Treatment of skin aging and hair loss with your own blood
Skin aging and hair loss are important issues in aesthetic medicine that have led to the development of various treatments. Natural treatments that utilise the body’s own regenerative potential, such as PRP (platelet-rich plasma) and PRF (platelet-rich fibrin), harness the healing properties of growth factors from your own blood. Both procedures are effective for skin rejuvenation and hair renewal, but have significant differences.
Why do I use PRP and PRF?
PRP and PRF treatments are best known for their use in vampire lifting, where they are combined with medical needling to improve skin quality. By injecting PRP or PRF under the skin, they can be used to treat problems in various areas such as nasolabial folds, smoker’s lines, smile lines, lips and the eye area. In addition, they are used on the scalp to promote hair growth and can be used to improve skin quality in areas such as the hands, décolleté and neck rejuvenation.
What is PRP?
PRP treatment uses your blood plasma to stimulate hair growth. In this procedure, you will have blood drawn into a tube that contains an anticoagulant to prevent platelets from sticking together. The tube is then placed in a centrifuge to separate the red blood cells from the plasma, platelets and white blood cells. The resulting PRP is then injected into the scalp. The injection is done either by hand or mechanically with a device to increase efficiency and reduce pain. The growth factors contained in plasma effectively activate hair follicles, which ultimately promotes hair growth and improves hair quality.
What is PRF?
Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF), which is similar to PRP, uses a slightly different manufacturing process. Unlike PRP, no anticoagulant is used, creating a gel-like substance that combines plasma, platelets and fibrin and is then used as a substance that is more like a filler but can also be injected into the superficial layer of the scalp. The fibrin component plays a crucial role in forming a supportive scaffold that promotes the growth of new cells, including hair follicles. This allows for a gradual release of growth factors from the platelets. While PRP releases the growth factors within a few hours, this release takes up to a week with PRF. It is believed that this prolonged and gradual release may produce better results depending on the administration technique. The spongy fibrin matrix of PRF makes injection with a fine needle more difficult compared to PRP and requires larger needle sizes.
Skin rejuvenation
The crucial difference lies in the application methods of the treatments. PRP is typically administered as part of facials or microneedling sessions, while PRF is more commonly used as an alternative to fillers. The presence of fibrin and the gradual release of growth factors in PRF contribute to volumizing the skin, making it an attractive natural replacement for fillers such as hyaluronic acid.
Hair renewal
Several clinical studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of PRP in stimulating hair growth in individuals with androgenetic alopecia (AGA), commonly known as male or female pattern baldness. These studies generally report an increase in hair density and thickness and a decrease in hair loss following PRP treatments. PRF has also been studied for its potential in treating hair loss, although there is comparatively little evidence of its effectiveness. A small study suggested that PRF injections may promote hair growth in AGA patients, but the results did not reach statistical significance. Further research is needed to confirm these initial results and determine the true effectiveness of PRF in treating hair loss.
Which treatment is right for you?
Choosing the appropriate treatment depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you are looking for a scientifically proven method with a high platelet concentration that delivers an effective boost of growth factors directly to the hair roots and promotes hair growth, PRP could be the appropriate option. On the other hand, if you want a newer treatment method that promotes the growth of new cells over a longer period of time and you can tolerate treatment with larger needles, PRF may be more suitable.
Planning
Before considering any treatment for your skin or hair loss, it is essential to seek advice from a qualified specialist, such as a plastic surgeon or a dermatologist. These specialists can help you find the optimal treatment for your specific situation and assist you in improving the results of your chosen therapy.
Result
The results of PRP treatment typically become apparent within 3 months, with more noticeable improvements occurring after 4-8 sessions. To achieve the best results, it is recommended to undergo PRF treatment at least twice, although multiple sessions over the course of a year will produce better results.
Contact me to learn more about how the regenerative power of PRP and PRF can help you improve your hair!