You may have heard of PRP; now meet the longer-lasting next evolution
If you’ve been thinking about injectable fillers as a solution to dark under-eye circles, fine lines, or loss of volume, but you’re not sure if it’s right for you, there may be another option to consider. Many people want something a little more natural, or to find a solution that helps skin to improve itself, which is how PRP (platelet-rich plasma) became popular. The practice of turning a person’s own blood platelets into a serum or filler to improve skin-healing has been an exciting alternative to synthetic fillers. And now scientific advancements have taken this treatment to the next level, with platelet-rich fibrin, or PRF gel.
What is the difference between PRP and PRF?
For decades, both PRP and PRF have been used in surgical settings to speed up the healing process and bone-density recovery. Both involve placing a patient’s blood into a centrifuge to separate out desired ingredients and inject them into the treatment site.
Blood is made of four main ingredients: plasma (the liquid, which is mostly water), red blood cells (which carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body), white blood cells (a.k.a. leukocytes, an essential part of the immune system), and platelets, which are fragments of cells that gather together at an injury site to form a clot that helps stop bleeding. This is called a fibrin clot.
To make PRP, the blood is mixed with an anticoagulant to prevent clots from forming as it goes through a centrifuge. The result is that white and red blood cells are separated out and sink to the bottom, while the lighter platelets and plasma rise to the top.
PRF is also formed by placing blood in a centrifuge, but this one spins much slower and has no anticoagulant. The heavier red blood cells still sink to the bottom, but white blood cells remain mixed in with the platelets, along with fibrin clots that have formed— this is the PRF. The lightest platelet-poor plasma (PPP) rises to the top of this substance. The fibrin and white blood cells in PRF are key ingredients in creating a treatment that lasts longer and boosts healing processes in the skin.
What is PRF gel?
When heated, that PPP forms a gel that can be mixed back in with the PRF for longer-lasting results as a filler. The fibrin clots and the PPP gel form a kind of scaffolding at the injection site that help hold in the platelets, creating a time-release system of growth factors that can last for 30 or more days, as opposed to the typical two days of PRF without gel, or a few hours with a PRP injection. And over the course of those days, the platelets and white blood cells promote wound healing in the skin, gradually boosting the production of collagen and elastin. In this way, you have a short-term filling effect and a long-term promotion of plumper, smoother skin. And all of this is done without any chemicals or ingredients other than the blood that comes out of your very own body. That means it’s very well-tolerated.
What does PRF gel treat?
PRF gel can be used as an under-eye filler, especially for those who aren’t good candidates for other types of filler in that area. It’s also shown great results with acne scars, as a lip filler, and even in the scalp to prevent hair loss. Over the course of three to six months, patients can gradually see a reduction of fine lines and other signs of aging.
What happens during a PRF procedure?
First, we’ll draw your blood and place it in a centrifuge. From the treated tube of blood, we’ll take the resulting PRP and PPP gel, and heat and cool them in our device. Meanwhile, we’ll clean and prep the treatment area of your skin. Finally, we’ll inject the PRF gel. Most people experience very little discomfort with this injection, but you may experience some slight bruising for a couple of days. You’ll see immediate filler results, but the rejuvenating treatment will really take weeks. To see best results, we usually recommend that patients get two to three treatments for initial correction, followed by annual maintenance sessions.
Do you think PRF gel is right for you? There’s no need to guess at this. Come on in for a free consultation!
