Thank you for your question.
You've submitted a photo and you state in your question, you're 35 and you're asking
should you go for PRP.
You're asking for – you're asking the typical questions.
How long does the effect last?
Will there – will it leave marks?
And the usual things that people want to know about PRP or platelet-rich plasma.
Well, I can certainly assist you with this question.
I’m a board certified cosmetic surgeon and fellowship trained oculofacial plastic surgeon.
I'm also the founder of TrichoStem Hair Regeneration Center which is based on hair regeneration,
non-surgical alternative treatment for hair loss that is – that uses PRP as a significant
part of this treatment for hair loss.
With that being said, I have a lot of experience with platelet-rich plasma.
And we use platelet-rich plasma in our practice everyday for a variety of conditions.
So I’ll give you an idea of how I – how – when patients like yourself comes to our
office and asks about PRP, what I do to first discuss the benefits.
So to begin with, we have to start with what is the issue that you want to see improved?
It wasn’t exactly clear from your question the photo, whether or not you have a particular
concern that you want to address.
There’s a lot of misunderstanding about the use of platelet-rich plasma or PRP.
Many people believed that PRP is a filler and PRP is not a filler.
PRP, from a physiologic standpoint, which is derived from knowledge that was created
from observations made by oral surgeons and orthopedic surgeons.
And through extensive medical research, in so many fields, in the use of platelet-rich
plasma has shown certain specific behaviors on the tissue that is applied to.
So in our field, in the cosmetic field, I use it a lot for skin rejuvenation.
Platelet-rich plasma which is derived from your blood, it is a concentration of the wound
healing growth factors and critical cells and factors that are necessary to stimulate
wound healing, such as when you get a cut.
So what are we doing?
We’re stimulating blood supply.
We’re stimulating collagen.
We’re stimulating a lot of things that adds, including the improvement of the health of
fat cells and that’s been shown in studies where histology – where people actually
took biopsies of the skin and saw there was an actual improvement in the fat cells.
So it’s a very important thing to be aware of.
So in our practice, we use platelet-rich plasma successfully for the treatment of dark under
eye circles.
We use it for acne scars.
We use it for fine lines and wrinkles.
We use it for sun damage.
We use it for rejuvenation of wrinkled skin in the neck and the décolleté area.
As I mentioned, we use it in combination with a material called extracellular matrix for
the treatment of hair loss.
One of the most common reasons people come to us for platelet-rich plasma treatment is
for overall complexion improvement.
As much as there are benefits for different things like lasers, microdermal abrasions,
microneedling, platelet-rich plasma does something for the skin that is really unique.
And what it does is that it stimulates the combination of collagen blood supply and stimulation
of the fat.
And what we get is this look of glow in the skin which is, of course, hard to document
photographically, but patients feel it and see it.
And people who know them will offer comments that your skin looks really, really good.
We’ve developed a lot of different combinations of platelet-rich plasma with materials such
as hyaluronic acid and with extracellular matrix to create even another level of skin
rejuvenation for areas such as the neck and the hands.
But when it gets down to it, you're talking about skin quality improvement, eyelid skin
quality improvement.
And these are the things that platelet-rich plasma can do.
As far as the onset of the effect, the onset of the effect is usually seen as early as
48 hours or somewhere around two to six weeks.
Yes, there’s a large – there is certain variation.
But we’ve had patients, just from our own experience, who have seen results very quickly
within two weeks.
And then others have said that in a month where they weren’t sure that it was working.
And then at the sixth week point, they call us and say their skin looks amazing.
So I think it’s almost like muscle building where everyone goes to the gym and just get
a certain amount of stimulation from the weightlifting and then how their muscles respond.
There’s still has a lot of individual variation.
Now if the goal is to improve skin quality, then you're also to think about the duration
of the effect.I also explain to our patients that platelet-rich plasma treatment is not
something that you just do one time.
It’s one time to see how you respond.
But then there’s always a long-term plan and the strategy based on your response.
For most of our patients who are looking for skin rejuvenation, they’ll come in once
every three to six months to have platelet-rich plasma injection.
And it’s like it’s building on itself.
Like it stimulates – there’s collagen.
It just doesn’t go away and wear off.
But there’s potential to improve.
So a lot of people have figured it out.
In our own office, there’s a side note, anyone who’s over 35 has been getting platelet-rich
plasma very regularly.
So in many ways, the – our own medical staff and our own administrative staff really vote
with their feet by saying that – they’re asking me if I can – they can get their
PRP injections when it’s – whenever possible on a regular basis.
So they see the results and they like it.
So with that being said, it’s important that you understand that strategy and just
don’t think it’s a one-time treatment.
As far as marks are concerned, marks can be – strategic placement with fine needles,
there’s usually a minimal amount of marks, minimal amount of swelling.
So I don’t – I think if you want – a lot of my patients who are doing it for the
first time and they have uncertainty and concern, I tell them do it on a Friday, make sure there’s
nothing socially important the next day and maybe allow the weekend just to see how you
respond.
And a lot of times that’s a good strategy so they’ll know for the next time.
But in general one day is pretty much adequate.
You may have a little bit of fluid of swelling, but usually it’s minimal by the second to
third day.
So I hope that was helpful.
I wish you the best of luck.
Thank you for your question.