Facial Rejuvenation with PRP
As we age, our faces begin to show the effects of gravity, sun exposure and years of facial muscle movement, such as smiling, chewing and squinting. The underlying tissues that keep our skin looking youthful and plumped up began to break down, often leaving laugh lines, smile lines, crow’s feet or facial creases over the areas where this muscle movement occurs.
The facial rejuvenation using platelets is a new technique to help rejuvenate skin and regenerate the facial tissue, resulting in a smoother, more youthful-looking appearance.
WHAT IS PRP?
PRP or Platelet-rich Plasma is a rejuvenation treatment that works by taking a small amount of the patient’s own blood, usually between (8 – 10 ml), which is then placed into a centrifuge and spun for 10 minutes. The blood is then separated into its different components and the platelets concentrated. This platelet concentrate contains up to 9 times more platelets than your regular blood.
HOW DOES PRP WORK?
Platelets circulate in the blood and are an important component for the natural blood clotting, tissue regeneration and facial rejuvenation. Platelets contain growth factors, which are released when platelets are being activated. These growth factors play an important regulating role in renewing facial tissue and rejuvenating the skin. The blood platelets activate the natural stem cells that exist in the facial tissues and stimulate skin cells to produce collagen and elastin, therefore rejuvenating the skin.
THE PROCEDURE
As you arrive for your procedure, a topical anaesthetic cream will be applied to the facial area to numb and ease any pain during the treatment. The nurse will then proceed to take your blood, usually on the arms, and will finally place the blood collecting tube in a centrifuge machine to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the other components of the blood.
Once the platelet concentrate is ready, the surgeon will inject the product directly into the facial area, to regenerate the facial skin. The treatment will take approximately 45 minutes, and during that time, the surgeon will make small injections all over the face, concentrating on the most problematic areas.
If you are considering the facial rejuvenation treatment with platelets, this information will give you a basic understanding of the procedure. It may not answer all of your questions since it depends on your individual circumstances. Please ask your doctor if there is anything about the procedure you don’t understand.
A facial rejuvenation using platelets is primarily used to improve the appearance of the skin’s texture. It will help to fill out deep facial wrinkles, creases and furrows, and will improve the appearance of “sunken” cheeks, skin depressions and some type of scars. For patients wanting more rejuvenation on their face, this treatment works extremely well alongside lipofixing, which is: fat injection to the face.
Patients may experience discomfort during the treatment, therefore it is recommended to arrive one hour beforehand and apply a topical anaesthetic cream to ease any pain.
Following the treatment, the area may feel quite sore and tender. Ice packs may be applied to relieve any redness or swelling. Also, some patients experience minimal bruising. You will leave the clinic with slight redness on the face that will subside in 24 hours.
