Platelet Rich Plasma

What is it?

Platelet Rich Plasma, also known as PRP, is a component of whole blood that is filled with important growth factors required in tissue healing, repair and rejuvenation. In a PRP treatment, your provider will withdraw a small sample of blood (8-10ml) into a sterile, closed system and then centrifuge the blood to separate the red blood cells and leukocytes from the beneficial healing components within the plasma. The plasma portion is withdrawn and reinjected using the technique selected by your practitioner, uniquely tailored to your goals. In some cases, it may be mixed with calcium chloride which works as an activating agent to create a gel-like scaffold to keep PRP precisely where it was injected. When PRP is injected into the selected area, the inflammatory cascade begins to heal and repair the damaged/compromised tissue. The PRP attracts stem cells and a number of growth factors that lead to increased collagen, improved tissue function leading to stronger more youthful skin.

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Benefits of PRP

PRP is a natural alternative to many cosmetic treatments and is effective at treating a variety of skin concerns, including:

  • Fine to deep lines/wrinkles
  • Crepey skin
  • Sundamage
  • Necklines, décolletage
  • Undereye darkness
  • Facial volume loss
  • Hyperpigmentation
  • Scars, surgical and traumatic
  • Pore size
  • Tone and textural concerns
  • Hair loss/alopecia

PRP has minimal downtime, is safe with minimal risk and suitable for all skin types.

How does it work?

PRP’s healing and rejuvenating properties make it one of the best available facials you can get to restore collagen and elasticity and give an even-toned, luminous appearance to the skin. On a cellular level, the micro-injury created by injecting PRP signals your body to send growth factors and nutrients to the area.  Our bodies are intelligent and recognize which parts of the cells are damaged and it recruits the specific healing factors required to rebuild the damaged tissue.  In this process, these sensors detect the weak/sparse collagen network as part of the problem and begin repairing them as well. Free floating growth factors will find additional areas of cellular damage to work on.  This process is virtually always active but may decrease with age and morbidities/disease states.  The theory of PRP is to induce controlled micro-injury and provide an extremely high concentration of platelets, growth factors and proteins to treat a localized issue.

Process

There are two main applications for PRP that we offer: Facial (skin level) and FaceLift (deeper tissues). They may be treated individually or together. Each type takes about one hour, if combined together it may take approximately 1.5 hours.

PRP Facial  This is the choice treatment for acne scars, pigmentation, crepey skin, fine lines, wrinkles and pores or general antiaging.  We like to use microneedling to create thousands of controlled micro-injuries at selected depths and apply PRP to seep into these micro-channels. This process gives us confidence that you are getting a thorough and effective treatment.

PRP FaceLift This treatment is for those experiencing volume loss, sagging/drooping, general antiaging or those looking for a natural alternative to dermal fillers.  Using a combination of needle and cannula, the PRP is injected into the deeper layers of fat, muscle and fascia to improve tightness, volume and restore the health of these tissues. Your provider may also choose to mix the PRP with calcium chloride to create a gel-like scaffold that allows for the PRP to remain in the injected area longer, potentially enhancing results. Aesthetically, it will appear as if we injected dermal filler for a few days for straight PRP and up to 2 weeks using the gel.

Results

Results typically begin to show in as little as 1 week and continue improving for 6+ months after the treatment. Results vary between individuals and are dependent on the quality of the person’s PRP, adherence to treatment protocol and aftercare instructions, technique and severity of the issue being treated.

If you are treating something specific, we recommend 3 treatments every 4-6 weeks at which time the results can be assessed and an appropriate treatment plan determined. Most maintain their results 1-3 times per year thereafter.  For general skincare and antiaging, many choose to do 1-4 treatments per year.