GFC Hair Treatment: Growth Factor Concentrate Explained (2026 London Guide)

What is GFC treatment for hair loss?

GFC (Growth Factor Concentrate) is a hair restoration treatment that extracts and concentrates growth factors from your own blood, removing platelets, red blood cells, white blood cells, and other blood components. The result is a cell-free formulation containing concentrated EGF (epidermal growth factor), PDGF (platelet-derived growth factor), IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor), and VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) that is injected into the scalp to support weakening follicles.

GFC is a newer option alongside PRP therapy. While PRP delivers the entire platelet-rich plasma layer (growth factors mixed with platelets and other cells), GFC isolates the growth factors themselves. The evidence base is still young: in the largest randomised trial to date, GFC produced similar hair improvements to PRP when both were used alongside minoxidil.

At The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness, GFC is not currently available for booking. This guide explains how the treatment works and what the evidence shows.

How does GFC differ from PRP?

Both GFC and PRP are autologous treatments derived from your own blood. The critical difference lies in what gets injected.

PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) concentrates the platelet-rich layer of your blood after centrifuging. This layer contains platelets (which store growth factors), along with some white blood cells, red blood cells, and plasma proteins. When injected, the platelets release their growth factors at the treatment site. PRP has an enormous evidence base: 43 randomised controlled trials involving 1,877 participants confirm it significantly increases hair density (Anitua et al., 2025).

GFC (Growth Factor Concentrate) uses a specialised preparation kit containing a platelet-activating solution. Your blood is drawn into purpose-built tubes, mixed with the activating solution, and allowed to stand for approximately 30 minutes. During this time, the solution activates the platelets and triggers them to release their growth factors into the surrounding plasma. The tubes are then centrifuged to separate the growth factor layer from the blood cells. The final injectable contains the concentrated growth factors with no platelets, red blood cells or white blood cells carried over.

Researchers suggest this cell-free preparation may produce a milder inflammatory response than injecting whole platelets and white blood cells with standard PRP. That is a proposed mechanism, supported by lower pain scores in one trial, not a proven cause.

What does the clinical evidence show?

GFC evidence is early-stage but promising. The strongest study to date is a 2026 randomised, assessor-blinded trial of 44 adults (Choubey et al., Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery) comparing three monthly GFC sessions with three monthly PRP sessions, with everyone also using minoxidil. Hair improvements were similar between the groups (a 38.7% improvement in the terminal-to-vellus hair ratio with GFC against 40.8% with PRP, no statistically significant difference), while pain scores were significantly lower with GFC (a median of 2 out of 10 against 6 out of 10) and satisfaction was higher (8 out of 10 against 6 out of 10). Because everyone used minoxidil, the trial shows GFC working alongside it rather than proving a standalone effect, and a single 44-patient trial cannot settle the question.

A 2024 prospective pilot study published in Cureus followed five patients with androgenetic alopecia treated with 3 GFC sessions at 4-week intervals. Photographic and trichoscopic assessment showed improved hair density across the treated patients, the hair pull test was negative at 8 weeks, and patient satisfaction reached 80%. No injection-site infection, redness or itching was reported, but with only five patients and no control group, the study cannot establish how often side effects occur.

A 2026 systematic review and meta-analysis (Aesthetic Plastic Surgery; 12 studies, 745 patients) found growth factor injections improved hair density, thickness and patient satisfaction over 12 months, with mild side effects. The authors rated the included evidence at high risk of bias, so the findings should be treated as early-stage.

A separate retrospective comparative study (Garg and Thirumalaiswamy, Dermatologic Surgery, 2026; 42 patients) found GFC improved hair counts earlier while PRP's benefit held up better at six months. The authors suggest the two could be combined in sequence, although that exact sequence has not been tested in a trial.

Our honest assessment: PRP has decades of clinical use and dozens of randomised trials supporting it. GFC has promising early data and growing adoption, but lacks the depth of randomised evidence that PRP has accumulated. Both options should be weighed transparently with a doctor, against your priorities and medical history.

How is GFC treatment performed?

The procedure follows a similar structure to PRP but with a different preparation method.

Step 1: Blood collection. Approximately 16 to 25 ml of blood is drawn from your arm into specialised GFC preparation tubes containing a platelet-activating solution.

Step 2: Activation. The tubes are inverted to mix the blood with the activating solution, then allowed to stand upright for approximately 30 minutes. During this period, the platelets are activated and release their concentrated growth factors into the plasma.

Step 3: Centrifugation. The tubes are centrifuged at specific speed and temperature settings to separate the growth factor layer from the blood cells and platelets.

Step 4: Extraction. The clear growth factor concentrate layer is extracted using a sterile syringe.

Step 5: Injection. After the scalp is cleaned and can be numbed with topical anaesthetic, the GFC is injected across the areas of thinning using a fine needle.

Who is GFC best suited for?

In the studies published so far, GFC has been studied mainly in patients with early-to-moderate androgenetic alopecia where follicles are still active but weakened. It may also suit patients who found standard PRP uncomfortable, given the lower pain scores reported in the trial above.

GFC cannot restore hair in completely bald areas where follicles have been permanently destroyed. In those cases, surgical transplantation is the established option, and a doctor can advise whether any regenerative treatment is appropriate alongside it.

Can GFC and PRP be combined?

Some clinics alternate GFC and PRP sessions within a treatment plan, on the basis that GFC delivers a cell-free growth factor dose while PRP's platelets continue releasing growth factors over time. One research group has suggested combining them in sequence, but that exact approach has not yet been tested in a trial of its own, so any combined plan should be designed case by case after assessment.

GFC vs PRP vs ExoRevive: choosing the right treatment

Choose PRP if you want the treatment with the deepest evidence base. PRP from £450 per session.

Choose GFC (when available) if you want a cell-free growth factor formulation or you found standard PRP uncomfortable. GFC is not currently available for booking.

Choose ExoRevive if you want stem cell-derived regenerative signalling alongside or instead of blood-derived treatments. ExoRevive from £495 per session.

Combine treatments if a doctor judges that targeting more than one biological pathway suits your pattern of hair loss.

A GMC-registered doctor at The London PRP Clinic will recommend an approach based on your specific hair loss pattern, stage, medical history, and goals.

Current treatments at The London PRP Clinic by The Wellness

PRP from £450 per session, or £1,215 for a course of three. ExoRevive from £495 per session. GFC is not currently available for booking.

GMC-registered doctors perform every consultation and treatment. Specialist preparation systems for consistent growth factor concentrations. Comprehensive diagnostic assessment before any treatment recommendation. Marylebone and Canary Wharf locations.

Book a consultation via WhatsApp | Email: team@thewellnesslondon.com | Call: +44 20 3951 3429

Medical Disclaimer: GFC is an emerging treatment with a growing but still developing evidence base compared to PRP. All treatments at The London PRP Clinic are performed by GMC-registered doctors who provide full informed consent regarding current evidence and realistic expectations. Results vary between individuals. Last reviewed October 2026.