At this time of year, most of us begin to notice that our skin doesn’t have that healthy glow that it used to. In my last blog, I wrote about how making healthy lifestyle choices can help improve the appearance of your skin, but sometimes medical help is needed to achieve the results you are looking for.
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is different to other anti-ageing treatments because it uses the body’s own ability to heal to deliver a long-lasting rejuvenating effect. Platelets in your blood enable the skin to repair itself when it is broken, and it is this same process which produces an anti-ageing effect after platelet rich plasma injections.
If your skin is losing its glow and its firmness, platelet rich plasma could be a treatment option for you. Here is everything you need to know about this treatment.
What is Platelet Rich Plasma?
Your blood is composed of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets, all held together in a liquid called plasma. Platelets are responsible for repairing damaged tissue, and can be used to reduce the signs of ageing by encouraging the cell renewal process.
Platelet Rich Plasma treatments involve taking a small amount of blood from your arm in exactly the same way as if you were having a blood test, then using a centrifuge to separate the components of the blood. This process leaves behind the gel-like plasma containing a high concentration of platelets, which is then injected into the area to be treated.
By encouraging the body’s own repair process, Platelet Rich Plasma can have a significant rejuvenating effect, restoring a healthy, youthful glow and reducing the appearance of ageing.
How Does it Work?
Collagen is responsible for the skin’s elasticity, flexibility and healthy glow. Collagen production slows down as part of the natural ageing process, resulting in wrinkles, loss of volume in the features and loss of luminosity in the skin.
Platelet rich plasma contains growth factors which stimulate new cell growth and tissue repair. These growth factors stimulate inactive cells to promote growth of new tissue and production of new collagen, rejuvenating the skin and giving it a more youthful appearance. As skin cells begin to repair themselves in the weeks following treatment, a youthful glow is gradually restored, skin will feel firmer and lines and wrinkles will appear reduced.
As PRP encourages the body’s own collagen production, the results will improve over time, and after a course of treatment, the rejuvenating effect can last up to two years.
How Can it Be Used?
Many areas of the face and body are suitable for treatment with PRP to achieve an anti-ageing effect, including the delicate areas around the eyes. To restore firmness, platelet rich plasma is injected into areas where volume loss is greatest to achieve the best results.
Platelet Rich Plasma treatments are often used in combination with the Dermapen to allow the PRP to penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, further stimulating collagen production and promoting cell repair.
Although it can have a remarkable rejuvenating effect, platelet rich plasma is more than just an anti-ageing treatment. It works by encouraging tissue to repair itself, meaning it can also be used to treat scars, and many athletes use it to aid a speedy recovery from sports injuries.
When the appearance of your skin begins to affect your confidence, it is time to seek medical help. Whether you are looking to restore a healthy, youthful complexion, restore volume or reduce the appearance of wrinkles, book a consultation today to find out whether treatment with platelet rich plasma is right for you.
