PRP Injections – Why do Prices Vary So Much?

When shopping around for PRP it does not take long to discover that the cost of PRP injections for hair loss varies drastically from one clinic to the next. Many people are not aware of the reasons why some clinics only charge a couple of hundred dollars while others can ask for amounts of around $1500 per treatment. How is this possible you ask? What are the reasons some charge more than others?

It’s time to get the facts. Price is affected by the following:

·        Blood volume – More blood extracted requires the use of more test tubes which increases the cost of the medical equipment involved. On the average PRP test tubes have a maximum capacity of 8mls each. Understand that these tubes must be discarded after use. Clinics that only take out 5-8mls of blood can get by using only the 1 test tube which keeps their operating cost down. When taking out large blood volumes of 60 mls (or more) it is not uncommon to use 8-12 test tubes per treatment.

·        Quality of the tubes – The tubes used during PRP can vary in price by as much as 200% when comparing cheap ones to the better quality ones.

·        Quality of the Centrifuge – A small portable and simple centrifuge can be purchased for a few hundred dollars but a medical grade centrifuge which is larger and concentrates the platelets to a higher degree costs thousands. The better quality centrifuge costs more to maintain and therefore can affect the price of the PRP treatment.

·        Who is it performed by? – The PRP can be performed by a qualified Doctor or a nurse, which can affect the price. The Doctor’s time is worth more than that of any other staff member.

·        Anaesthetic used – The most effective way to anaesthetize the recipient area in a way that does not risk in reducing the benefit of the PRP is by local anaesthetic injection via the ring block formation which can only be done by a Doctor. The alternative is via an anaesthetic cream which is used by nurses or assistants. Anaesthetic injections cost more than creams and do affect price.

·        Supply and Demand – A reputable medical clinic that offer PRP which is performed by a qualified Doctor will attract more patients than a small hair loss business run by unqualified salesman in 99% of cases. For this reason a less reputable business is highly likely to offer cheaper treatment prices to entice customers away from the more professional and reputable clinics.

Another important factor to supply and demand are the consistent results generated at the clinic and word of mouth. If the clinic rarely deliver the outcome that was promised or do not deliver a professional and no sales pressure style of service, this can generate bad word of mouth resulting in a reduced demand for treatment.

Remember that the right price for anything is always the price that people are willing to pay. After reading this article we hope you now understand why what appears to be the same treatment can vary so much in price.