Face / Body
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Treatments
What is PRP ?
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an established injection therapy treatment often referred to as the ‘Vampire Facelift’ or ‘Dracula Therapy’. It is defined as an autologous, regenerative treatment using the patient’s own blood to obtain a concentrated preparation of platelets and their associated growth factors to repair, volumise and regenerate skin tissues promoting a more youthful appearance. PRP works on the basis that the body’s own natural healing powers may slow and even reverse the ageing process.
PRP Therapy can be used to treat scars, fine lines, wrinkles and uneven skin. It can be used to minimise pores around the mouth and nose. It is useful in the treatment of crow’s feet around the eyes, minimising forehead lines, lifting mild drooping / sagging skin around the eyes or jaw line and in generally “peaching up” the cheeks and skin.
In addition PRP can be uses to volumise lips, treat dark circles around the eyes. It can be used to stimulate hair growth where there is still some active follicular growth. PRP therapy can be used to improve the appearance of dehydrated or mildly sagging skin on the backs of the hands, on the tops of the feet, elbows and knees. It has uses all over the body.
PRP Treatment Process
The technique comprises withdrawal of the patient’s own blood (10-20 ml) and processing it using a harvesting system to separate blood components. Plasma is then injected into the required sites. A topical local anaesthetic can be applied to the skin before PRP is injected into the desired area/s using a very fine needle. Injections will be given multiple times in multiple locations in order to give an overall improvement to the area. This is often done via a micro medical needling pen. The whole procedure usually takes about 90 minutes. Generally 1‐3 treatments are advised, though more may be recommended depending on different skin parameters, such as age, baseline condition as a result of smoking, sun damage, genetics and others. Maintenance is advised once-twice a year subsequently.
PRP Outcomes
Injection of PRP to the treated site activates platelets, causing them to release regeneration-associated growth factors, which initiate a healing response by attracting stem cells, stimulating cell growth, tissue re-modeling and de-novo collagen deposit. The process leads to slow down of the ageing process, improvement of skin texture is and tone is evident, diminishing fine lines, wrinkles and scars and gradual increases skin thickness and vitality. Importantly, the skin will maintain a natural-looking appearance after the treatment. Hair will begin to grow from regenerated roots.
Since PRP stimulates biological effects, results should not be expected immediately and are generally visible at 3 weeks, with continuous gradual improvement over 6-12 months. Improvement is dependent on skin conditions, the extent of wrinkles and scaring, smoking and alcohol consumption. During the first few days after treatment skin redness, some bruising and sensitivity may appear.
With two to three treatments you can expect the results of PRP therapy to last for up to 18 months to two years. Two to three treatments per year are recommended for optimal results. Microdermabrasion treatments are also a useful adjunct to PRP therapy along with Botulinium therapy and dermal fillers.
Safety of PRP Treatment
PRP treatment is autologous (PRP is derived from the patient’s own blood), minimising safety concerns for allergic response or disease transmission. Furthermore, PRP may be used in sensitive areas, such as fine skin around the eyes, which are not suited for other treatments. It may be combined with other treatments to stimulate biological effect. Apart from anti-coagulant (a standard citrate salt) required for any blood preparation, Tropocells (used to harvest the blood) has no added material and no animal products. Safety has been determined by independent laboratory tests.