The Autologous Blood Treatment: Applications, Procedure & Costs

Whether in TV commercials, on the billboard in the city center or in the glossy magazine at the hairdresser's – we are constantly and everywhere presented with images of voluminous, silky, shiny hair. And there it is: we feel envy. Can’t we also have such a gorgeous head of hair?

Especially for hair loss patients, the mental carousel is constantly turning at the sight of these ideals of beauty. Am I not as beautiful with less hair? Fortunately, the agonizing mental gyroscope can be easily stopped. The autologous hair treatment brings our psyche to a halt.

Autologous hair treatment, or autohaemotherapy, gently and naturally jumpstarts stagnant hair growth. With the help of the rich growth factors in the blood, it gets the tired hair roots going again.

Best of all, the power package found in red blood cells works wonders not only on the scalp, but also on acne, wrinkles and scars. Sounds interesting, huh? Let us introduce you to the autologous blood treatment in more detail.

Typical Applications of Autologous Blood Treatment

The aesthetic hair medicine

It is impossible to imagine aesthetic medicine without autologous blood treatment – especially not for hair medicine. Whether as an independent form of therapy or as an additional offer after a hair transplant – this treatment method gives an extra portion of freshness and vitality to battered hair growth.

The key to success is the nutrient-rich blood of the hair loss patient. Think of it like a hair root rejuvenation treatment. The precious bundle of platelets and growth factors is like a power bar for the tired-out scalp. It effectively promotes cell regeneration and hair growth. The result: hair loss slows down and new, strong hair even grows back.

The agony of choice: Autologous blood treatment is available both as a stand-alone therapy against hair loss and as an accompanying offer to hair transplantation.

In some cases, the treatment with one’s own blood is already sufficient for a growth spurt – especially in early stages of hair loss. However, if it is a more severe form of hair loss, the autologous blood therapy needs active support. We’re talking about a hair transplant.

Immediately after the professional hair transplant, the attending physician performs a treatment with the patient's own blood. For good reason: It is a blessing for the freshly transplanted hair roots.

It not only increases the chances of graft survival, but also stimulates wound healing. The micro-injuries on the scalp quickly subside. And the faster they subside, the more promising the treatment results.

The new hair looks noticeably more vital, supple and above all, fuller.

Dermatology

Autologous blood therapy also has a place of honor in dermatology. The gentle procedure skilfully promotes cell renewal and thus conceals visual flaws in the skin's appearance – from pigmentation disorders to prominent bluish shimmering dark circles and acne scars.

But that's not all: Autologous blood therapy not only treats specific blemishes, but also generally gives the skin a visibly fresher and more youthful appearance. It’s not without reason that it’s the number one secret for treating wrinkles.

Face, neck and décolleté appear noticeably younger, firmer and more elastic.

Sports medicine and orthopedics

For a long time now, autohemotherapy has not only been used for aesthetic purposes. It also plays a key role in sports medicine and orthopedics.

Especially in acute or chronic diseases of the musculoskeletal system it plays its best cards. It has been proven to alleviate ankle ligament injuries, tendon disorders and knee joint complaints (especially the cruciate and medial ligaments).

The same applies for muscle injuries and bone fractures throughout the body.

Another specialty of autologous blood therapy is the use for chronic diseases. Here, it made its debut with knee joint arthrosis (gonarthrosis). However, other forms of arthrosis soon followed - from the early to the middle stage.

Some scientific studies have already found considerably functional and pain-relieving effects of autohemotherapy for osteoarthritis. The therapy has proven to be particularly effective for so-called tennis elbow (epicondylitis lateralis humeri).

However, it also achieves promising treatment successes with chronic diseases in the shoulder girdle area and at the Achilles tendon.

How Exactly Does an Autologous Blood Treatment Work?

1. The consultation

The most important thing before autohemotherapy is a detailed consultation. The attending physician describes the procedure to the patient in detail and explains possible risks and side effects.

At the same time, the doctor and patient work out an individual treatment plan together, which takes into account the patient's personal wishes.

Good to know: Three to seven days before the autologous blood treatment, the patient should refrain from taking aspirin, ibuprofen, Voltaren and similar painkillers and rheumatism medicines (NSAIDs) as a precaution.

However, there is nothing wrong with medicines such as paracetamol and novalgin.

2. The preparations

Autologous blood treatment is a short outpatient procedure. The doctor schedules around one hour for the entire treatment – from the preparations to the aftercare. However, the application itself only takes just under 30 minutes.

The autologous blood treatment is divided into two essential steps:

Step 1: blood collection

Step 2: injection of the blood

To make the two treatment steps as pleasant as possible for the patient, the doctor anaesthetises the affected areas with a special anaesthetic cream. It gently reduces the sensation of pain.

However, anaesthesia is not absolutely necessary – unless this is the wish of the patient.

3. Blood collection, preparation & injection

The first treatment step is a blood sample. Just a small amount of blood (around 30 millilitres) is enough for the doctor to perform the entire treatment.

Immediately afterwards, they prepare the freshly drawn blood for the injections by separating it into its components using a special centrifuge.

If necessary, the doctor mixes other valuable substances into the patient's blood. This is the case, for example, with mesotherapy, stem cell treatment or microneedling.

Precious active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid or collagen are used to gently support the anti-ageing effect.

4. Aftercare

Directly after the autologous blood treatment the treated skin is still slightly irritated. Redness in the treatment areas is therefore completely normal. If the puncture areas are well cooled, however, there is usually no swelling or bruising to worry about.

A longer regeneration time is not necessary with autohaemotherapy. The patient is immediately fully fit to travel and socialise.

Only sports, saunas, sunbathing and solarium should be avoided for the first few days. The same applies to cosmetic treatments.

If redness and swelling occur in the treatment area despite all safety precautions, there is no reason to worry. In most cases, they heal on their own in just a few days. The body's own healing powers take care of this.

The golden rules of aftercare at a glance:

• Refrain from sports and hot baths for one day. Acidic cosmetics and face masks are also taboo.
• Also, give your skin a day off from saunas and aggressive facial peels.
• Avoid sunbathing and solarium visits for two days.

Can Side Effects Occur With Autologous Blood Treatment?

Autologous blood treatment is a particularly pleasant and well-tolerated form of therapy. Thanks to its exceptionally gentle procedure with ultra-fine special needles or meso pistols, it causes hardly any pain. However, anesthesia is of course possible on request.

Redness and swelling also remain the absolute exception. If the patient adheres to the general recommendations of his doctor after the treatment, the micro-injuries on the skin usually subside quickly and smoothly.

Allergic reactions and intolerances occur just as rarely with autologous blood therapy. The reason: Since the body is administered its own blood, it usually reacts positively to the treatment. After all, it is not a foreign fluid that it tries to reject.

Small tip: In order to be able to completely exclude allergic reactions and intolerances, it is worthwhile to consult your trusted doctor before the procedure. Together you can get to the bottom of possible weak points to avoid any potential complications.

When Will the First Results be Seen?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions by patients, alongside the following:

• How much does the autologous blood treatment cost?
• How many sessions do I need for an attractive result?
• Are there risks and side effects with autologous blood treatment?
   

To begin, let's address the answer to the first question: The first results of the vampire lift are usually not long in coming.

On the contrary: already two to three weeks after the treatment you will notice the difference. The freshly treated skin looks visibly fitter, younger and firmer.

It works just as fast on the scalp. Already in the first weeks, noticeably less hair falls out. And the less hair falls out, the more powerful and fuller the entire coat appears.

When the final result really exactly becomes apparent varies completely from patient to patient. For some, the maximum is already reached after six months, for others only after twelve months. But you will see good results after about three months.

A little tip: If you combine autologous blood treatment with other promising forms of therapy such as mesotherapy, stem cell treatment or microneedling, you will often see the final result even sooner.

How Much Does Autohaemotherapy Cost?

The price of an autologous blood treatment varies from patient to patient. It depends entirely on the individual wishes and the initial situation.

Autologous blood treatment for hair

Let's be clear: Often a powerful hair growth needs more than just one session.

For an optimal result of our hair autohemotherapy, we recommend four sessions at intervals of four weeks. The price per session is 625 CHF each. So the total treatment is 2500 CHF.

Our goodie: Growth-promoting drugs such as Minoxidil or Pantogar are already included in the price.

Autologous blood treatment for the skin

If you want a vital and smooth complexion, our skin autohemotherapy is just the right thing for you. For maximum treatment success, our experts advise six sessions at intervals of four weeks.

The best: at HAIR & SKIN you get a bundle of six sessions for 2500 CHF.

Autologous Blood Treatment – The Fountain of Youth From Your Own Body

Is your skin seeking rosier times? And has your hair already seen its gloryful days? Don’t worry: it doesn't have to stay that way forever.

The autologous blood treatment brings your skin and hair back to life – without any chemical or synthetic additives. Everything you need for the rejuvenation cure is already inside you – in the truest sense of the word.

Using your own blood, the autologous blood therapy gives your skin and hair a fresh boost. Your skin becomes firmer, smoother and more elastic, your hair fuller, stronger and more vibrant.

Sounds good, right? Only one thing is missing to your new happiness – the right doctor. Only with a trustworthy and experienced partner at your side do you feel ready for the minimally invasive procedure.

And this is exactly the big challenge: Where do you find this empathetic and competent specialist with whom your skin and hair are in the best hands?

Don't worry: at HAIR & SKIN we have our own specialists with a wealth of experience, state-of-the-art medical equipment and exceptional surgical skills.

Arrange a free consultation with our expert team of doctors today to discover everything about autologous blood treatments, from A to Z. We are looking forward to meeting you.