What is Platelet Rich Plasma?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a regenerative dermatological treatment that uses the body’s own blood components to rejuvenate and heal the skin.
Am I a Good Candidate?
- Ideal candidates often have concerns such as acne scars, skin texture issues, fine lines, wrinkles, or skin laxity. PRP is also effective for areas with thinning hair or hair loss.
- You should be in good general health. PRP therapy is not recommended for individuals with active infections, chronic illnesses, or certain blood disorders.
- Non-smokers or those who can quit smoking are better candidates, as smoking can impair healing and affect the effectiveness of PRP.
- Candidates should have realistic expectations about the results. While PRP can improve skin appearance and hair growth, it may not provide dramatic changes.
- Individuals with blood disorders or those on blood-thinning medications may not be suitable candidates. It’s important to inform your dermatologist of any such conditions.
- It is advised to avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatories, Vitamin E, Omega-3, alcohol, and garlic prior to the procedure. If you are taking any medications, consult with your dermatologist.
- A good candidate should be willing to commit to the recommended treatment schedule, including multiple sessions and follow-up treatments if necessary.
- While PRP can be beneficial for various ages, it is generally more effective for individuals experiencing early to moderate signs of aging or hair loss.
- Candidates should be willing to follow pre-treatment guidelines, including avoiding certain supplements and medications.
Benefits:
- PRP utilizes your own blood, reducing the risk of allergic reactions or complications since it uses your body’s natural healing mechanisms.
- PRP can enhance skin texture by stimulating collagen production, leading to smoother and more even skin.
- The growth factors in PRP help to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, promoting a more youthful appearance.
- PRP can improve the appearance of acne scars by encouraging skin regeneration and healing.
- By promoting collagen and elastin production, PRP helps to restore skin elasticity and firmness.
- PRP has been shown to stimulate hair follicles, making it effective for treating hair loss and thinning, including androgenetic alopecia.
- The procedure is minimally invasive with relatively short recovery time, allowing you to return to daily activities quickly.
- PRP can be tailored to target specific areas of concern, such as the face, neck, hands, or scalp, making it versatile.
- PRP can be used in conjunction with other treatments, such as laser therapy or microneedling, to enhance results.
- With proper care and follow-up treatments, the results of PRP therapy can be long-lasting, providing sustained improvements in skin and hair health.
More Details:
PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) is an exciting addition to dermatology. This procedure involves removing an amount of blood equivalent to a blood draw for routine tests. The blood is then centrifuged in two steps, to remove unwanted red blood cells and white blood cells, preserving the plasma, a yellow clear fluid, which is rich in platelets and important growth factors. This serum is then gently injected into the skin through a very fine needle, and boosts the skin with essential nutrients that allow it to renew itself, even after a single session. Among interesting studies, there was an increased improvement of difficult acne scars after laser resurfacing on the side where PRP was added, and in another, a single PRP session improved the appearance and depth of the deep groove under the eye, known as tear trough. Also, PRP was found useful to help regrow hair after a hair loss episode and even in cases of hereditary thinning process of androgenetic alopecia.
PRP is like adding healthy fertilizers to the skin, and allowing nature to fix itself, at times we follow up by added activation using laser for example. In our practice, initial one-sided treatments showed improvement of texture, acne scars and even laugh lines, after a single session, lasting several months!
A PRP session takes about 40 minutes, may leave a few bruises, though not much because of the platelets and fibrinogen that help reduce bleeding. It is advisable to perform 3 sessions at 1 month intervals and to repeat it one sessions after 3-6 months to optimize results, and then once or twice a year as needed. PRP is most useful in areas of skin laxity such as the face and around the eyes, the neck, hands and any other area of loose skin especially of the abdomen and knees. It is also recommended in preparation for resurfacing of the skin, and very useful to treat hair loss. As a preparation, it is advised to avoid aspirin, anti-inflammatories and vitamins such as Vitamin E and Omega-3 for a week, and avoid alcohol and garlic for 3 days.
Like all dermatological procedures, PRP requires knowledge in dermatology. PRP should only be done by specialized dermatologists in a proper medical setting.
