Whether labeled the Vampire Facelift® or Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy (PRP), more buzz has found its way to the East Coast about this treatment and its anti-aging benefits.
As with most cosmetic procedures, the West Coast utilized anti-aging Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy for years, with many celebrities vocalizing their experience including Bar Refaeli and Kim Kardashian. Most of us would not mind slowing the progression of aging on our appearance; however, there is more hesitancy, particularly here in the Southeast, to undergo cosmetic procedures.
In my experience, as an aesthetic nurse practitioner, patients hesitate because they fear looking unnatural. That is why Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy, or PRP for short, offers a great compromise. It has amazing anti-aging benefits, but since PRP is derived from a person’s own blood, there’s no risk of allergic reaction and the results can only enhance what you already have.
PRP represents a component of the blood that is rich in platelets. When injected, the growth factors and attraction of stem cells can rejuvenate and regenerate tissue. Stem cells can only replicate what’s already there. For instance, if you’ve never had large cheeks, PRP injected in the cheek would not give you large cheeks. It’s not in your cellular makeup. For persons looking for the most natural thing, this is as natural as it gets.
Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy initially burst onto the medical scene as a treatment for athletes seeking to expedite their wound healing and repair tissue in the knees or shoulders, but we soon found that PRP can do so much more. The anti-aging application covers a broad spectrum of uses from camouflaging bulging veins in the forehead or perhaps the aging hand, to restoring hair growth.
Here’s how it works: Blood is taken from the arm similar to a blood draw in your doctor’s office. The blood then goes through a machine to separate the components. After the PRP is extracted, it is injected in the patient where decreased tissue volume has resulted in less attractive lines or hollows of the face.
In the case of hair restoration, the scalp is injected with PRP where hair growth is desired. Then there’s the aging hand that benefits from plumping the tissue hiding prominent vasculature and improving skin texture.
As with any cosmetic procedure, the results can vary. How the PRP is collected as well as the pre-procedure process may be the biggest variables in clinical results. Here’s where Infinity MedSpa + Wellness operates at a higher level than the competition. We use only the latest in PRP Therapy technology and will not sacrifice the best clinical result by using a cheaper, inferior machine and collection kit. I also personally screen each of my PRP Therapy patients to go over not only expectations, but also pre-procedure instructions that will allow my clients to yield the best results.
What are the results with PRP Therapy? As I’ve mentioned, Platelet Rich Plasma is a rejuvenating treatment for the cells and tissue which creates volume where it previously had been lost. However, if volume loss isn’t your issue or it isn’t your only issue, PRP also multiplies growth factors and the body’s response to heal itself which in the end creates a more even skin tone, a brighter appearance and overall improvement of the skin.
As there is a broad range of use for PRP therapeutic and cosmetically, there is a broad range of individuals that are candidates as well. Almost anyone can benefit significantly from Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy. Certain medications or medical conditions can be contraindications for the procedure or limit clinical results and would be discussed at a consultation; however, most of these medications can be stopped days before the procedure and resumed immediately after.
In the last couple of decades, the options for anti-aging treatments have multiplied and improved for less downtime and enhanced clinical results. PRP is an exciting, versatile treatment to add to the options. Now is the time if you’re curious or ever thought of undergoing a cosmetic procedure. After all, you’re not getting any younger… but at Infinity, you can look like you are.
