When the time comes to turn back the clock and recapture that more youthful version of yourself, you owe it to the person you would truly like to be to take advantage of the finest state-of-the-art advancements in skin rejuvenation that modern technology has to offer. Perfect Skin Center in Scottsdale, AZ is where you can get such care, including the amazing Skin Rejuvenating PRP: a designer cosmetic treatment that combines two of the body’s naturally occurring substances to produce what many view as a biological fountain of youth. PRP injections offer a way to turn back the clock on our skin health.
What Is a Skin Rejuvenating PRP?
A Two-Pronged Approach to Better Skin
Also known as Selphyl, Platelet-Rich Fibrin Matrix, and Platelet-Rich Plasma Injection, a Skin Rejuvenating PRP is a nonsurgical treatment that combines injections of hyaluronic acid-based fillers, such as Juv?derm or Restylane, with platelet-rich plasma, or PRP, taken from a person’s own blood. Many doctors believe the treatment yields better results than either PRP or hyaluronic fillers used separately.
On top of these injections, this treatment also includes microneedling: the perfect way to open up your skin so it can make the most of the injections. Microneedling stimulates your body to produce stronger, younger skin.
What Is a PRP Injections?
PRP is a concentration of platelet-rich plasma protein derived from whole blood. It contains eight growth factors, each of which plays a role in cell turnover, the growth of new blood vessels, collagen synthesis, and tissue repair. Studies show that the growth factors in PRP injections also inhibit melanocytes, which are the cells that produce melanin, the pigment that causes brown spots.
What Is Hyaluronic Acid?
Hyaluronic acid is a clear, gel-like substance naturally produced by the body. It is most prevalent in the skin, connective tissues, and the eyes. Its primary function is to retain water to keep tissues well lubricated and moist. Because hyaluronic acid-based fillers immediately smooth lines and wrinkles, soften creases, enhance facial contours, and restore volume lost over time, its introduction produces instant results. Additional improvements take place over the next two to three months as a result of the growth factors in PRP.
What Is Microneedling?
Microneedling is the process of using a small, hand-held device to make microscopic punctures in the skin. These don’t hurt you or cause any trauma, but they are perceived as an injury by your skin. The skin responds by ramping up the production of collagen, the foundation of strong, healthy skin, which brings amazing results all by itself. Microneedling also opens up channels that allow all other skin treatments, like fillers and PRP injections, to work even better than they otherwise would.
How Does the Treatment Work?
Three Agents Working Together
The hyaluronic acid lifts collapsed areas, which helps restore a more youthful and natural structure to the face. But it is the inclusion of PRP injections that triggers the greatest additional changes. PRP delivers your body’s own biologic growth factors for activating stem cells, while microneedling stimulates the formation of blood vessels, collagen, and elastin. These three comprise the whole matrix that holds cells together and thickens the skin.
As a result of combining these three treatments, fine lines, texture, moisture, and overall skin quality and integrity are improved dramatically, and to far greater effect than any single treatment alone could accomplish.
What Happens During Treatment?
Skin Rejuvenating PRP injections start with a microneedling session. Then follow a series of injections that take less than an hour altogether. To reduce any discomfort, doctors first numb the skin with a topical anesthetic for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, someone will draw your blood, which is then put in a centrifuge and spun to isolate the plasma, which is the part of the blood that contains the platelets.
While the blood is being separated, you will have a Dermapen microneedling treatment. This is a fast, comfortable process when done with a superior device by a qualified professional. The needles are adjusted to penetrate at the right depth for your skin needs and the area being worked on. After the microneedling session, the plasma and fillers will be injected.
Because the plasma will have a higher-than-normal number of platelets, it is called platelet-rich plasma, or PRP. When injected into the skin, PRP attracts stem cells to the area and stimulates them to grow into new subcutaneous tissue. This fills out the face and decreases wrinkles and sagging, similar to re-inflating a balloon.
How Soon Does the Treatment Achieve Its Final Results?
Fillers create immediate volume, so you will see a difference right away. Undistorted results will become apparent as evidence of treatment subsides and the effects of the PRP injections and fillers start to kick in. You will look better within two weeks, and your skin will continue to improve for up to three months as collagen and elastin production picks up and blood flow increases.
Over time, you should see 10-15% more volume in your face with benefits lasting up to 24 months. If you regularly get fillers, you may notice that you need less and less as your body produces more of your own natural collagen.
Additional Benefits of Treatment
Another benefit of PRP is that it is very versatile. It can be used anywhere filler is used, and one tube of PRP can sometimes be used in multiple areas. It has been used for Skin Rejuvenating PRPs in patients covering a range of ages, all of whom report seeing a positive change in their skin tone and texture. Other benefits include the following:
- It is fast, usually taking less than an hour
- It is painless
- It requires little downtime
- It is safe for all skin tones and types
- The effects of PRP build with each treatment
Yet another benefit is that there is little chance of an allergic reaction since hyaluronic acid is found naturally in the body and the PRP is derived from one’s own blood. This is a wholly natural way to treat the skin, which is another reason it appeals to so many patients. One last plus is that hyaluronic acid-based fillers can be dissolved early with hyaluronidase if a patient does not like their results.
How Often Should You Get a PRP Injection?
To achieve the best outcome, treatment might be delivered via monthly injections for three consecutive months. After such care, results typically last a minimum of nine to 18 months. However, the benefits can last as long as two years depending on aging, sun exposure, and genetics. This is because everyone’s body metabolizes fillers differently.
Getting the Best Results
Who Should Deliver Treatment?
To avoid any potential risks, it is important to find a doctor who can deliver the treatment safely. It is especially important to find an experienced injector who is very knowledgeable about facial anatomy, such as a board-certified dermatologist, plastic surgeon, or facial plastic surgeon like those at Perfect Skin Center.
Who Makes the Best Candidates for This Treatment?
Though the body responds better to PRP when younger, most of the concerns people wish to address with a Skin Rejuvenating PRP show up with age. It is therefore fortunate that the treatment is appropriate for anyone interested in facial rejuvenation, including people in their 50s and above.
Though safe for most people, it is not recommended for anyone with hepatitis C, HIV or AIDS, any type of blood cancer, a cardiovascular disease that requires taking a blood thinner, or skin cancer in the area to be treated. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, these conditions affect a person’s platelets, making it impossible to guarantee the expected results.
Prior to Receiving Treatment
Signs of having received a treatment can be minimized by avoiding green tea, herbal supplements, and blood thinners like aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for at least a week prior to the injections. One should also abstain from alcohol, which increases blood flow, for 24 hours before and after treatment. And finally, taking arnica tablets for a few days before and after one’s appointment can reduce signs of treatment as well.
What to Expect Afterward
Since, as with any injection, there can be temporary evidence of treatment, you should schedule your appointment at least two weeks before any special event where you want to look your best. It also helps to apply ice or a cold compress intermittently after injections. Still, the treatment is a wonderful remedy for the signs of aging. It is painless and there is almost no downtime afterward, so you should be able to go right back to work the next day.
It is a good idea to avoid direct sunlight for the first few days and be extra diligent about sunscreen. Some doctors also recommend not wearing makeup or washing one’s face for at least 12 hours after treatment. Another common recommendation is to refrain from strenuous activity for the first day to avoid bringing blood to the skin that might cause bruising. Avoiding vigorous activities will also minimize migration or displacement of the filling.
What Does the Research Say?
An analysis published in 2018 in the Journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons reviewed 16 studies on the use of PRP for facial rejuvenation and found that researchers reported PRP helped rejuvenate aging facial skin by reducing wrinkles and improving volume, texture, and tone. It also found that PRP appears to be safe, with a low complication rate.
PRP or Surgical Interventions?
If you’re looking for a modest change using your own tissue with little downtime, PRP combined with microneedling and a filler is a perfect fit. However, its ability to turn back the hands of time is more limited than a surgical facelift. It cannot sculpt or lift the lower face, neck, or jawline in the same way that a well-performed surgical facelift or neck lift can. Results simply are not as pronounced, especially if there is sagging skin, and they do not last as long as a surgical facelift, which can rejuvenate the face for up to 10 years.
If you want something more dramatic that lasts significantly longer, a more radical procedure might be necessary. Still, for a wonderful treatment that will return youthfulness free of pain and with virtually no downtime, it is difficult to think of anything better than a Skin Rejuvenating PRP.
No Need to Wait Any Longer
Having cosmetic rejuvenation no longer means that you need to look like you had drastic surgery. Join those who now enjoy seeing their skin looking refreshed with fewer fine lines and wrinkles thanks to the latest available treatments for restoring a youthful appearance.
You, too, can get amazing nonsurgical rejuvenating results! Just contact the caring professionals at Perfect Skin Center in Scottsdale, AZ today and talk to us about our unique approach to restoring your natural beauty. With a combination of PRP, fillers, and microneedling, you can turn back the clock and get the smooth, youthful skin you desire.
