The treatments that regrow hair share one job: delivering active ingredients locally to the follicle, at high concentration, past a scalp built to keep them out. What separates them is how they deliver, how consistently, and what the experience involves. Here is how the main options compare.
Reviewed by Dr. David Oliak, board-certified surgeon
Updated August 2026
Start with what these treatments have in common, because it explains how they differ. Many substances can stimulate a follicle, and no single one works for everyone, but any of them works only if it reaches the follicle at a meaningful concentration.
The scalp is a barrier, so actives applied to the surface arrive in very low amounts. The treatments that work deliver locally — through the scalp, directly to the follicle — to achieve a high concentration where it is needed.
PRP, Alma TED, and microneedling are three ways to do that. Comparing them means comparing how they deliver, how consistently, and what the experience costs.
Alma TED delivers a standardized serum of more than thirty actives: growth factors, peptides, and nutrients. It uses ultrasound waves and air pressure rather than needles. There is no blood draw, no injection, and no downtime.
The value of the standardized formula is predictability. Every treatment delivers the same actives at the same concentration, so a course behaves consistently and can be repeated.
Most patients see reduced shedding first, often in the first few sessions, with increased density developing over the course and fuller results by months four to six.
This is the delivery treatment we offer and build most plans around. Full detail is on our [Alma TED] page.
Microneedling creates a field of controlled micro-channels in the scalp with fine needles. Those channels give direct access to the follicle and allow a combination of actives to be delivered — the active can even be PRP.
Its advantage is that direct access; its downside is discomfort, since it uses needles. It can carry a combination of actives matched to the plan, which is its appeal alongside Alma TED's single standardized formula.
We are evaluating microneedling with actives and expect to add it as a second premier delivery treatment. It is not yet available.
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) has the longest track record of the three. A sample of your blood is drawn, centrifuged to concentrate the platelets and their growth factors, and injected into the scalp at the level of the follicles.
It is an established, legitimate treatment and can produce real improvement. Its limitation is standardization: the preparation depends on the technique and equipment used, and on the quality of your blood on the day, so its contents vary from person to person and session to session. Inconsistent results are the common criticism of it.
It also involves a blood draw, injections across the scalp, and a period of tenderness and downtime.
Patients want us to name a winner; the better question is which combination fits the person. No single treatment works for everyone, and the research favors combining therapies.
We build plans around a delivery treatment that reaches the follicle reliably — Alma TED now, with microneedling expected to join as a second option — layered with treatment directed at the underlying cause.
PRP remains a reasonable choice; its limitation is consistency, because it is not standardized. Matching the delivery, and the actives, to the person is the point.
— Dr. David Oliak, board-certified physician and surgeon
It depends on the pattern, the cause, and what you want from the experience. If you value predictable results without needles or downtime, Alma TED is usually where we start. If you prefer a treatment that uses your own biology and accept the blood draw and injections, PRP is reasonable.
For many patients the strongest plan combines a delivery treatment with prescription therapy for a genetic pattern and at-home support, so that no single treatment carries the whole plan. That matching is what the consultation is for, and it is complimentary.
Let's begin
The hair consultation is complimentary. We look at your pattern, talk through the delivery treatments and the rest of the plan, and recommend the approach — or combination — that fits your hair and your goals.
Hair restoration is a personalized package with financing available, set at the visit. To speak with us first, call 714-671-2005.
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Both deliver actives to the follicle; the difference is consistency and experience. Alma TED delivers the same standardized blend every time with no needles, blood draw, or downtime.
PRP delivers actives from your own blood, which is not standardized, so its contents vary and inconsistent results are the common criticism. For most patients the predictability and easier experience of Alma TED are the deciding factors, which is why we build most plans around it — though PRP remains a legitimate option.
Not yet, though we expect to. Microneedling with actives creates micro-channels in the scalp to deliver a combination of actives directly to the follicle — its advantage is that direct access, and its downside is discomfort. We are evaluating it and anticipate adding it as a second premier delivery treatment alongside Alma TED.
Often, yes. They are not strictly either/or, and the strongest plans are usually multimodal — a delivery treatment layered with prescription therapy for a genetic pattern and at-home support between visits. The right combination depends on the cause and the goals, which the consultation determines.
Alma TED has clinical evaluation behind it, and PRP has the longest clinical track record of the three. Rather than crown one, we match the treatment — or combination — to the pattern and cause. The best-studied option is not automatically the best option for a given person.
Start with a complimentary consultation. Deciding well means looking at your pattern, confirming the underlying cause, and weighing what you want from the experience. We recommend the delivery treatment, or combination, that fits.
