Have you heard about PRP yet?
Practitioners of aesthetic medicine can now take a small sample of your blood and harvest the platelets in it for powerful collagen stimulation. Platelets are rich in growth factors, which are protein molecules that regulate cellular growth and reproduction, make collagen and elastin, and repair and regenerate damaged tissue.
PRP has a long history of use across several fields of medicine. In more recent years it has become very popular for facial rejuvenation. It is commonly used with treatments such as microneedling or certain lasers. (Read more about microneedling here.) Sometimes it is injected into targeted areas that could use a boost of collagen.
After processing your blood sample, the platelet rich plasma or “PRP" is isolated and ready to be applied topically or injected to promote regeneration.
One of the many advantages of PRP is there is no need to worry about an allergy or adverse reaction. The plasma being used is from your own body, after all, so there is no chance of having an adverse reaction to it.
PRP can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin after microneedling or fractional type lasers that make invisible micro “holes” in the skin. In addition to the many benefits of PRP, the skin will bounce back much quicker from these treatments when PRP is applied afterward.
When PRP is placed back into the skin, it causes a localized stem-cell response. Over the weeks and months following treatment, this stem-cell response recruits collagen-producing cells called fibroblasts. The fibroblasts replace tissue that has been damaged or lost through the aging process with healthy, glowing skin.
Microneedling with PRP is often referred to as a "Vampire Facial" or "Vampire Facelift." The tiny pricks from the microneedling procedure often leave little dots of blood on the face. Throw some PRP into the mix, smear it around, and you can see how it would make for a rather shocking image! You may remember Kim Kardashian made a huge splash when she put up a somewhat gory looking Instagram post depicting her “unusual facial.”
PRP can even help regrow thinning hair in men and women. It is injected in several places across the scalp to help "wake up" dormant hair follicles.
To think, something so powerful is available inside our very own bodies! It's no wonder it's sometimes referred to as "liquid gold!"
Be sure to ask about how PRP can help refresh your appearance.
