Platelet Rich Plasma ( PRP )
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.
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 PRP treat?
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.
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:
PRP 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.
Facial conditions 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
PRP Results
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.
Platelet Rich Plasma PRP for Hair Loss
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.
For Facial Rejuvenation, 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
PRP Results
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 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 for Hair Loss Patient Information
What is PRP?
This refers to a component of the blood called plasma which has a high concentration of platelets. Platelets help blood to clot. In addition, platelets contain proteins called growth factors that are important for wound healing and have a potential role in stimulating hair growth.
PRP for hair loss – how does it work?
This technique has been previously used in the treatment of surgical repairs and wound healing. Cosmetically, it is also used in facial rejuvenation (the so-called “vampire facelift”). PRP has now emerged as a potential effective treatment for hair conditions including androgenetic alopecia (Male Pattern Hair Loss/Female Pattern Hair Loss) and alopecia areata.
The procedure involves taking a blood sample from which a small volume of enriched platelets is then generated. These are then injecting directly back into the parts of the scalp which are lacking hair.
The platelets containing growth factors act on hair follicles to stimulate new hairs to grow and improve blood supply around the follicles.
What does the procedure involve?
We usually take 20 – 25ml (or equivalent to 4-5 teaspoons) of blood from your arm with a needle and syringe. This sample is then mixed with citrate to prevent the blood clotting. The sample is then placed into a centrifuge machine, which spins the blood sample very fast, allowing the blood to separate into layers. One of these layers is the platelet-rich plasma layer (hence the name PRP). We then extract the platelet-rich plasma from the rest of the blood before injecting it back into the skin.
Before injection, we clean the skin with disinfectant solution. The platelet-rich plasma is then injected into the affected areas of the scalp using a fine needle or mesotherapy.
The whole procedure takes about 30 minutes to complete. The number of injections vary from person to person but can range from 20 – 100 injections per session.
How quickly does it work?
This varies from person to person. Usually the doctor would assess your hair growth after a period of 3 months to see if it is working. If it’s felt to be helpful, further treatments every 3 months are usually recommended.
How many treatments will I need?
The optimal treatment regimen is still under investigation. However, most published trials use PRP treatment every 2 weeks to every month for the first 3 months followed by maintenance treatment every 3 months thereafter.
Who can have treatment with PRP?
You should not have this treatment if you have a coexisting medical condition which affects the way your blood clots or if you have low platelet levels. It is also not advisable to have the treatment if you take blood-thinning medication or have any significant infection either on your scalp or elsewhere at the time of the procedure. Having significant anaemia or certain forms of cancer may also preclude you from receiving this treatment.
You should avoid Smoking, anti-inflammatory and steroid medications before and during the treatment period.
The treatment is not generally available on the NHS and will require private funding. The cost of treatment varies between practitioners. As with any private healthcare, it is worth doing some research to find the right clinic for you.
Does PRP for hair loss work?
As this is a new treatment, the number of patients taking part in the published studies is relatively small. Overall, there have been positive results for a proportion of patients and generally, the treatment has shown to be well tolerated and safe.
Improvements in target area hair counts and reduction in hair fall are the main methods used to assess treatment response in these studies.
With limited trials to date, there is not sufficient evidence to understand if the hair growth is able to sustain over time. However, it does look like the effects start to drop off around 4 months after the last session.
Are there any other treatment options available?
Yes. There are a number of reported treatments for hair loss. Feel free to discuss what alternative treatment options are available with your Consultant.
Are there any side effects or complications of treatment?
As this treatment requires injections into the skin, the main complication is due to this. Most people experience some discomfort during the procedure. Simple painkillers, such as paracetamol, are usually sufficient to control any pain following the procedure.
Other potential side effects include:
- You may experience swelling and redness at the injection.
- Pain, tenderness and numbness can be due to the injections both during and after the procedure.
- Headache
- Colour change to the treated skin can occur (which is usually temporary)
- Bruising can occur
- Skin infection (rare) – this may require oral antibiotics from your doctor if this occurs.
Can PRP be taken with my other medication?
Currently PRP is usually regarded as an additional treatment to boost hair growth. Therefore, it is important to continue with your other hair loss treatments to maximise your hair growth longer term.
If you are taking blood thinning medication, steroid tablets or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs – such as ibuprofen), please speak with our consultant.
Do I need to change my lifestyle in any way?
Generally, no. However, it is sensible to taking it easy for the rest of the day after the procedure and avoid strenuous exercise or excessive alcohol consumption to reduce the risk of side effects.
Additional Information
If you have problems or other unexplained symptoms, please us on 01615091294 or info@everythingskin.co.uk
How many PRP 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.