Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)

What better way to revive your natural beauty by using your body’s own power to regenerate new tissue?

Whenever we have an injury such as a bruise, a cut or scrape, blood vessels are ruptured.

Special components in our blood immediately set about the healing and regenerative process. Chief amongst these blood components are platelets.

What are platelets?

Platelets are a specialised type of blood cell fragment that release growth factors. These platelets encourage the repair and rejuvenation of connective tissue and attract stem cells to the area. Growth factors are significant in skin regeneration and healing as they:

1. Stimulate collagen release, tissue rejuvenation and cell growth

2. Stimulate the production of oil glands and new blood vessels to enhance skin nourishment

3. Draw stem cells to promote new tissue rejuvenation

What is Platelet Rich Plasma?

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is the latest medical treatment to cross over into the world of aesthetics.
Long established as a treatment for healing wounds, PRP has also been adopted by Sports Medicine and Orthopedic specialties for many years. Today PRP has found a home in aesthetics. PRP is a regenerative treatment, not a corrective treatment. Cutting edge treatment advances means that clinicians are able to separate plasma containing platelets from your blood during your aesthetic clinic visit.

Your own unique growth factors contained in the platelets are then used to rejuvenate your skin, to enhance outcomes when used in combination with other treatments. This can also be used in hair restoration to encourage hair follicles to continue producing new hair.

By injecting platelets in a Platelet Rich Plasma, we harness the new tissue regeneration ability of growth factors. Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) assists in recovery from the ageing process and importantly, enhances the results of other rejuvenation treatments.

While results may vary, most patients’ results will last for up to 18 months when a top-up is needed. Over the days and weeks following treatment, growth factors released by the platelets stimulate the growth of new blood vessels and more collagen. This new growth thickens the epidermis and provides an improvement to the skin’s texture and tone.

What happens as our skin ages?

During the natural ageing process, many changes occur to our skin. There is a loss of collagen and elastin causing your skin to become less elastic, where winkles and sagging occurs. The epidermis loses lipids (fatty substances) that keep skin moisturised, further contributing to the wrinkle problem.

Skin becomes thinner as we age, almost transparent in some cases and loses a lot of the underlying fat layer that keeps young skin smooth and supple. Older skin also experiences a decrease in size or loss of oil and sweat glands over time, which contributes to dry skin. Exposure to ultra-violet light and certain medications and pollutants can weaken the skin and the blood vessels in the skin.

Skin's complexion and texture can change over time, too. Probably the most dreaded sign of ageing skin is the appearance of age spots, also called liver spots, which are flat areas of dark pigmentation that often appear on the face, chest, hands, arms and shoulders.

How does PRP work?

PRP therapy works on the foundation that your body’s natural healing abilities can reduce and to an extent reverse the ageing process, by inserting growth factors where the skin needs to repair and rejuvenate.

What can PRP treat?

PRP therapy can be treated all over the body, although is most frequently used on the face. It can also be used to treat hair loss and when injected into the scalp it improves hair growth and thickness. PRP treatment can also be used in addition to other treatments for improving the presence of scars and stretch marks.

What is the procedure?

Similar to a sample being drawn from your arm for a blood test, blood is drawn into a tube containing an anticoagulant and a separating gel. This tube is then spun in a centrifuge and the result is shown to the right.
The clear yellow plasma at the top of the tube contains your platelets. Red blood cells are trapped effectively below the unique and latest technology separating gel used in Cellenis PRP system.
Only the clear yellow platelet rich plasma will be injected into your skin. Initially injection pin pricks may be seen, and there may be some moderate swelling from the injected fluid which soon subsides.

Are there any potential risks?

Clients who have a poor skin base line to start with, may experience exfoliation of the top layer of the skin after a few days as new fresh skin takes its place. Occasionally, dependent on skin type, small bumps may develop and then disappear in the fine skin area below the eyes. This is usually a collection of new cells (keratinocytes) at the injection needle site.
Once the procedure is finished, some bruising, swelling and redness can be expected around the injected areas. You may also experience slight sensitivity and discomfort at the injected areas, although side effects should go within a few days after the procedure.