Lets talk about PRP/PRFM
PRP has many uses in the world of aesthetics and acts almost like stem cells when it comes to encouraging renewal and stimulating healing.
From speeding up healing after microneedling or laser skin resurfacing to stimulating hair growth, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a great add on or standalone treatment. It uses your body’s own growth factors to encourage regrowth of thinning hair (especially androgenetic or hormonal alopecia) and those same growth factors help improve results from microneedling or laser skin resurfacing. And guess what else? PRP has a role as an injectable too! At Citrine in Lincoln, we love to use injected PRP for treating thinning skin around the mouth or tear troughs.
What Is the Difference Between Platelet-Rich Plasma and Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix (PRFM)?
Platelet-rich plasma is the starting point for both products which can be derived by using a centrifuge to spin down your own blood that our nurses can draw while you’re here at Citrine in Lincoln. The clear fluid you see in the test tube after your blood comes out of the centrifuge is the PRP. Platelets are necessary for tissue repair, and the plasma itself also contains a host of growth factors and proteins that stimulate healing. PRFM is made from PRP and only takes a couple of minutes for us to do at Citrine. PRFM has a fibrin matrix within the platelet concentrate, which has been shown to produce more long-term benefits to encourage growth of the hair follicles.
How Does Platelet-Rich Plasma or Platelet Rich Fibrin Matrix Work?
PRP signals the cells to produce more growth and healing factors. Because platelet concentrate contains the growth factor needed to replace and repair damaged or dormant cells, it’s one of the most effective ways to improve hair loss caused by aging or conditions like androgenetic alopecia. Platelet-rich fibrin matrix has more platelet-derived growth factor compared to the standard PRP preparation, which allows for more concentrated and longer release of critical growth factors into the skin of the scalp. These growth factors also signal for increased blood flow to the area (blood flow is needed for any area to heal) and this extra bloodflow is essential for the support of new and existing hair follicles. We generally recommend at least 3 treatments of PRFM for the scalp with maintenance sessions to keep the new or rejuvenated hair follicles strong and healthy.
What Else Is Platelet-Rich Plasma Used For?
At Citrine, we take advantage of PRP as an adjunct to RF Microneedling and sometimes laser skin resurfacing.
With RF microneedling and laser skin resurfacing with HALO, the needles (or the laser) create micro-channels in the skin and the RF energy is applied at very precise depths for specific amounts of time (which is fully customizable in the device we use). These microchannels are sensed by the body as small areas of skin damage so then the skin is stimulated to heal which leads to the production of more new collagen in comparison to the rate it was produced at prior to treatment. This increased collage production is what makes the skin look more youthful, decreased fine lines, and helps improve skin texture and skin laxity. Applying topical PRP after microneedling leads to the delivery of a higher concentration of growth factors through the micro-channels. The extra growth factors give a bit of a kick start to healing and increases the rate of skin repair so the treatment result is more profound.
Injected PRP
At Citrine in Lincoln, we love to use PRP in the tear troughs because that is one of the first areas of the face to show signs of aging because it is thinner and more sensitive. The injected PRP helps increase the thickness and resilience of the skin. Another area we love to use injected PRP is the perioral area where some patients complain of “smokers lines”. At Citrine in Lincoln we think of injectable PRP as a great adjunct to a comprehensive facial rejuvenation plan because it improves the quality of the skin itself. Deep wrinkles and pure volume loss cannot be fully treated with PRP, those issues will still require dermal filler to address the need for volume in those areas.
Is There Any Downtime With Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Because the PRP is derived from your own blood, patients are not at risk for having an allergic reaction to it. PRP applied topically actually decreases the already minimal downtime of microneedling. Injected PRP or PRFM may be associated with some soreness and swelling of the injected areas but this should not require patients to refrain from normal daily activities and overall downtime is significantly less than with traditional dermal filler.
