If you’re searching for a way to look younger, but you don’t like the idea of using products like Botox®️ or dermal fillers, you may want to learn about the anti-aging benefits of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy. This innovative treatment helps erase fine lines and sun damage and helps your skin regain a more youthful, dewy glow.
Healing platelets
Your blood is made up of many different components, but the biggest one is a liquid called plasma. Blood also contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets, among other components.
Platelets are important because they contain hundreds of different proteins that aid in the healing process. For example, when you cut your finger, it’s the platelets in your blood that stop the bleeding and the proteins, called growth factors, that begin healing the cut.
PRP therapy takes advantage of the power of platelets to stimulate your skin to heal itself. The result is smoother, younger-looking skin.
It begins with a blood draw
When you have PRP therapy at Lasting Impression Medical Aesthetics, a member of our team first draws a small amount of your blood. Your blood is then processed to separate the various components.
The concentration platelets are increased during the processing and combined with the plasma. The result is a powerful, concentrated, natural liquid.
Injecting the PRP
Dr Roel Galope may suggest that you have a procedure called microneedling at the same time that you have PRP therapy. It involves a special tool that creates hundreds of tiny micro-wounds on the area being treated. These very small injuries to your skin prompt your body to begin healing, and then Dr Galope injects the PRP to supercharge that healing process.
Depending on your situation and goals, Dr Galope may suggest laser therapy rather than microneedling along with PRP. The laser safely heats up the layers beneath your skin to stimulate a healing response.
You may also simply have the PRP injected into the area you’d like to have treated.
Safety of PRP
One of the best aspects of PRP therapy is that, because the injections are made from your own body, there’s almost no chance that you’ll have an adverse reaction. Our staff is highly trained, and your blood remains sterile throughout the process, so no foreign substances are introduced.
PRP works by stimulating the healing mechanisms that naturally exist in your body. Your skin is stimulated to produce additional collagen and elastin — resulting in firmer, smoother-looking skin — along with new cells that give the surface of your skin a fresh, more youthful appearance.
History of PRP
Although PRP therapy is widely used for aesthetic procedures today, it is also frequently used in medical applications. For example, PRP is sometimes used during surgeries to help repair ruptured tendons. In fact, it was originally developed as a method of treating certain chronic sports injuries.
If you’d like to learn more about PRP and find out if this innovative treatment may be an appropriate way for you to turn back the hands of time, request an appointment using our convenient online scheduling tool, or give us a call. We’ll be happy to discuss your options.