Platelet-Rich Plasma therapy has seen incredible growth in recent years – both in it’s function and in it’s development in the industry. Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a sample of blood in which the concentration of platelets is approximately 6 times stronger than usual. In therapy, the PRP (created from the patients own blood sample) is injecting back into the patient in specific areas that require treatment. The uses are vast, many celebrities such as Kim Kardashian have used this treatment in a process called ‘The Vampire Facelift’ which aims to promote the regeneration of cells in the face. Another use for PRP is to help accelerate the recovery of sports injuries.

PRP is a very interesting topic that is arousing much discussion in various industries. We want to share with you some of the best facts about Platelet-Rich Plasma.

7 Facts About Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy

1. Believe it or not, PRP is actually made from the patient’s own blood.

At first it sounds bizarre to have your own blood injected back into yourself but there is a very important reason for this. In the process, a small amount of the patients blood is drawn and placed into a centrifuge where the blood is spun around until the components separate out into layers. The platelets are then able to be removed and mixed back into a new solution of your blood of which there will be a very high platelet concentration. This is then injected into the area requiring treatment.

A small amount of blood is drawn from the patient and put in a centrifuge to separate the platelets from the red blood cells and other components. By the end of the process, PRP has five times the amount of platelets found in blood. The reason that your own blood sample is used is to make sure that your blood is not rejected by your body.

2. PRP is not as new as you may think.

Although it is only in recent years that PRP therapy has hit the news and become more widely known, it has been around for over two decades now. Back in 1987 platelet-rich plasma was first used in heart surgery.

Since it’s introduction, the uses for PRP have spread further from the heart to more common uses such as cosmetic skin rejuvenation treatment and to enhance the recovery time for many different muscular injuries.

3. PRP is not just for humans.

PRP has proven to be extremely successful in helping treat the some of the causes of lameness in horses. These include; tendon and ligament injury, wounds, fractures, bone cysts, and osteoarthritis.

4. It can promote the growth of hair.

PRP therapy can be given to the scalp in an effort to rouse dormant hair follicles from their sleep and back in to action.

This regrowth of hair is achieved by taking a little blood from the patient and developing this into PRP. Before the PRP is injected, the scalp is stimulated with a derma-roller. Following the PRP treatment you will see the growth of new hair within around 3 months.

5. As PRP is drawn from the patient’s own blood there is no risk of it being rejected by the body.

There are four types of blood that different humans may have circulating their bodies. Some blood types can only accept blood from specific blood types. For example, blood type O negative can only accept blood that is also O negative.

On the other hand, the AB negative blood type patients can accept blood from all negative blood groups.

The key to the acceptance and rejection of blood is the antigens that exist in the blood cells. The important thing to note that you can always accept your own blood because it will be the same blood type as the rest of your blood. Hence, by using your own blood for treatment, the risks of rejection are diminished!

6. PRP is used in a treatment called the Vampire Facelift.

A very unique type of facelift that has been used by various celebrities to help promote the growth of new cells in the facial skin, the Vampire Facelift mixes PRP with dermal fillers to create a solution that will restore a more youthful look to your face.

7. PRP could potentially be used for doping in sports.

There has been a lot of  concern that the use of PRP to enhance muscle and joint growth could be a violation of anti-doping rules in sports. It has been suggested that by injecting PRP locally into certain joints and muscle groups, the individual could have the ability to impact the circulation of hormones such as cytokine. Higher levels of this hormone can potentially affect performance of the athlete and thus has lead to controversy in the industry.

Platelet-Rich Plasma and it’s Wide Range of Uses

You will see PRP more and more in the media as it’s uses spread through the beauty industry. Some of it’s uses are offered as treatments here at Bamboo Aesthetics. The most popular and effective treatments that we offer include; hair loss treatments, non surgical facelifts and natural fillers. All of these aim to provide the patient with a more youthful appearance. If you would like more information on these treatments please get in touch with us here.