Making fine lines and wrinkles less obvious
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP)
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) treatment is an autologous procedure meaning ‘from your own body’. A small amount of blood, in most cases 2 teaspoons, is drawn from one of your veins before being processed using a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma in the blood. This is then injected into the area requiring treatment. At Sterling clinics, we specialise in face and hair loss treatments.
Manufactured by your own body, PRP is one of the best anti-aging and restorative procedures created from your blood.
Blood is made up of 4 different general components which can be separated into liquids and solids:
- Red blood cells – Erythrocytes
- White blood cells – Leukocytes
- Platelets – Thrombocytes
- Plasma – the liquid that carries them
Each of these components plays a crucial role in how the body functions. For instance, red blood cells help carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues and organs. However, in PRP, we focus on the plasma which contains an increased concentration of platelets. The platelets work to clot the blood, but they also contain special growth factors to help trigger tissue regeneration.
A PRP face treatment can be beneficial for people who have wrinkles, sun damage, or scars. By placing PRP back into the skin, cell proliferation is encouraged, leading to an increase in elastin and collagen production. As a result, the skin will look tighter, fuller, and smoother.
The key benefits of the facial treatment are:
Plumping up sagging skin
Promoting collagen production (making the skin look firmer and more youthful)
Improving the skin tone and complexion (like sun damage, dullness and melasma)
Lightening up the appearance of acne scars and stretch marks
Rejuvenate the layer of collagen and elastin for radiant skin
PRP is also used for treating hair loss.
Injected into the scalp, PRP increases blood flow to the hair follicles, can stimulate new hair growth and lengthens the anagen (active) growth phase of existing hair, to slow hair loss. It can stimulate the dormant hair follicles to grow and create and increased thickness in the hair shaft.
Number Of Sessions Required
A course of three Platelet Rich Plasma injections, in weekly or fortnightly intervals, has been found to provide significant benefits for an average of 12 months. The typical length of each of these three appointments is 90 minutes for the first appointment, which includes a consultation on the results that you would like to achieve, and then 60 to 75 minutes for the second and third appointments.
Each appointment also includes a 30 minute LED light therapy treatment after the PRP injection has been performed. Please see our Face LED Light Therapy page for more information.
*Please note that results will vary from person to person.
FAQs
How long do the benefits last?
A course of three injections, in weekly or fortnightly intervals, has been found to provide significant benefits for an average of 12 months.
What happens during a PRP treatment?
During the actual PRP treatment, the following happens:
- Blood is drawn from a vein in your arm.
- Numbing cream is applied to the treatment area.
- The blood is then processed in a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma.
- The PRP liquid is then injected into the treatment area.
This is then followed by a 30 minute treatment using our Celluma LED light therapy in order to enhance the regenerative processes.
Is it painful?
Numbing cream is applied to the treatment area in order to minimize any pain you may feel during the injections.
What are the side effects of PRP treatment?
The most common side effects are bruising and inflammation, including swelling and redness, which typically appear immediately after the procedure and clear within a few days.
Sun exposure and harash skin treatments should be avoided within the first few days.