PLATELET RICH PLASMA THERAPY
What can Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy treat?
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy can be used to treat numerous cosmetic problems, such as fine lines and wrinkles or crepey skin around the mouth and nose, crow’s feet around the eyes and mild drooping or sagging skin around the eyes or on the cheeks.
PRP therapy can also 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.
When injected into the scalp area, this treatment promotes new cell growth, and is effective at improving hair growth for certain hair conditions. This treatment is ideal for those who want to improve hair growth without taking or using any medications.
In terms of medical treatment rather than cosmetic treatment, PRP therapy can be used to treat a multitude of problems, including osteoarthritis and ligament and muscle injuries. It has been used widely in medicine for a number of years.
PRP therapy works on the basis that the body’s own natural healing powers may slow and even reverse the ageing process – it’s a revolutionary repair system that places growth factors in the exact location where we want the skin to repair and rejuvenate itself.
Blood (a small amount) is taken from the patient during the treatment, then treated (in a centrifuge) to harvest the platelet rich plasma and re-injected into the desired area. The therapy is said to plump skin, fill out fine lines and wrinkles, and give an overall more radiant appearance.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy has been used for a number of years in urology, ophthalmology, dentistry, neurosurgery, orthopaedics and sports medicine, to treat muscle and ligament injuries, pain problems, skin lesions and more. Due to the success of Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy in medicine, the procedure was then developed into a cosmetic procedure.
Platelets contain a high content of “growth factors” – proteins that help to heal injured tissue or damaged skin. Upon re-injection the platelets release their growth factors which trigger surrounding cells to proliferate, in turn stimulating repair, increasing volume and rejuvenating the skin.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Therapy and how does it work?
PRP therapy involves harvesting platelets from the patient’s own blood in order to inject them into problem skin areas, giving it the nicknames Vampire Facelift and Dracula Therapy. Before the procedure, a small amount of blood is taken from the patient and put into a centrifuge, where the blood is spun in order to separate the red blood cells from the platelet plasma. The platelet plasma, which is the component of the blood that is known for being highly effective in treating burns and skin injuries, is then injected into the chosen area, where it plumps up the skin, reducing fine lines and wrinkles.
When the platelet plasma is injected into the skin, the platelets release their growth factors. The growth factors stimulate other cells surrounding the injection site, plumping them up and causing them to increase in volume. The platelet plasma sends out signals to other cells in the body when it is injected, telling them to rush forward to the injection site.
One cell that is stimulated during the process is the fibroblast cell, which is the cell type that creates collagen. Collagen is what gives skin a youthful appearance.
As we age, collagen is produced less and less, causing wrinkles and fine lines in the skin, and therapies such as PRP therapy that stimulate collagen production can counteract this.
Another cell stimulated during the process is the pre-adipocyte cell, which is a cell type that can convert into a fat cell, which is especially important in the face to fill out lines and to contour the face.