How Does Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Skin Treatment Work?

Overview

Growing old is a natural stage of life everyone goes through, and with increasing age come the unpreventable signs of wrinkles and sagging skin, or puffiness and dark circles around the eyes.  

While all these are part of the aging process, people have always wanted younger–looking skin, and rejuvenated faces, that won’t show signs of growing older.

With this in mind, researchers and scientists have always been working on new and effective treatments, to primarily minimize the signs of aging, and secondly do it with as little side effects as possible.

A PRP treatment is a non-surgical cosmetic procedure that works towards healthier, younger-looking skin, and aims to rejuvenate the face with natural substances from the body itself.

What is PRP?

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy (sometimes called blood or “vampire” facials) is a facial rejuvenation treatment that uses your own plasma to stimulate the production of collagen (a protein in your body that provides structure to your skin), and the growth of new cells.

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is concentrated blood plasma that contains a higher number of platelets found in normal circulating blood.

It also contains platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor (TGF), and other bioactive proteins that all aid with the regeneration of the skin cells and skin healing.

What Can PRP Therapy Treat?

While PRP treatment’s regenerative properties for rejuvenating the face have been put to practice quite recently, PRP itself has been used for wound and soft tissue healing by orthopedic surgeons and wound care physicians for decades.

There are many clinical applications for PRP, including therapy for hair loss, treatment for acne scars, surgical scars, stretch marks, pigmentation, and volume loss.  

Besides all these, a large amount of research and clinical evidence points to PRP’s regenerative capabilities to rejuvenate the face.

These properties can be used to:

• Treat scars
• Minimize pores
• Minimize wrinkles and fine lines
• Stabilize the faces which look tired
• Fill up hollowed cheeks
• Make the skin tight and smooth

How Does PRP Help In Rejuvenating The Skin?

There are cells in our bodies that help with the natural process of healing and the growth of new cells. For a PRP treatment, these cells – called platelets – are harvested from your own blood, and are later used with injections into targeted areas of the skin which help in the production of collagen, tissue regeneration that makes your skin smooth and tight.

PRP also softens wrinkles and creates skin texture and structure that is healthier and younger.  

Are You A PRP Candidate?

Usually, most patients are qualified for this type of procedure, but sometimes exceptions can keep you from getting the treatment.

PRP might not be an option for you If you:

• Have certain skin conditions, such as facial eczema or rosacea
• Have undergone skin radiation in the past year
• Scar very easily
• Are pregnant
• Have active acne that results in new scars
• Have a slow wound-healing history
• Have clotting conditions that require blood thinners
• Have other blood-related health issues

How To Prepare

 On the day of your initial consultation, your doctor will give you specific instructions to follow for the best outcome for your procedure.

 You may be asked to:

• Discontinue all blood-thinning medications and herbal supplements one week before the procedure. Such as Aspirin, and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Ibuprofen, and Motrin. This is because the PRP treatment relies heavily on platelet function, and the medications listed can disrupt with their normal function.
• Refrain from unprotected and excessive sun exposure or unnecessary tanning several weeks before your appointment
• Not wear makeup or moisturizer on the day of the procedure

During PRP Treatment

 PRP is a relatively short procedure and an entire session will take about 20 to 30 minutes.

1. Before the procedure starts, your doctor will give you topical numbing cream to numb your face.

2. while you wait for your face to numb, your specialist will draw a syringe of blood from your arm. This blood is the recourse of the platelets used in the PRP.

The amount of blood taken from the body can be from 10ml to 30ml, based on the number of targeted areas to be treated.

3. The blood will be put into a device called a centrifuge, which will separate the Plasma needed for the treatment, from the rest of the components of the blood. 

4. After cleansing your face, the solution of the platelets and the growth factors will then be injected into the targeted areas of the skin, through a micro-needling device, or directly around the eyes or the mouth were tissue is effected.

 This will stimulate new cell and collagen production.

5. Your doctor might ice your face after the treatment to prevent any bruises or irritations caused by the injections.

6. Your doctor may put a serum on the site of the procedure to help soothe probable redness or irritations.

7. The treatment can then be repeated every 4 to 6 weeks if needed.

After PRP Treatment

Because PRP is rich with collagen-producing and cell growth components, side effects are typically very mild after this treatment.

Your skin might feel tight and a little red and warm immediately after the injections, but this should start to go away completely between 4 to 6 days.

Some rare side effects may include:

• Bruising around the eyes or mouth
• Mild peeling or crusting of the skin

Because PRP treatment uses your own blood, chances of serious infections are very rare.

Your doctor may recommend you to avoid sun exposure and harsh skin treatments during your recovery.

Recovery

You will be able to return to work and your daily home chores the next day, however, it’s always recommended to avoid heavy and strenuous activities that can cause sweating and heat production for a couple of days.

Benefits Of PRP Rejuvenation Treatment

1) It treats delicate and difficult to reach areas

PRP is extremely effective for treating difficult areas where lasers and other treatment options can’t be used. This includes the delicate under-eye area where patients often notice signs of aging first.

2) It is non-surgical,non-invasive and safe

The procedure requires no incisions and no surgery. The only component needed is just the client’s blood drawn from the arm.

3) It is quick and pain-free

Because the treatments are non-invasive, they can take only 30 minutes to complete without any pain and can cause only very minor redness or bruising after, which will go away in a few days.

4) It is all-natural

No foreign components are added to your PRP injections. The only property used in the treatment injections is your own plasma cells that have been separated by the centrifuge from your blood.

5) It has long-lasting results

Results from PRP take between three to four weeks to appear but are long-lasting.

 For best results, three or four treatments are recommended but with rest intervals of 4 to 6 weeks to let the face heal, after the completion of the treatments, the benefits will continue to be visible for up to 18 months or more.  

Get your desired skin, and rejuvenate your face using Medgo’s cost-effective PRP treatment plans.

Not sure whether it’s the right procedure for you? Ask any questions you have regarding your health condition, the treatment plans, and overall concerns, via our free medical consultation services.