Platelet-rich plasma

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatments – the body’s inner strength

Needle mesotherapy with the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the aesthetic medicine treatments that arouse the greatest interest. It is commonly called a “vampire facelift“, which can be misleading – it has little to do with a facelift. It helps regenerate the skin, reduce the visibility of scars, delay the aging process, but it certainly does not provide effects similar to traditional facelift treatments.

So what is platelet-rich plasma needle mesotherapy? An appropriate amount of blood is collected from the patient into sterile test tubes. These test tubes contain special ingredients that separate individual blood fractions. Then the obtained material is centrifuged and intradermally administered pointwise to the face, neck, décolleté, and even the scalp, scars and stretch marks.

What is worth knowing about platelet-rich plasma treatments performed in our clinic in Poznań?

  • It is worth remembering that this is not a procedure that is performed only once. In order to achieve a satisfactory effect, 4-6 treatments should be performed over the course of about half a year (the exact number is determined individually).
  • The idea and technique of this type of procedure were taken from the field of surgery, where growth factors obtained from platelets help to locally accelerate the healing and regeneration processes. These techniques have been used in medicine for several decades.
  • To tell the truth, obtaining platelet-rich plasma is quite simple.
  • The use of platelet-rich plasma works well in severe laser procedures, for healing burns and difficult-to-heal wounds, stretch marks and scars. However, then – for greater effectiveness – we usually associate this technique with other methods of work, e.g. fat grafting, laser therapy procedures and injections of pericytes obtained from the patient’s adipose tissue.
  • Although the blood collection itself may seem quite stressful for patients, the number of supporters of this procedure is growing with each passing year. Yes, it will not bring lifting effects, but the proper use of this technique – without cheating patients and promising spectacular changes – gives very good results.

Advantages of using platelet-rich plasma in aesthetic medicine

  • Naturalness – a cocktail of ingredients that are well known to our body is administered to the skin. Thanks to this, even allergy sufferers can safely take care of their appearance.
  • Effectiveness – blood plasma, and especially platelets, contain, among others, growth factors, i.e. chemicals necessary to stimulate the repair and regeneration processes of tissues after they have been damaged. This happens, for example, in the case of a cut, burn or other injury. In aesthetic medicine, such regenerative abilities are used in anti-aging prophylaxis, reduction of scars and stretch marks, for the treatment of difficult-to-heal wounds, and even in alleviating the symptoms of post-chemotherapy baldness or alopecia areata.
  • A large amount of the preparation – in the case of traditional needle mesotherapy using ready-made cocktails, we have a specific amount of the preparation to administer – about 3-5 ml. After taking plasma from the patient and then processing it appropriately (without using kits), you can safely obtain up to 20 ml of platelet-rich plasma.

Each additional ampoule of ready-made preparations is an additional cost. In the case of platelet-rich plasma, the main preparation is our own blood. As a result, during the procedure, the doctor can administer the appropriate amount of the preparation for our needs, without increasing the price of the procedure.

Platelet-rich plasma – indications for procedures using it

Platelet-rich plasma – contraindications for procedures

  • pregnancy and breastfeeding
  • age under 18
  • tendency to develop keloids, difficulties in wound healing
  • blood clotting disorders (e.g. haemophilia)
  • diabetes (unregulated)
  • viral diseases (especially active herpes)
  • bacterial, fungal, parasitic infections (e.g. demodex)
  • cancer during treatment
  • some autoimmune diseases
  • menstruation (this is not an absolute contraindication)

Before the procedure

Due to the fact that platelet-rich plasma is obtained is from the patient’s blood, before starting a series of procedures, we require basic blood tests. This is necessary to exclude any contraindications, as well as to safely perform the procedure.

In each case, the doctor individually selects a set of tests that a given person should perform (depending on the type of procedure selected). The list often includes:

  • morphology;
  • full coagulation;
  • fasting sugar;
  • Hbs + antibodies;
  • HCV;
  • HIV;
  • ANA 1 and 2 test.