As you age, you may start to notice that your skin is not as taut as it used to be. While wrinkles and sagging skin are normal, people have been trying to combat these signs of aging for millennia. Here at AUC Clinics, we offer an innovative type of treatment making use of PRP/PRF technology. By injecting or applying a platelet-rich substance to the affected areas, your skin can be smoothed out, tightened, and rejuvenated.
What Is PRP/PRF?
While many other treatments rely on chemical substances, platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin injections utilize substances that occur naturally in your body to stimulate the healing process. To do this, a blood sample is extracted and spun in a centrifuge so that the plasma and platelets are separated from the red blood cells.
Next, they are injected into the area where you most need them, to stimulate the growth of healthy new cells and to remove older ones. As they slowly start to work, you will appear to grow younger over the course of several months.
The Science Behind Platelets
This PRP treatment works so well because it uses your body’s natural healing mechanisms and applies them to the areas where they are most needed. When we have an injury, the blood sends platelets to the site to help with blood clotting, encourage the local tissue to produce new cells, and to help break down the damaged ones. By injecting platelets into your skin, we can simulate this process without having to injure the body, rejuvenating and smoothing out the area.
PRP vs. PRF
You may be wondering what the difference between the two treatments is. They are very similar and both of them are extremely safe because they use your own blood’s components, but PRF is a slightly newer version that is spun slower than PRP. This way, more components are left in the mixture and it also includes the blood’s fibrin scaffolding and growth factors.
Although you can achieve great results with both, this more innovative PRF requires less blood and can work longer, allowing new cells to grow even when treatment is over. What’s more, PRP requires added chemicals to function, but PRF does not include these and is, therefore, a completely natural substance. It has shown great promise for future treatment, as it can not only rejuvenate soft tissues but also has the potential to heal hard tissues.
Microneedling
Another popular treatment that uses your body’s healing powers is called microneedling and involves puncturing the skin with tiny needles to stimulate the healing process. Because the punctures are so small, you’re unlikely to see them with the naked eye, but they cause the body to supply the area with platelets and other nutrients to restore the skin.
The wounds created are so small that the body goes ‘overboard’ and heals the skin to a greater degree than necessary, so that it looks better and healthier than before. Sometimes, PRP or PRF and microneedling are combined, in which case the platelet-rich substance is applied at the same time. This will cause the rate of healing to be even greater, so the skin ends up more radiant and youthful.
How It Works
When you decide to try a PRF or PRP treatment, you’ll be invited for an initial consultation to determine whether you’re a good fit and what kind of treatment you need. Most commonly, people opt for a facial, which rejuvenates the skin in your face, but there are a variety of options that address both cosmetic and medical concerns. Once you’re approved, we may give you some guidelines about what to do before, during, and after your appointment.
Before Treatment
Because the technology used is minimally invasive and very safe, you most likely won’t need to take any medication before your treatment. However, it’s best to avoid alcohol and cigarettes for around three days prior to the appointment to make sure it goes smoothly.
Your PRF or PRP Appointment
When you come for your appointment, we will take your blood to prepare the PRP or PRF substance. While this is being created, we may numb the local area to make sure your experience is completely pain-free. If you opt for microneedling, the platelet solution is applied to the skin beforehand, so that it can enter the skin once the needling device creates the punctures.
In case you opt for injections, the solution is injected into the local area instead. This may involve one or several syringes, depending on the size of the area treated. Either way, the process shouldn’t take more than an hour and you will be able to walk out of our clinic and resume your normal activities straight away.
After Treatment
There is very little after-care required after this kind of appointment because it is natural, minimally invasive, and safe. We may give you some simple instructions such as to stay out of the sun or to avoid strenuous physical exercise for a few days.
The platelets will start to work right away, but it will take some time for the results to become visible. You can expect to see a change after a few weeks, but the final results are likely to show up 4-6 months later. Although it is not a cure against aging, the treatment can significantly reduce wrinkles and last for over a year in many cases.
Who Is This Right for?
As we have discussed, both PRP and PRF are natural treatments that are very safe because the substance used is derived from your own body. This means that the risk of rejection is almost zero. However, there are certain rare cases in which a patient may not be eligible, such as if they have certain conditions related to the blood or circulatory system.
If you are currently pregnant or breastfeeding, it is also not advisable that you seek out this treatment. However, this doesn’t mean that you’re ineligible, but instead, you’ll simply have to wait a few months longer. If you’re not sure whether you’d be a good fit, make an appointment at our clinic to find out more.
Achieve a Youthful Look With Platelet Treatment
PRP/PRF is an innovative type of treatment that makes use of your own body’s natural healing powers. By applying components of your blood to the desired area, the skin’s healing process is jump-started, old cells are removed and new, healthy ones are created. This exciting opportunity is open to almost everyone because it is quick, safe, and pain-free.
