KMP Aesthetics, our Seattle skin care clinic, offers Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) treatments for advanced skin rejuvenation and hair restoration. Using your body’s natural growth factors, these non-surgical procedures stimulate collagen production, improve skin texture, and encourage hair growth, delivering natural, long-lasting results.
What Are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) & Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF)?
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) therapy are two regenerative medicine treatments that can address a range of aesthetic conditions. Both treatments use the patient’s own blood products, which contain growth factors and act as biostimulators. PRP and PRF help stimulate collagen and elastin, aide in tissue repair and healing, and promote hair growth. PRP and PRF can be injected into the skin, like dermal fillers, and can also be used in conjunction with microneedling and applied like a serum during or after the treatment. They can be injected into the scalp to promote hair growth.
What is the difference between Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Platelet Rich Fibrin?
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a first-generation platelet concentrate aimed to improve tissue repair. It is a gel consisting of a high concentration of autologous platelets suspended in a small amount of plasma after centrifugation of the blood of the patient. Platelet-rich plasma is spun at a higher speed, which effectively causes all the heavier cells in the blood, such as white blood cells and stem cells, to collect in the bottom part of the test tube, allowing the lighter platelets and plasma to collect in the top part of the test tube. The test tubes used in PRP have an agent that keeps the blood product from clotting too quickly.
Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF) is a modern, second-generation platelet concentrate. It is considered more natural as the test tubes do not contain any anticoagulants. PRF is spun at a lower speed so that the layers of the blood do not separate out distinctly. This allows some of the white blood cells and stem cells to remain within the platelet layer that is collected for treatment. Due to the fact that PRF does not contain anticoagulants in the test tube, the natural fibrinogen within our blood is converted to fibrin by thrombin in the early stages of clot formation. This creates a spongy fibrin matrix that activates the platelets and allows for a slow release of growth factors, which starts the tissue healing process.
Your provider will help you determine which option is best for you based on your history and the areas being treated. For example, if your blood clots quickly, you may not be a great candidate for PRF as PRF does not have any anticoagulants. Alternatively, if you have a lot of hypersensitivities and/or allergies to the anticoagulants used in PRP, then PRP may not be the best option for you.
What Is Involved in the PRP and PRF Procedure?
The blood draw processes for PRP/PRF are similar. Your provider will assess your veins to determine the best site to retrieve a small amount of blood into a test tube. The test tube will then be put in a machine called a centrifuge and spun to separate the nutrients in your blood. The key difference is PRP and PRF are spun in different centrifuges at different speeds to yield different concentrations of platelets. The PRF test tube does not contain anticoagulants, which makes it more prone to clotting, so it must be utilized quickly.
PRP/PRF treatments are generally quick and minimally invasive. Depending on the area treated, there is minimal downtime, if any at all. Most commonly reported symptoms are injection site pain and discomfort.
PRP and PRF Treatment Areas
Face: PRP/PRF can be microneedled into the skin and applied like a serum after microneedling procedures. This is effective in rejuvenating the skin. It can help the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, improve tone, texture, and tightening. PRF/PRP can also aid in healing after a procedure like microneedling.
Under Eyes: PRP/PRF can be used for under eye restoration. It is carefully placed in the tear trough region via needle or cannula to help improve skin elasticity, aid in thickening the skin, and improve the appearance of dark circles. A series of treatments are generally required, in addition to maintenance treatments for optimal results.
Hair Restoration: PRP/PRF can be injected into the scalp to stimulate dormant follicles to grow hair. We recommend four treatments performed 4 weeks apart as well as maintenance treatments. Maintenance treatments are patient specific and dependent on the severity of hair loss. PRP/PRF can be done alone or in conjunction with other treatments such as Minoxidil oral or topical and KeraFactor.
Contact Us
If you have questions about hair regrowth with PRP, or would like to schedule a consultation, please contact our office today.