Hometown Boston Bruins Player Matt Grzelyck has Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy
For Boston Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk, skating is life. His father, John, a longtime employee of the TD Garden and member of The Bull Gang, had him skating in his hometown of Charlestown, Massachusetts as soon as he was old enough to walk. With his natural ability and love of hockey, Matt was selected by his hometown Bruins in the third round (No. 85) of the 2012 NHL Draft. It was a dream come true for Matt and his dad.
Within the last few years, the 28-year-old noticed an issue with his hairline – it seemed to be ever-so-slightly receding. Sean Kuraly, a former Bruins teammate and patient of Leonard Hair Transplant Associates, recommended the practice to Matt.
“I wanted to get ahead of the problem before it got too late,” said Grzelcyk. “Everyone knows that hockey players pay attention to our hair, we like it flowing out of the back of our helmets and it has to look good in those pre and post-game snaps.”
Matt Grzelcyk with Dr. Lopresti
Matt set up a consultation with Boston hair loss surgeon Dr. Matthew Lopresti in spring of 2021 to discuss his hairline and options. Dr. Lopresti recognized that Matt’s hair loss, while subtle, was progressing.
“Matt has recession bilaterally with mild thinning in the central frontal area,” said Dr. Lopresti. “I recommend Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy as the best option to not only stabilize the existing hair loss, but also to help regrow the hair that he had lost.”
PRP was first introduced in the region by Leonard Hair Transplant Associates in 2019, and involves taking a patient’s blood, separating the plasma from the red and white blood cells, and then injecting the plasma back into the patient’s scalp.
“PRP is medically and scientifically proven to stimulate hair follicles and promote stabilization and regrowth,” said Dr. Lopresti. “It is one of the least-invasive, non-surgical therapies that we offer and many patients enjoy the benefit of using their body’s natural defenses to restore and rejuvenate their hair.”
Matt received his first PRP treatment at the end of November 2022.
“I would have gotten PRP right after my initial consultation, but life got in the way. I had shoulder surgery, weddings to attend and it never fit into my schedule. I really didn’t want to let too much more time go by and finally booked my treatment.” said Grzelcyk.
Patients can expect to be in the office for about an hour or so from start to finish. “The PRP process is minimally invasive and can easily be done on a patient’s lunch hour,” said Dr. Lopresti. “The majority of our PRP patients are pleasantly surprised by how relatively comfortable the procedure is with little to no downtime.”
“I was nervous coming in, but Dr. Lopresti made everything so easy and comfortable right from the start. He’s not only very knowledgeable, but approachable as well and he made me feel very confident that I was making the right decision.”
Matt is excited to start the process of taking care of his hockey hair. “I feel more confident having had the treatment and am looking forward to my next appointment. It was fast with minimal discomfort and I went right back to my routine after it was over.”
“I would recommend Dr. Lopresti to anyone thinking about addressing hair loss. I cannot stress the importance of getting ahead of this before it’s too late. I’m so glad that I went to Leonard Hair Transplant Associates and started the process now,” said Grzelcyk. “Hair loss is something that is not talked about nearly enough and Dr. Lopresti is not only knowledgeable, he’s relatable – he’s been to Bruins games, he put me at ease and he and I share a love of tattoos, but I’d have to get a lot more to compete with him!”