Alma TED
A handpiece passed over your scalp A serum is applied, then ultrasound and air pressure open temporary channels in the skin to carry it in. It takes about twenty to thirty minutes and nothing pierces the skin.
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Dermapedia / CompareProcedures
Alma Ted vs PRP
Alma TED is the comfortable one. A handpiece uses ultrasound to push a serum through the scalp, with no needles, no numbing and no downtime. PRP is the one with the evidence. Your blood is spun down and the platelet-rich part is injected into your scalp, which stings and leaves you tender for a day. Both work best on early thinning, and neither is a cure. Stop going and the benefit fades.
At a glance
| The difference | Alma TED | PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) |
|---|---|---|
| Does it hurt | No | Yes, somewhat |
| Downtime | None | A day or two |
| Cost | Per session, in a course of three | Per session, in a course of three or four |
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Side by side
The differences that matter
What happens in the room
Alma TED
A handpiece passed over your scalp
A serum is applied, then ultrasound and air pressure open temporary channels in the skin to carry it in. It takes about twenty to thirty minutes and nothing pierces the skin.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
A blood draw, then injections
Blood is taken from your arm and spun in a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma. That is injected across the thinning area in a grid.
Does it hurt
Alma TED
No
Most people describe a warm buzzing. No numbing cream is needed.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Yes, somewhat
Numbing cream or cold air takes the edge off, but scalp injections sting. The scalp usually feels tight or sore for a day.
The course
Alma TED
Usually three sessions, a month apart
Then a top-up every three to four months to hold it.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Three or four, four to six weeks apart
Then one or two maintenance sessions a year.
How soon you notice
Alma TED
Weeks
Less shedding is often the first thing people report.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Three to six months
Shedding tends to settle first, with visible thickening later in the course.
How strong the evidence is
Alma TED
Thin, and mostly from the maker
The published work is small, short and largely funded by the company that sells the device. That is not the same as it not working. It means nobody independent has tested it much yet.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Much larger
PRP has been studied for around two decades, across dozens of randomised trials, and pooled reviews find a real effect of moderate quality. Clinics prepare and inject it differently, so results still vary a lot between providers.
Downtime
Alma TED
None
You can wash your hair and go back to work.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
A day or two
Tenderness, sometimes mild swelling. Most clinics ask you to leave the scalp alone until the next day.
What it will not do
Alma TED
Not a fix for advanced baldness
It is aimed at hair that has gone fine, not scalp that has gone bare.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Not a substitute for surgery
It is sometimes used before or after a transplant to support the surrounding hair, not instead of one.
Cost
Alma TED
Per session, in a course of three
Priced like a clinic facial rather than a procedure, then repeated a few times a year.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Per session, in a course of three or four
Plus maintenance visits. Ask for the first-year total, not the single-session price.
The at-home or drugstore version
Alma TED
No, and be careful what you are sold
A derma roller with a serum is not this. It makes physical holes with needles rather than opening the skin with ultrasound, and the depth and control are nothing like the clinic device.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
No
You cannot spin your own blood. The at-home equivalent of both is minoxidil, which is cheap, sold over the counter, and has far more evidence behind it than either of these.
Who each suits
Alma TED
- Best for — Early thinning in someone who will not sit for needles.
- The mindset — You want comfort and no downtime, and accept the evidence is still young.
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
- Best for — Early thinning where you want the better-studied option.
- The mindset — You will tolerate a sore scalp for a treatment with a longer track record.
The evidence gap, stated plainly
Alma TED
Alma TED has the thinner record. The studies are small, follow-up is short, and most are linked to the manufacturer. Company-funded studies are not automatically wrong, but they are the weakest kind to buy on.
Before you book
More photographs
PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma)
Common questions
Questions Patients Ask
Is Alma TED better than PRP?
TED is more comfortable, needle-free and has no downtime. PRP has far more independent research behind it. If evidence matters most to you, PRP is the safer bet.
Does Alma TED hurt?
No. There are no needles and no numbing cream. Most people describe a warm buzzing on the scalp for twenty to thirty minutes.
How many sessions do I need?
TED is usually three sessions a month apart, then a top-up every three to four months. PRP is usually three or four sessions four to six weeks apart, then one or two a year.
Are the results permanent?
No, for either. Both aim to improve follicles that are still shrinking. Stop the maintenance sessions and the benefit fades over the following months.
Will either one work on a fully bald scalp?
No. Both need living follicles to act on. Where the scalp is smooth and shiny, the follicles are gone, and a transplant or scalp micropigmentation is the honest option.
Can I use minoxidil at the same time?
Yes, and most dermatologists recommend it. Minoxidil and finasteride are cheaper and better studied, and TED or PRP is usually added on top rather than used instead.