PLATELET RICH PLASMA (PRP) THERAPY

PRP stands for platelet rich plasma, and is a preparation of your own platelets in concentrated plasma. It contains various growth factors such as platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), transforming growth factor (TGF) vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and insulin-like growth factor (IGF). These substances are known to regulate cell repair and regeneration. PRP also contains plasma proteins, fibrin and fibronectin, which act as scaffold for the connective tissue and fresh cell growth.

PRP was first developed in the 1970s, and since then has been used in many medical fields – such as dentistry, sports medicine, gastrointestinal surgery, pain management and cosmetic surgery.

The quality of PRP produced is dependent on the exact machine used to extract the blood from the PRP machine. Current methods deliver around three to eight times the blood. The blood is taken and centrifuged.

Yes, many men have PRP; the most common indication is for the hair, or the hair in combination with the eyes.

PRP is generally used to improve the appearance of areas which would otherwise be difficult to treat, such as crêpey tissue around the eyes, or for general skin improvement. Some people use it as a preventative measure, hoping that by stimulating the skin with growth factors, the signs of ageing will not be visible as quickly. It can also be used for the O-Shot and for hair growth stimulation. It can also be used after a resurfacing treatment such as microneedling or INTRAcel.

PRP is often described as preventative, as the idea is to keep the skin in great working order, so small lines and wrinkles do not form.

You can use stem cell creams which act via cell-signalling mechanisms – however, they’re not human derived, and they’re not from you, so they’re not as powerful, and not exactly the same molecules you require.

Pretty much anywhere! It works very well in the eye area, and in some cases can help to improve dark circles under the eyes. It’s also good for general skin rejuvenation in the neck, décolletage and hands. In addition, it can be used for the O-Shot in the vagina or penis, and to treat hair loss. It can be combined with microneedling for scars and stretch marks.

Sure! PRP is good for the improvement of hair loss, and can also be used for stretch marks and scars when combined with microneedling.

Yes, and many men use PRP as an adjunct to other hair therapies, such as minoxidil, or leading up to, or following, a hair transplant.

Yes, this can be an effective way of improving sexual dysfunction or lack of libido. There’s also some early evidence to suggest it can be useful for lichen sclerosis and urinary incontinence.

PRP is not a replacement for lost volume in the skin, so if this is your main concern, PRP will not help.

It’s important that any PRP treatment is performed after a consultation to make sure it’s right for you. If we’re treating the face, a picture will be taken of you in 3D to see any areas of asymmetry. Any makeup is removed. Your blood is taken, just like with a blood test. Do not worry if you don’t have good, visible veins; we have an Accuvein at the clinic which allows us to see the position of veins under the skin, so blood can be taken much more easily. The amount of blood taken depends on which procedure we’re performing. The blood is placed in one of our centrifuges and spun. The time taken to spin depends on which centrifuge is used, and is usually between six and twenty minutes. You can even grab a coffee whilst your blood is spinning.

Mesotherapy
In the case of mesotherapy, we use a gun to introduce the PRP back to the skin. This causes lots of imperceptible scratches on the face, though there’s usually nothing visible on the face after treatment. With mesotherapy, try not to wash your face until the next day. With the other treatments, it’s fine to wash.

Eyes
If you’re only having eye rejuvenation, a cannula is used to apply the PRP, and there’s usually swelling after the treatment which can be persistent for up to 48 hours. You may wish to bring sunglasses with you to the clinic. If you’re having the PRP injected more deeply or mixed with hyaluronic acid, you may get some areas of swelling, but these usually disappear in a day.

Hair
If you’re having PRP for hair, you’ll be asked to come in 30-60 minutes prior to your appointment time for a topical anaesthesia. After treatment, you’ll be asked not to wash your hair until the next day. Your hair will be oily, so you may wish to bring a hat with you.

O-Shot
If you’re having the O-Shot, you’ll be asked to come in one hour early for topical anaesthesia, and to refrain from sex for five days afterwards.

PRP with microneedling
If you’re having PRP with microneedling, please come in one hour before your appointment time so that a topical anaesthetic can be applied to the area.

Body
If you’re having an area of your body treated, please wear loose-fitting clothing, as the topical anaesthetic can transfer onto the fabric and cause staining.

Usually either by mesotherapy, which is lots of tiny superficial injections all over the skin. We commonly employ a cannula when treating an area such as the under-eye or nose-to-mouth lines with concentrated PRP, with a needle inserted deep to the bone. Alternatively, we use a Dermapen (the so-called vampire facial). The method suggested will depend on the exact reason for using PRP, and will be discussed with you at your appointment. For example, if you have scarring, it’s better to use a Dermapen. If you’re treating the skin and mixing PRP with dermal fillers, then a needle is better. For the under-eyes, we prefer a cannula. For a light skin improvement, a mesotherapy gun is used.

It’s helpful if you don’t wear any makeup when you come in for the procedure, but don’t worry, we can take it off for you. If you’re prone to bruising, you may want to use some arnica or bromelain. If you have an important event coming up, you should schedule your treatment accordingly, remembering that PRP takes a few weeks before you get to see the best results.

If you’re prone to bruising, you may wish to use arnica or bromelain

PRP does not require a check-up after the procedure. However, we’re always here should you have any questions or concerns.

Not much at all. The blood is taken in a similar fashion to having a blood test, so it doesn’t hurt any more than this. If the scalp is being injected, you’ll have a local anaesthetic injection or topical anaesthetic prior to treatment. For mesotherapy, no anaesthesia is required. For the O-Shot you will have topical anaesthesia prior to the treatment.

You won’t have any loss of sensation after this treatment, unless lignocaine is used.

If you’re having PRP mesotherapy, it’s advisable not to wear makeup or wash your face until the following day. If your PRP has been injected more deeply, you may wash your face, but try to avoid wearing makeup unless it’s post-surgical makeup.

PRP normally takes a few weeks for the effects to become visible. For some people, only one session is required to see good results. However, it’s more common to have between three and five treatment sessions.

Yes, you can return to work after treatment, but in the case of eye rejuvenation, you’re often quite swollen here afterwards. If you’ve had mesotherapy, it’s advisable not to put makeup on afterwards, so it might be better to have the treatment when you have no immediate commitments.

This is not recommended for use during pregnancy or whilst breastfeeding.

There have been no studies performed on this. As a general rule of thumb, once your initial three to five sessions have been performed, you should aim to have one treatment every three to six months to maintain results.

Nothing, you’ll simply enjoy the benefits of the PRP for that time and then revert to your pre-treatment state.

This depends on the rate of facial ageing. Some people develop fine lines and wrinkles early in life, and if the lines are beginning to become ingrained into the tissue then it’s appropriate to commence treatment. Ideally though, we prefer not to treat anyone under 25 without an exceptionally good reason. PRP tends to work better on those who are slightly younger; older patients can still enjoy the benefits, but they may need more sessions for comparable results.

Absolutely, yes – because there are no foreign substances being placed in the body. This is your own blood, nothing added – and we’re relying on your body’s natural regenerative process to achieve an improvement.

As long as your expectations are to keep the results on the natural side, then a person would require an eagle eye to detect any change.

Yes, PRP does not inhibit muscle movement at all.

Complications with PRP are very rare, but as with any injection there is a small risk of bruising.

Activation means that growth factors are released upon the PRP coming into contact with coagulation triggers. Some people use an activator such as 10% calcium chloride or bovine collagen. Activation can be caused by trauma from the needle or when the PRP comes into contact with type 1 collagen. PRP activated with thrombin activates very quickly; PRP activated with calcium chloride activates slowly, and with no activation (relying on collagen) it activates incompletely.

PRP is taken from the blood, whereas stem cells are taken from the fat or bone marrow. PRP is made of growth factors and cytokines that help your body to heal via its existing healing mechanism. PRP is ideal for helping injured or damaged areas that need a jumpstart to begin healing. Stem cells are cells which can be converted into any tissues the body needs, and can regenerate damaged tissues. So, steam cells are like planting new seeds; PRP is like watering the garden.

Whilst it is important to be realistic about the results of PRP, just like every aesthetic treatment, it’s not a magic bullet. Here are a few things that PRP is good for:

• It is effective at inducing skin fibroblasts and fat derived stem cells
• It acts as a scaffold for injectables such as hyaluronic acid
• It reduces scars in acne
• It builds collagen – thicker collagen has been demonstrated in those who have had PRP injections; it has been shown to increase the expression of type 1 collagen in humans
• It improves skin colour and texture
• It reduces wrinkle depth
• It increases skin elasticity
• It increases skin hydration by augmenting the skin’s own hyaluronic acid content.

PRP is more appropriate than stem cells if a mesotherapy technique is being used, for tightening the skin of the eyelids. If the cost of stem cells is prohibitive, PRP is sufficient for most people.

Yes, but PRP does not work in the same way, so the results won’t be the same. The outcome of PRP is generally much subtler, so PRP is generally best used in areas not amenable to other injectables, such as the under eye region, or for those who wish to have skin improvement and don’t want moisturiser injections. Of course, you can always combine PRP with hyaluronic acid dermal fillers if you wish to ‘supercharge’ your skin rejuvenation.

PRP is an unpredictable treatment, as almost all of the outcome is dependent on the response of the body to the PRP and the concentration of growth factors contained in the mixture.

Please note that you are paying for the treatment only and no guarantee is made of any outcome. Refunds cannot be given under any circumstances, as the product has been used and the service has been delivered.