Platelet-Rich Plasma for Better Skin
- Posted on: Feb 14 2020
Platelets are critical in the blood for wound repair. More specifically, platelets allow the blood to clot. They’re also powerful little growth facilitators, another part of their wound-healing prowess.
So, what if you concentrated those platelets, injected them back into an area of the skin you wanted to improve, and let them get to work?
You just described something we offer our patients at Creative Image Laser Solutions. It’s called platelet-rich plasma and we use it to rejuvenate facial skin.
What is platelet-rich plasma?
What is this stuff that sounds so science fiction-ish? Well, when you take a blood sample and you remove all the white and red blood cells, what remains is plasma and blood platelets, but they are now concentrated without the blood cells. This concentrated mix is known as platelet-rich plasma (PRP), and it has been used for years to speed the healing of joints, tendons, and muscle tissue in professional athletes. At Creative Image, we use PRP to “heal” problems such as sun damage, acne scars and stretch marks, and the decreasing volume that is a part of normal aging.
How is a PRP treatment done?
We start the PRP process by taking a small amount of blood from you, about the same amount used for a typical lab test. That blood is then placed in a centrifuge that spins at a high rate and separates the different components of the blood. Red and white blood cells are divided from the platelets and the plasma (the clear fluid that makes blood liquid). This plasma now contains a higher than normal number of platelets (four times higher) and is called platelet-rich plasma.
Dr. Butka then reinjects the PRP back into areas of the patient’s face that need rejuvenation. Once injected the PRP stimulates the growth of new collagen, revitalizes skin tissue, and smoothes and firms the skin. That’s where PRP injections are different than dermal fillers. Dermal fillers simply fill lines and folds. PRP fuels skin rejuvenation. You can think of PRP as a natural filler that is rebuilding rather than simply filling. For some patients, we use PRP as a booster of sorts for our dermal fillers, as it improves their longevity and the patient’s overall complexion.
What happens after my session and when will I see results?
The entire PRP session takes only around 15 minutes and is relatively painless. We also combine PRP with fractional laser resurfacing to allow better penetration of the PRP serum; this combination takes around 30-45 minutes.
Results begin to show themselves in three to four weeks as new collagen is added to the treatment areas, and these results continue to build for months.
Want to put your own mighty platelets to work improving your skin? Call us at Creative Image Laser Solutions, (325) 641-1927, and ask about platelet-rich plasma.
Posted in: blog, PRP Therapy