How Long Do PRP Results Last?

You have probably heard that PRP uses your own blood to thicken hair or refresh the skin. The question most people ask next is a practical one: if I pay for a course of treatment, how long will the results stay with me?

The honest answer is that PRP can help many people, but its effects wear off over time, and how long they last depends on where it is used. PRP for hair and PRP for the face work on different tissues, follow different schedules and fade at different speeds.

This guide splits the answer by use, explains what shortens or extends your results, and is clear about what PRP cannot do. If you want to know whether PRP for hair is worth trying at all, and what recovery involves, read our earlier article, Is PRP Hair Restoration Worth It?

---

What PRP Is, in Plain Terms

PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma. A small sample of your blood is taken and spun in a medical centrifuge, which concentrates the platelets to up to five times their level in normal blood plasma. Platelets are the blood cells that help wounds heal. They carry growth factors, which are natural signalling proteins, including ones known as PDGF, VEGF and TGF-beta.

When the concentrated plasma is injected into the scalp or skin, these growth factors are thought to support weakened hair follicles and prompt the skin to make more collagen, the protein that keeps skin firm. None of this is instant, and none of it switches off the underlying cause, which is why results fade.

How Long PRP Results Last for Hair

The First Course

A series of 3–4 sessions across a few months is usually needed for the best result, with sessions spaced about 4–6 weeks apart. Initial results can often be seen after 2–3 sessions, with full results after the recommended course. Hair grows slowly, so progress is judged over months, not weeks.

Maintenance

Pattern hair loss (androgenetic alopecia, the inherited thinning that affects both men and women) keeps progressing in the background. PRP does not stop it. To hold on to the improvement, most people need a maintenance session roughly every 6–12 months, and some need them more often. Without ongoing treatment, results may not last.

What the Evidence Says

The research on PRP for pattern hair loss is encouraging but still limited. Several small controlled trials and reviews report improvements in hair count and thickness, but studies use different preparation methods, doses and schedules, and not every patient responds. That is why a doctor should confirm the cause of your hair loss first and track progress with photographs, rather than promise a set result.

What PRP Cannot Do

PRP only works on follicles that are still alive. It does not regrow hair on areas that are fully bald and shiny, or where scarring has destroyed the follicles, such as long-standing traction alopecia from years of tight braids or weaves, or scarring hair loss conditions that need a doctor's diagnosis. Moving healthy follicles into a bald area is a different procedure, a hair transplant. Our guide to hair transplant costs in Uganda explains how it works.

How Long PRP Results Last for the Face

PRP Facial

For the skin, the effects of a PRP facial can last up to 18 months, depending on your skin and how you care for it. We recommend a course of 3 sessions a month apart for the best results, with minimal to no downtime. Because PRP works by encouraging the skin to rebuild collagen, improvements in texture, glow and fine lines appear gradually over the months after treatment rather than on the day. Research on facial PRP is more limited than for hair, so treat 18 months as the upper end, not the norm.

PRP Facelift

The PRP facelift, also known as the Vampire facelift, combines PRP with hyaluronic acid filler. The filler restores volume straight away while the PRP works on the skin, which is why results last longer, typically 12–18 months. As with the facial, how long results last depends on your skin, your age and how well you protect it.

Why Facial Results Fade

Your skin keeps ageing after treatment. Collagen declines naturally every year, and ultraviolet (UV) light from the sun breaks it down faster. In Kampala and Juba the sun is strong all year, including through the rainy seasons, so daily sunscreen is one of the simplest ways to protect what PRP has built. On darker skin, sun protection also lowers the risk of post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), the dark marks that can follow any irritation of the skin.

PRP Results at a Glance

What Makes PRP Results Last Longer, or Shorter

• The cause of your hair loss: PRP is mainly used for pattern hair loss. Heavy shedding after illness, childbirth or stress (telogen effluvium) often recovers once the trigger passes, while patchy hair loss and scarring conditions need different treatment. Getting the diagnosis right comes first.
• Smoking: Smoking narrows blood vessels and slows healing and collagen production, which works against both hair and skin results.
• Your general health: Low iron, thyroid problems, poorly controlled diabetes, crash dieting and some medicines can all worsen hair loss or blunt the response. Your doctor may suggest blood tests.
• Consistency: Completing the first course and keeping maintenance appointments matters more than any single session.
• Combining treatments: For pattern hair loss, doctors often pair PRP with medical treatment, such as minoxidil, where it is suitable. Use prescription treatments only on medical advice.
• Hair care: Tight braids, heavy extensions, harsh relaxers and high heat all put stress on the follicles PRP is trying to support.

When to See a Specialist at Refine

At Refine, PRP is performed by our team of doctors: Dr Chirag Kotecha, Aesthetic Physician, Dr Henry Owiny, Aesthetic Physician, Dr Fouzia and Dr Vicky. Your first visit is a consultation: the doctor asks about your hair or skin history, examines your scalp or face, and checks whether PRP suits you. For hair, that means working out why you are losing hair before any sessions are planned. A numbing agent is used to keep treatment comfortable.

At Refine in Kampala, PRP hair injections start from US$700, PRP microneedling from US$200, the Vampire facial from US$800 and the Vampire (PRP) facelift from US$1,800. Your exact cost depends on the plan agreed with your doctor and is confirmed at consultation.

See a Doctor Promptly If You Notice:

• Sudden or rapid hair loss, or hair coming out in clumps
• Round bald patches, or a scalp that is red, scaly, itchy or painful
• Hair loss with other symptoms, such as tiredness, weight change or irregular periods

Refine Skin & Body Clinic has three branches in Kampala: Lugogo (Forest Mall), Kabalagala (Palm Village Mall) and Bukoto (UMC Victoria Hospital Annex). In South Sudan, Refine Skin & Body Centre is on Airport Road in Juba. Read more about PRP hair restoration and the PRP facial, or book a consultation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

The Bottom Line

PRP results can last, but not forever, and the answer depends on the use. For hair, think of PRP as a course plus maintenance roughly every 6–12 months, with the benefit fading gradually if you stop. For the face, results last up to 18 months after a PRP facial and 12–18 months after a PRP facelift, which adds hyaluronic acid filler. The biggest factors are the cause of the problem, your health and habits, and sticking with the plan.

If you are weighing up PRP, start with a diagnosis. Book a consultation at any Refine branch to find out whether PRP suits you, and what a realistic result looks like.