© Mart Production
March 19, 2023
Margit Hiebl
Can autologous blood therapy reduce pain, promote healing, and slow hair loss? Experts explain how the treatment works, where it may help, and what the evidence actually shows
With
Prof. Dr. med. Sebastian Siebenlist, Dr. med. dent. Siegfried Marquardt and Dr. med. Juliane Bodo
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Autologous blood therapy involves drawing blood from the patient, processing it, and then reintroducing it into the body. The goal is to stimulate the body's healing and regeneration processes using its own growth factors. The method is used for osteoarthritis, tendon injuries, hair loss, and aesthetic medicine.
This method has a long history and was already employed in ancient cultures ranging from China to Egypt. However, its mechanisms of action and scientific evidence remain subjects of considerable debate today.
"Current guidelines and studies remain limited, often involving insufficient patient numbers and lacking standardized processing methods. This underscores the need for further research, and existing results warrant critical scrutiny," says Prof. Dr. Sebastian Siebenlist, head and chief physician of the Sports Orthopedics Section at Klinikum Rechts der Isar in Munich.
However, critical questioning does not preclude effectiveness, as demonstrated by empirical medicine. Multiple studies have shown that autologous blood therapy can alleviate symptoms in various orthopedic applications and sometimes even outperforms cortisone injections. "Currently, we see a clear trend toward fewer foreign substances and greater use of the body's own materials," notes Prof. Dr. Sebastian Siebenlist.
For good reason: "Autologous blood therapy can delay the need for surgery or, in the best case, eliminate it entirely. In conservative treatment, it can accelerate healing and thereby reduce the need for pain medication."
Autologous blood therapy is primarily used for overuse-related and degenerative diseases. "For example, it can relieve symptoms associated with Achilles tendon irritation or tennis elbow. It can also reduce pain in mild to moderate osteoarthritis, improve mobility of the affected joint, and potentially delay the need for an artificial joint," according to the expert.
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"Tissue regeneration involves complex, interconnected steps that are regulated by growth factors," says Prof. Dr. Siebenlist. "These factors are released by blood platelets, among other sources. By introducing them directly at the injury site, we can significantly enhance and accelerate the healing and regeneration of damaged tissue."
These cells are processed using a procedure called Autologous Conditioned Plasma (ACP)—autologous means the material comes from the patient's own body, and conditioned in this context means it has been processed. First, a small amount of blood is drawn from the patient's vein and then centrifuged.
"This causes the heavier blood components to settle. The blood plasma containing thrombocytes and growth factors can then be isolated and injected under sterile conditions into the damaged tissue area."
Since it is a substance from the patient's own body, the injection is generally well tolerated. Some patients report a brief mild activation with pain, swelling, and discreet elevated temperature in the injection area, according to the doctor. Overall, the treatment takes about a quarter of an hour, and the patient can go home immediately afterward.
In most cases, up to three applications are performed at intervals of at least one week. However, there is currently no evidence and no recommendation regarding the frequency of application. Autologous blood therapy is not covered by regular statutory health insurance. However, some private and statutory health insurance companies will cover the costs by arrangement.
Autologous blood therapy is also used in dentistry. According to Dr. Siegfried Marquart, a dentist in Tegernsee, "the areas of indication are found in the dental surgical field, whenever it comes to accelerating and improving wound healing in both soft and hard tissue."
In tooth extractions, bone grafting, soft tissue grafting, implants, and other oral surgical procedures, the patient's own material also proves beneficial. It acts as a biological wound dressing—there are no allergies or intolerances and no rejection reactions. The patient's autologous blood is processed accordingly and different platelet concentrates are used.
"Depending on whether you want to use the liquid or clotted fraction, they are activated or inactivated. Different methods are used—either PRF (Platelet Rich Fibrin), PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma), or PRGF (Platelet Rich Growth Factor)—which differ mainly in their handling."
Apart from a small needle puncture during blood collection, the therapy is painless. However, there is no established guideline in this area either, and the research findings are inconsistent. Nevertheless, as Dr. Marquardt notes, "The clinical evidence is significantly positive regarding healing outcomes and regenerative processes."
A variation of autologous blood therapy gained prominence in aesthetic medicine when celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Bar Refaeli posted bloody selfies on social media in the mid-2010s after visiting their cosmetic surgeons. The procedure quickly acquired a dramatic name: vampire or Dracula lifting. "The correct term is PRP – Platelet Rich Plasma, which is cell-rich blood plasma," explains Dr. Juliane Bodo, a specialist in plastic and aesthetic surgery based in Berlin.
In the meantime, this has become a popular standard treatment in which blood is processed via centrifugation. "The plasma is then worked into the skinthrough microneedling or injected beneath the surface to achieve rejuvenation and treat inflammatory processes and signs of aging, such as acne or pigmentation disorders," according to Dr. Bodo.
When microneedling is performed, there is often some bleeding, though it's rarely as dramatic as it appears in celebrity selfies. "We typically inject the plasma using a cannula, which requires only three punctures," explains Dr. Bodo.
She also uses it in the under-eye area: "For dark shadows or tired skin, autologous blood is a good alternative to hyaluronic acid, which can cause more swelling in this area." Autologous blood also has the advantage in aesthetic medicine that there are no unwanted reactions such as allergies or nodule formation.
Other applications in aesthetic dermatology include hair loss and thinning hair. Mini-injections strengthen hair roots, thereby reducing hair loss. "It's a highly effective treatment, as long as the hair roots are still intact," says Dr. Bodo. What about risks and side effects?
"When injecting, there can be bruises, but they disappear after three to seven days – the plasma itself can cause at most swelling that can last two days. There are many studies, but it always depends on the individual metabolism and how much collagen the body produces, so the result is never predictable."
Despite all the debate, the successes of autologous blood therapy across diverse medical fields cannot be denied. It is always worth exploring beyond conventional medicine—as long as it causes no harm and patients experience improvement.
