta-analysis of 25 PRP trials found that results tended to be better with more sessions and shorter gaps between them.
In practice, a course usually means several sessions about a month apart, followed by a review. Pattern hair loss continues over time, so any procedure is usually followed by medical treatment and, for some people, occasional maintenance sessions. Ask what follow-up the plan includes before you start, so the full cost is clear.
Why medicines usually come first
On Indian hair care forums, a common worry is a clinic suggesting PRP on the first visit, before any medicine has been tried. That worry is fair. For pattern hair loss, guidelines place medicines first: topical minoxidil for men and women, and finasteride for men. Procedures such as PRP are additional options.
PRP and GFC can help some people as an add-on, for example those who want more than medicines alone are giving them, or those who cannot use certain medicines. They do not treat the cause, and they are not a replacement for medical treatment. If you are offered a package of injections before anyone has examined your scalp or asked about your health, ask why.
Reading about it helps. A doctor looking at your scalp or skin is what tells you which of this applies to you.
Who may suit each option
The choice is made with your doctor after a diagnosis. As a general guide:
- PRP may suit: People who prefer the option with more published trials, and who are comfortable with a course of several sessions and a gradual build.
- GFC may suit: People who, knowing the evidence is limited, prefer the option that showed quicker early change in one study and accept a higher price per session.
- Neither may suit: People with bleeding or platelet disorders, active scalp infection or certain blood-thinning medicines, or those who are pregnant. Your doctor checks this first.
- Not the first step: Shedding after illness, childbirth or low iron, which usually recovers once the cause is treated.
Questions to ask before you book
Whichever you are considering, these questions help you judge the plan and the clinic offering it.
- What is causing my hair loss, and how was that diagnosed?
- Which medicine do you recommend alongside, and why?
- How is the sample prepared, and which kit or method do you use?
- How many sessions, how far apart, and what happens after the course?
- What is the full cost, including reviews and any maintenance sessions?
- How will we measure progress: standard photos, trichoscopy or both?
The takeaway
PRP has more trials behind it; GFC showed quicker early change in one small comparison, while PRP did better on diameter and overall score at six months. For pattern hair loss, both are add-ons to medical treatment for suitable people, chosen after a diagnosis, not a substitute for it.
Sources
- PRP for androgenetic alopecia: systematic review and meta-analysis of 9 RCTs (2023) (opens in a new tab)
- Clinical and trichoscopic analysis of PRP versus GFC for pattern hair loss (Dermatologic Surgery, 2025) (opens in a new tab)
- PRP monotherapies for androgenetic alopecia: network meta-analysis of 25 trials (2022) (opens in a new tab)
- Growth factor concentrate for androgenic alopecia: small clinical study (2024) (opens in a new tab)
- Treatment of pattern hair loss: review of minoxidil, finasteride and PRP (2021) (opens in a new tab)
- Androgenetic alopecia: therapy update (2023) (opens in a new tab)
