Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a cutting edge procedure that has gained prominence for the revitalisation and enrichment of facial skin, using the body’s own cells, harnessing their natural processes to heal and restore.
PRP has in recent years been popularised in the media as the “vampire” or “vampiric” facelift, having been performed on various well-known celebrities. But these terms are misleading. Rather than being a surgical procedure like a facelift, PRP therapy is a relatively simple, quick, and minimally-invasive procedure that enables us to use the body’s own biologic processes to regenerate and renew cells in the facial skin. A more scientific name for it is ‘autologous cellular regeneration (ACR)’.
Platelets are cells in our blood which secrete natural substances (e.g. growth factors) that promote repair, regeneration and renewal of cells in the body. Their most well-known role in the human body is that they rapidly accumulate at areas of bleeding and form a ‘bioplug’ that clots the blood and stops the bleeding. In this process the platelets also release growth factors to accelerate the healing and repair of the wound.
PRP therapy aims to capture the potential of this natural regeneration process, by delivering the body’s own platelets in a measured, specific way to different areas of the skin that require healing or renewal. The principle is simply to accelerate the body’s very own healing process, via the body’s own platelet-rich plasma.
PRP therapy has been shown to benefit the skin in many ways, for both ageing skin and young skin, and damaged and undamaged skin alike:
• It targets signs of ageing – including fine lines, wrinkles, and thin skin.
• It enhances the appearance of skin, improving tone and elasticity of skin and the tissues beneath it, by the regeneration of new collagen, giving the skin a “lifted” appearance.
• It can improve the appearance of scars.
• It can make the skin appear more uniform and improve the appearance of pigmentation and sun damage.
At the Aura Clinic London we use the world’s premier PRP technology provided by Regen Lab.
In clinic, a small amount (approximately 10-20ml) of the patient’s blood is taken through specially designed air-tight equipment, a small test tube containing this blood is then spun in machine called a centrifuge. The spinning of the blood under specific conditions causes it into separate into three layers, from which the platelet-rich plasma can be extracted. This extract is rich is in growth factors, and is then injected promptly and directly into the facial skin, targeting the areas of greatest need.
The PRP technology used allows us to take our patient’s blood sample, spin it, extract the platelets, and deliver them back into the patient’s skin in an air-tight, closed circuit system, without exposing the blood or platelets to air at any time.
The effect is to deliver a rich, concentrated punch of the body’s own “growth serum” back to facial skin to accelerate natural cell renewal and repair processes.
The PRP can be injected in tiny superficial quantities all over the facial skin, to benefit overall appearance, or it can be injected more specifically in areas of concern. Such areas are most commonly: the areas under the eyes (where the skin is thin and prone to wrinkles, and where dark circles may form), or other areas where fine lines and skin texture are an issue (e.g. nose-to mouth lines, smoker’s lines around the lips, crows’ feet beside the eyes).
Using the latest Regen Lab technology it is also possible to combine PRP with conventional dermal filler using specialised patented tubes that contain hyaluronic acid, again within a closed air-tight system. This allows us potentially to combine mild-moderate facial volume restoration along with the PRP skin enrichment therapy.
The treatment takes approximately 30 minutes, requiring only a local anaesthetic cream applied to the face before the procedure.
After the treatment there may be mild swelling, bruising, and redness in the injected areas, but these effects are quite mild and usually settle down within 24-48 hours.
The vast majority can continue with their normal schedules immediately after treatment.
PRP has been used semi-experimentally in other spheres of medicine for nearly two decades, including for bones and joints in orthopaedic surgery, to try to regenerate cells of the heart in cardiac surgery, and of course to accelerate the recovery and healing of skin before and after plastic surgery.
Fundamentally, this treatment uses the body’s own cells to deliver a natural process of rejuvenation and repair to the skin. As such the procedure has the benefit of being at the forefront of current science and technological advances, but carrying minimal risk of complications to the patient.
There is robust scientific evidence that supports the regenerative potential of PRP and platelet-derived growth factors.
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy is part of our Face Couture™ series of bespoke facial anti-ageing treatment strategies.
The first step is a comprehensive one-hour Face Couture® consultation (£150).
This involves a full medical consultation (history), facial aesthetic assessment, identification of all your aesthetic concerns and objectives and how they may relate and link to each other, so that the most efficient and effective treatment strategy can be determined.
For more information or to book a consultation call +44 (0) 203 973 8801 or email us at [email protected].