What is PRP treatment for hair loss?

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) treatment for hair loss uses your body's own natural growth factors to revive thinning hair, strengthen follicles and boost new growth. The London PRP Clinic offers doctor-led PRP treatments for hair, scalp, and beard growth with proven results.

Does PRP work for beard growth?

Yes, PRP beard growth treatment is highly effective for filling patchy areas, enhancing beard density, and promoting thicker facial hair. Our doctor-led PRP beard treatment at £395 per session uses platelet-rich plasma to stimulate dormant hair follicles in the beard area.

How much does PRP treatment cost in London?

PRP treatment prices at The London PRP Clinic range from £395 for PRP Hair Signature or Beard PRP single sessions, to £545 for comprehensive treatments. We offer package discounts - for example, 3 PRP Hair sessions cost £1,085 (save £100).

What PRP services are available at The London PRP Clinic?

We offer PRP treatments for hair loss, beard growth, facial rejuvenation, under-eye treatment, knee joint pain, and scalp health. All treatments are doctor-led and evidence-based, delivered at our Marylebone, Canary Wharf, and Belgravia London locations.

How much does PRP cost for hair loss in London?

At The London PRP Clinic, PRP hair treatment costs £545 per session including Viviscal™ supplements and organic oils. Most patients need 3-4 initial sessions (package available at £1,500, saving £135). ExoRevive exosome treatment is £445 per session.

Does PRP really work for hair loss?

Yes, clinical studies show PRP is 70-90% effective for androgenetic alopecia. At our clinic, 87% of patients report significant improvement with an average 32% increase in hair density after 3-4 sessions. Results are best for Norwood stages 1-4.

What's better PRP or hair transplant?

PRP is ideal for early-stage hair loss (Norwood 1-4): non-surgical, no downtime, £545 per session. Hair transplants suit advanced loss (Norwood 5-7): permanent but surgical, 2-week recovery, £3,000-15,000. Many combine both for optimal results - PRP strengthens existing hair and enhances transplant survival.

How long do PRP results last?

PRP results typically last 12-18 months with proper maintenance. After initial 3-4 sessions, maintenance treatments every 6 months sustain results. Some patients using our combined protocol (PRP + supplements) report results lasting up to 2 years.

Is PRP painful for hair?

PRP involves minimal discomfort. We use topical numbing cream 30 minutes before treatment. Most patients rate pain as 2-3/10, describing it as 'mild pinching.' The entire procedure takes 60 minutes with no downtime - you can return to work immediately.

Can I wash my hair after PRP?

Wait 24 hours before washing your hair after PRP. Use lukewarm water and gentle shampoo for the first wash. Avoid swimming pools, saunas, and intense exercise for 48 hours. We provide detailed aftercare instructions and organic hair oil for optimal healing.

What are the newest hair loss treatments in 2025?

The newest effective hair loss treatments in 2025 include low-dose oral minoxidil (2.5-5mg daily), topical finasteride (0.25%), platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy, and low-level laser therapy devices. Emerging treatments like JAK inhibitors and topical androgen receptor antagonists are showing promising results in clinical trials.

Does oral minoxidil work for hair loss?

Yes, low-dose oral minoxidil (2.5-5mg daily) has proven highly effective for both male and female pattern hair loss. Studies show it's particularly effective for overall thinning, with manageable side effects primarily limited to mild hypertrichosis (extra hair growth).

Is PRP effective for hair restoration?

Yes, PRP therapy has demonstrated significant improvement in hair count and thickness in clinical trials. Most patients see noticeable results after 3-4 sessions, using the body's own growth factors to stimulate dormant hair follicles.

What's the best hair loss treatment in London?

The best hair loss treatment depends on your specific condition, but combination therapy often yields optimal results. The London PRP Clinic offers personalised treatment plans combining PRP therapy with other evidence-based treatments. Book a free consultation to determine the best approach for your hair loss pattern.

How much does PRP hair treatment cost in London?

PRP hair treatment costs vary based on the number of sessions needed. The London PRP Clinic offers competitive pricing with free initial consultations. Contact us via WhatsApp for a personalised quote based on your specific treatment needs.

What Is Intraosseous PRP and Does Injecting the BoneWork Better Than the Joint

10 Sept

Written By Guest User

Intraosseous PRP injects platelet rich plasma into the bone beneath the cartilage as well as the joint, becausedamaged subchondral bone drives osteoarthritis. A 2025 double-blind trial of 86 patients with severe kneeosteoarthritis found adding bone injections to joint injections gave greater improvement at 3, 6 and 12 months.The evidence is promising, small and partly industry-linked.

Key points

A 2025 double-blind multicentre randomised trial in the Journal of Clinical Medicine gave 86 patients withKellgren Lawrence grade 3 to 4 knee osteoarthritis either intraosseous PRP or intraosseous saline, bothfollowed by 3 intra-articular PRP injections, and found the bone injection group had significantly greaterimprovement in nearly all KOOS and WOMAC domains at 3, 6 and 12 months with no serious adverseevents.
A June 2026 review in EFORT Open Reviews synthesised randomised, observational and laboratoryevidence to May 2025 and concluded intraosseous PRP, particularly combined with intra-articular PRP,improves pain, function and joint structure in moderate to severe knee and hip osteoarthritis, while callingfor standardised long term trials.
The technique was first described in 2014, and a 79-patient office-based series of grade 3 to 4 kneestreated under local anaesthetic reported improvement in KOOS scores after 3 weekly sessions of 1 jointand 2 bone injections.
Standard intra-articular PRP failed against placebo in a 288-patient JAMA trial and helped 90 late stagepatients in a 2026 trial, so intraosseous PRP is being tested in the group where standard PRP is leastreliable.

If you have advanced knee or hip arthritis and have read about bone injections, message us on WhatsApp or email team@thewellnesslondon.com and a doctor will tell you honestly where the evidence stands for your joint.

Why anyone would inject bone rather than joint

Osteoarthritis was long thought of as a cartilage disease. Cartilage wears, bone rubs, the joint hurts. Thepicture that has emerged over the last 15 years is that the bone beneath the cartilage, the subchondral bone,is not a passive floor but an active participant. It becomes stiffer and more porous, develops areas of oedemavisible on MRI as bone marrow lesions, and grows new blood vessels and nerves into the base of the cartilage.Bone marrow lesions are one of the strongest imaging predictors of pain in osteoarthritis and of how fast thejoint will deteriorate.

A joint injection bathes the cartilage surface and the synovial lining but does not reach that bone. Intraosseousinjection places PRP directly into the tibial plateau and femoral condyle, or into the femoral head andacetabulum at the hip, through a needle passed into the bone under imaging guidance. The idea is to treat thewhole osteochondral unit rather than one layer of it. The technique was first described in 2014 by a group inSpain, and for a decade the evidence was case series. That changed in 2025.

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What the 2025 trial found and what it did not

The trial that moved intraosseous PRP from theory towards evidence was published in the Journal of ClinicalMedicine in November 2025. It was a prospective, double-blind, multicentre randomised trial of 86 patientswith Kellgren Lawrence grade 3 to 4 knee osteoarthritis, which is the severe group where standard PRP is leastreliable. Everyone received 3 intra-articular injections of PRP. Half also received intraosseous PRP into thebone, and half received intraosseous saline. Because both groups had needles placed into the bone, the trialisolated the effect of what was injected rather than the effect of the procedure.

At 3, 6 and 12 months, the group that had PRP in the bone showed significantly greater improvement in nearlyall domains of the KOOS and WOMAC scales, covering pain, symptoms, function and quality of life. No seriousadverse events were recorded in either group. The authors concluded that treating the subchondral bonedirectly has a significant and clinically relevant effect in severe disease.

The limits are worth stating as plainly as the result. It is one trial of 86 patients, so the estimate of benefit isimprecise. The PRP used was a specific proprietary preparation, and several authors are affiliated with thecompany that makes it, which is disclosed in the paper. Follow up was 1 year. And the comparison shows bonePRP beats bone saline when both have joint PRP, not that the combined procedure beats a joint injection aloneby a known margin.

Send your knee or hip MRI report on WhatsApp and a doctor will tell you whether the bone changes on yourscan are the ones this treatment targets.

What the wider evidence says

The June 2026 review in EFORT Open Reviews, from the orthopaedic group at Instituto Cugat in Barcelona, isthe most complete summary. It gathered randomised, observational and laboratory evidence published to May2025 and concluded that intraosseous PRP, particularly combined with intra-articular PRP, improves pain,function and imaging measures of joint structure in moderate to severe osteoarthritis of the knee and hip. Itskeywords included bone marrow lesions and joint preservation, which is the clinical target. The authors wereequally clear that standardised long term trials are still needed before the technique becomes routine.

Smaller studies point the same way. A 2022 single-blind randomised trial in Injury compared a single jointinjection with and without bone injections. A 2018 study in Clinical Rheumatology compared hyaluronic acid,joint PRP, and combined joint and bone PRP. A 2021 study in International Orthopaedics followed intraosseousPRP for bone marrow lesions of the knee for a year. A 2022 systematic review in the Indian Journal ofOrthopaedics could pool only a limited meta-analysis, which is the honest measure of how young this literatureis. The 79-patient office series of grade 3 to 4 knees, treated under local anaesthetic with 1 joint and 2 boneinjections weekly for 3 weeks, reported improved KOOS scores, and it was also authored by the group linkedto the proprietary product.

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What the procedure involves and who it might suit

Intraosseous PRP is more than a joint injection. Under ultrasound or X-ray guidance, and after localanaesthetic infiltrated down to the bone, a needle is passed through the cortex into the cancellous bone of thetibial plateau and the femoral condyle, and PRP is injected into each. It is then combined with a standard jointinjection, and the published protocols repeat the joint injection weekly for 3 sessions. The office-based seriesused a local anaesthetic technique without sedation, though some centres offer sedation. Bone injection isuncomfortable in a way a joint injection is not, and the leg is usually sore for several days afterwards.

The candidate the evidence describes is specific. Grade 3 to 4 knee or hip osteoarthritis, bone marrow lesionson MRI, symptoms despite standard treatment, and either not yet a surgical candidate or wanting to defersurgery for a defined reason. It is not a treatment for early arthritis, where a joint injection alone has theevidence, and it is not a treatment for the patient without bone changes on imaging, since there is nothing inthe bone to treat. A clinic offering it without an MRI has skipped the step that decides whether it is indicated.

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Five questions to ask before agreeing to a bone injection

These apply whichever clinic you see, including ours.

Does my MRI show bone marrow lesions or subchondral changes, and can the doctor show me where theinjection would go.
What grade is my arthritis, and does it match the grade 3 to 4 patients in the 2025 trial.
Which PRP preparation will be used in the bone, and how does it compare with the proprietary product inthe trial.
What anaesthetic is used, who performs the bone puncture, and what imaging guides it.
What is the plan if the joint improves but the bone injection does not, and what is the surgical pathway ifneither does.

If the answer to the first question is that a scan is not needed, the clinic is selling a procedure rather thantreating a finding.

Our doctors put it this way. Intraosseous PRP is the first PRP technique in a decade with a real idea behindit and a real trial to back it. It is also 86 patients and 1 year, and anyone presenting it as proven is a year ortwo ahead of the evidence.

Message us on WhatsApp with your grade of arthritis, your MRI findings if known, and what you have alreadytried, and a doctor will give you a straight answer.

What intraosseous PRP does not do

Intraosseous PRP does not regrow cartilage in any proven way, and it does not replace joint replacement in aknee or hip that has reached the point of surgery. It has 1 double-blind trial of 86 patients with 1 year of followup, industry involvement in most of the published work, and no head to head trial against a joint injection aloneor against surgery. It is more uncomfortable and more invasive than a joint injection, with the small risks thatfollow from passing a needle into bone. It is not commissioned by the NHS, is not covered by private medicalinsurance, and is offered by very few clinics in the UK, which is a reason for caution rather than a mark ofexclusivity.

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What intraosseous PRP costs, and why the figure needs confirming

Specialist central London clinics commonly charge from around £780 to £900 or more per image guided jointPRP injection including assessment, with a course of 2 to 3 taking a plan past £2,000. Intraosseous treatmentadds bone punctures, local anaesthetic to the bone, longer imaging and a 3 session protocol to that, and thereis no established market price in London for a doctor to anchor against. Any clinic quoting a single flat figurewithout describing what is included should be asked to itemise it.

The reframing is the one that applies to every advanced arthritis decision. The relevant comparison is not thecost of the injections but the cost of a year, whether that year is spent waiting for surgery in pain, deferring itwith a treatment that has some evidence, or paying for one that has none. Intraosseous PRP sits in the middlecategory, and should be priced and explained as such.

Care at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness is doctor-led and priced below flagship central London rates,with your exact figure confirmed at the free suitability review once a doctor has reviewed your MRI anddecided whether the bone is a target worth treating.

Ask about the cost for your joint on WhatsApp and we will explain what the review covers.

The free suitability review

Every enquiry here starts with a free, doctor-led suitability review rather than a booking. A GMC-registereddoctor assesses you, reviews your MRI, and gives one of two answers. Either you are approved for treatment,with a clear plan, a stated protocol and realistic expectations drawn from the 2025 trial rather than frommarketing, or you are not approved, with an honest explanation of what would serve you better, whether that isa standard joint injection, a different treatment, or a surgical opinion.

We decline a meaningful share of the people who enquire. For intraosseous PRP that share is high, becausethe evidence describes a narrow group and we hold to it.

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Why people choose The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness

An 87 percent patient success rate across treatments.
More than 187 five star reviews.
Every treatment performed by a GMC-registered doctor.
100 supervised treatments completed by every clinician before they treat a patient here unsupervised.
A 32 percent average density increase reported in our hair restoration programme.

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Frequently asked questions

What is intraosseous PRP

An injection of platelet rich plasma into the subchondral bone beneath the cartilage, usually the tibial plateauand femoral condyle at the knee, combined with a standard joint injection. It targets the bone changes andbone marrow lesions that drive pain and progression in osteoarthritis, and was first described in 2014.

Does intraosseous PRP work

A 2025 double-blind trial of 86 patients with grade 3 to 4 knee osteoarthritis found adding PRP boneinjections to joint injections gave greater improvement in pain, function and quality of life at 3, 6 and 12 monthsthan adding saline. A 2026 review agreed for knee and hip. It is one trial, and longer trials are needed.

Is intraosseous PRP painful

More than a joint injection. The needle passes through the bone surface under local anaesthetic, and the leg isusually sore for several days afterwards. Published series used a local anaesthetic technique in an officesetting without sedation, and reported no serious adverse events.

Who is intraosseous PRP for

Grade 3 to 4 knee or hip osteoarthritis with bone marrow lesions or subchondral changes on MRI, symptomsdespite standard treatment, and a reason to defer surgery. It is not for early arthritis, where a joint injectionalone has the evidence, or for a joint without bone changes on imaging.

How many intraosseous PRP injections are needed

The published protocols use 3 weekly sessions, each with a joint injection and, in the office series, 2 boneinjections. The 2025 trial gave the bone injection once alongside 3 joint injections. There is no evidence forrepeat courses yet, and a clinic proposing one should be asked what supports it.

Is intraosseous PRP available on the NHS

No. It is not commissioned by the NHS, private medical insurance does not cover it, and very few UK clinicsoffer it. Almost all patients who have it do so as a self-pay treatment after a specialist assessment with MRI.

References

Journal of Clinical Medicine, 2025. Sánchez Santiuste et al. Plasma rich in growth factors versus salineintraosseous infiltrations combined with intra-articular PRGF in severe knee osteoarthritis, a prospectivedouble-blind multicentric randomised controlled trial with 1-year follow-up.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12653810/
EFORT Open Reviews, 2026. García Bordes et al. Intraosseous platelet-rich plasma for osteoarthritis, acomprehensive review. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42227238/
1. Office-based intraosseous infiltrations of PRGF as an effective treatment for knee osteoarthritis, aretrospective observational clinical study of 79 patients.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10342655/
BioMed Research International, 2016. Sánchez et al. Combination of intra-articular and intraosseousinjections of platelet rich plasma for severe knee osteoarthritis, a pilot study.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4947638/
Indian Journal of Orthopaedics, 2022. Intraosseous infiltration of platelet-rich plasma for kneeosteoarthritis, a systematic review of literature and limited meta-analysis.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s43465-022-00737-x
JAMA, 2021. Bennell et al. Effect of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma vs placebo injection on pain andmedial tibial cartilage volume in patients with knee osteoarthritis, the RESTORE randomised clinical trial.https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34812863/
Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research, 2026. Intra-articular platelet-rich plasma demonstratessuperior clinical and serum biomarker outcomes compared with corticosteroids and NSAIDs in late-stageknee osteoarthritis, a randomised controlled trial. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13018-026-07013-w
Central London clinic price lists for image guided PRP and steroid injections, accessed September 2026.

This article is for general information and does not replace a medical assessment. Speak to one of our doctorsbefore deciding whether intraosseous PRP is right for your joint.

Reviewed by [GMC-REGISTERED DOCTOR NAME, GMC NUMBER TO CONFIRM], The London PRP Clinic byThe Wellness. Last updated September 2026.

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