1 What both treatments have in common
PRP and GFC start from the same idea. Platelets in your blood carry growth factors — proteins such as PDGF, VEGF and IGF-1 that tell cells to repair and multiply. Delivered into the scalp around thinning follicles, those growth factors are thought to prolong the growth phase of the hair cycle, improve the blood supply to the follicle and slow the miniaturisation that turns thick hairs into fine ones.
Both treatments therefore suit the same patient: someone with early or moderate pattern hair loss, or diffuse thinning, whose follicles are still present. Neither creates new follicles, so neither regrows hair on a smooth, bald area. And both are support treatments — for pattern hair loss the foundation is prescription medical therapy, and PRP or GFC is added to it. Patients who rely on either alone usually see less benefit and lose it sooner.
Both also use your own blood, so there is no risk of allergy or rejection, and both are done in a clinic visit of about an hour with no real downtime.
2 How PRP is prepared
Platelet-rich plasma is the older and more established of the two. About 15–20 ml of blood is drawn from your arm and spun in a centrifuge for 10–15 minutes. Spinning separates the blood into layers, and the layer rich in platelets — concentrated to several times the level in circulating blood — is drawn off and injected in small amounts across the thinning scalp.
What you receive is a suspension of live platelets, along with some white cells and a small amount of plasma. The platelets release their growth factors after injection, when they are activated in the tissue. The concentration achieved varies with the kit and the technique, which is one reason results between clinics can differ, and it is why we use the same protocol every session.
A standard PRP course is 3–4 sessions a month apart, then maintenance every 4–6 months if it is helping.
3 How GFC is prepared
Growth Factor Concentrate starts the same way — a blood draw of around 16 ml into specialised tubes — but then goes a step further. Instead of injecting the platelets, the kit activates them in the tube so that they release their growth factors, and the preparation is incubated and centrifuged to separate that growth-factor-rich fluid from the platelets, red cells and white cells. Processing takes 30–40 minutes.
What you receive is a small volume of clear fluid that contains the growth factors already released, at a higher and more consistent concentration than PRP, with no cells or cellular debris. Because the volume is smaller and cell-free, injections are usually quicker, and there is less inflammation and tenderness afterwards.
A standard GFC course is 3 sessions a month apart, then maintenance around every 6 months. It costs more per session than PRP, partly because of the kit, and partly because it is a newer technique with a smaller — though growing — evidence base.
4 The practical differences, side by side
Preparation: PRP injects concentrated platelets that release growth factors after injection; GFC injects growth factors that have already been released and concentrated, without cells.
Concentration and consistency: GFC delivers a higher, more predictable dose. PRP concentration depends more on the kit and the operator.
Sessions: PRP usually 3–4 to start; GFC usually 3. Maintenance for both, typically every 4–6 months.
Comfort: GFC is generally more comfortable — smaller volume, less post-injection inflammation. PRP causes more scalp tenderness for a day or so.
Cost: PRP is less expensive per session. GFC costs more per session, though the shorter course narrows the gap over a full course.
Evidence: PRP has been studied for hair loss for well over a decade and has the larger body of published evidence. GFC is newer; early clinical results are encouraging and the mechanism is the same, but head-to-head trials are still limited.
Suitability: the same. Both need miniaturised follicles to act on and both work best alongside medical treatment.
5 So which should you choose?
For most patients with early or moderate thinning, either will do the job when combined with medical treatment, and the choice comes down to three things.
If budget is the main constraint, PRP is the economical option with the longer track record. If you want the shortest, most comfortable course and are happy to pay more per session, GFC is the more convenient choice. If you have had PRP before with only modest results, trying GFC's more concentrated preparation is reasonable, provided your dermatologist thinks the follicles are still there to respond.
What should not decide it is a claim that one is simply better. We offer both at Lavanayam precisely so that the recommendation is based on your scalp, your diagnosis and your circumstances — not on which kit happens to be in the cupboard. The dermatologist will examine your scalp with a dermatoscope, review any blood work, and tell you honestly whether either treatment is likely to help you at all.
6 What neither treatment can do
Neither PRP nor GFC regrows hair where the follicle is gone. If an area of scalp is smooth and shiny with no fine hairs, there is nothing for growth factors to act on; that is a hair transplant conversation, and medical treatment afterwards protects the surrounding hair.
Neither replaces the diagnosis. Hair fall from iron deficiency, thyroid disorder, low vitamin D or a hormonal cause needs that cause treated; growth factors on top of an untreated deficiency is money spent in the wrong place. And neither is a one-time fix for pattern hair loss, which is genetic and progressive — the benefit is maintained while treatment continues.
If you are in Gaur City 2, Greater Noida West or nearby, the sensible first step is a consultation rather than choosing a treatment from a menu. Our hair fall treatment page explains how the diagnosis works; the PRP and GFC pages cover each procedure in detail.
Dr. Anshul Choudhary is a highly trained dermatologist specialising in advanced skin treatments, with more than 10 years of experience. She designs a customised plan for every patient, focused on authentic well-being. She believes in a holistic approach for better outcomes, and treats every patient with passion and compassion.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not automatically. GFC gives a higher, more consistent concentration of growth factors in a cell-free preparation, usually with fewer sessions and less tenderness, but at a higher cost per session and with a shorter evidence record. PRP is well established and more economical. Both work best combined with medical treatment for pattern hair loss.
A standard PRP course is 3–4 monthly sessions; a standard GFC course is 3. Both are followed by maintenance sessions every 4–6 months if they are helping.
No. Both support follicles that are miniaturised but still present. They cannot regrow hair where follicles have been lost; that is a hair transplant conversation.
For pattern hair loss, yes. Medical treatment addresses the cause; PRP and GFC support the follicles. Used alone, either gives less benefit and loses it sooner.
GFC is usually more comfortable because the injected volume is smaller and contains no cells or debris. Both use numbing, and tenderness after either settles within a day.
Our doctors treat this at the clinic in Gaur City 2, Greater Noida West.
PRP Hair Treatment at Lavanayam →