Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Overview
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) is a pioneering new treatment that is highly effective. PRP is a four-step medical treatment that is often highlighted in the celebrity world as a miracle procedure. It’s also referred to as the ‘vampire’ treatment.
What is PRP Treatment?
PRP is a substance taken from the patient’s own blood. Although blood is mainly a liquid (called plasma), there are also solid components within the blood, these are the red cells, white cells and platelets.
Platelets contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors, these are very important when it comes to healing injuries.
The PRP treatment requires the separation of platelets from the blood cells during a process known as centrifugation. Once separated, their concentration is then increased and they are then injected back into the patient.
The platelets in your blood are the major clotting tool, they’re neither molecules nor cells, but are a hybrid often called ‘cell fragments’. Platelets play a huge role in healing, as well as tissue repair and regeneration.
What does it treat?
This treatment can help a wide range of conditions as the growth factors taken from the blood help with healing. At Everything Skin Clinic TM, we use PRP for the following treatments:
Facial Rejuvenation
The benefits of PRP for facial rejuvenation has caused some widespread interest. This is because of the anti-ageing and regenerative results it can produce.
Once injected back into the skin, the platelets release their growth factors, which stimulates the cells. This triggers the surrounding cells to reproduce, this results in increased volume and rejuvenated skin.
The healing properties of the blood components in PRP can treat:
- Reducing fine line and wrinkles
- Rosacea
- Acne Scarring
- Crow’s feet
- Dark under eye circles
- Tightening the skin
- Toning the skin
- To add mild collagen to the skin
Platelet Rich Plasma therapy is predominantly used on the face, mainly around the mouth, nose and eyes. However, it can be used on other areas of the body.
PRP can be a stand-alone treatment or is more effective in combination with Dermapen skin micro needling or fractional laser resurfacing.
Hair Loss Treatment
As a hair loss treatment, PRP is effective and is a proven treatment for hair loss.
The growth factors in PRP can hugely benefit people suffering from hair loss. The growth factors play the role of messengers, signalling skin cells to function.
When placing growth factors in the hair follicles, they help stimulate activity. This then promotes hair growth and encourages the rejuvenation of follicles. They also extend the growth cycle of the hair.
How is the treatment performed?
The treatment is often performed in four steps.
1.) Firstly, we will extract a small blood sample from the patient’s arm.
2.) The blood is then placed in a centrifuge at high speed for a few minutes. This separates the red blood cells from the platelet rich plasma.
3.) A sterile syringe is then used to withdraw only the platelet-rich plasma from the sample.
4.) The PRP is then injected into the problem areas of the skin.
The whole procedure is non-invasive and only involves injections into the target areas. As a result, the procedure requires practically no healing time and also offers little to no side effects.
Are there any side effects?
As mentioned above, there are very few side effects with PRP. As PRP comes from the patient’s blood, it means that allergic reactions or adverse reactions are incredibly rare.
The side effects of this procedure are from the injections themselves. Around the injections site, there might be some redness, bruising and swelling.
The injection sites will usually feel tender after the procedure and they usually settle within a few days’ post-treatment.
As there isn’t any downtime, patients can continue their life as normal after undergoing the treatment.
PRP Facial Rejuvenation
Once injected, many patients usually feel the immediate effects of the PRP treatment. During the following weeks after treatment for facial rejuvenation, the growth factors will begin to grow and generate more healthy cells underneath the skin. This is usually when the patient will notice the optimum results.
PRP Treatment for Hair Loss?
For hair growth treatment, improvements are usually seen within a 90-day period. With more hair growth continuing to improve over 6 months. However, the results will vary and depend on other factors such as general health, age, diet, smoking and hair condition.
How many sessions will I need?
While just one PRP treatment will be beneficial, we generally recommend at least three to six treatments in order to gain the best results.
For hair treatments, PRP hair therapy is usually performed in 4-6 sessions at 4-week intervals. Following this, an ongoing maintenance programme of 2 to 3 treatments per year is often recommended.
Will I need a consultation?
All PRP treatments will require a consultation, during this consultation we will discuss the aim of treatment and recommend the number of treatments we would advise in order to achieve your goal.
Who will carry out my treatment?
At Everything Skin Clinic™, we have a team of highly trained Consultant dermatologists, who have completed specialist training in Dermatology and are on the specialist register of the General Medical Council. All our consultants hold substantive contracts with the best Dermatology centres in leading NHS hospitals. Therefore, you can be certain of the highest quality private care.