The other day I was fortunate enough to sit down with one of Flawless Rejuvenation’s very talented doctors, Dr Annika Hambilton. We had a fantastic interview surrounding Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP), you can see the interview also posted on the Flawless Rejuvenation Instagram Page. Dr. Annika gave us an insight into what PRP is and how it can benefit patients looking to stimulate hair growth, collagen and elastin.
Let’s dive into all things PRP.
Q. Hi Annika, thank you so much for sitting down with me today. So maybe start by telling us what PRP is and how it works!
A. So, PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma and it’s an increasingly popular injectable treatment which can be used for both hair restoration and for improving skin strength. And the way that it works essentially, we take some of your own blood and spin it in the centrafuse and get the platelet dense plasma and keep that separated and that contains a lot of growth factors and nutrients which will then be injected back into the area of concern and this causes a biostimulatory effect so for hair restoration it can maintain and improve the quality and density of hair that you have, but it can also stimulate new hair growth, and in the skin it stimulates your own collagen and elastin production so it improves the texture and quality of the skin and it’s great for crepiness and fine lines and wrinkles.
Q. Who would you recommend this treatment to?
A. So PRP is a great treatment for anybody that is concerned about hair loss and wants to slow down that pattern of hair loss. It can be used to improve hair density and promote regrowth. It’s also great for people who are concerned about fine lines and wrinkles, crepey looking skin, and it’s using a completely natural product… your own blood… So for people that are a bit weary of other injectable treatments, PRP is a great option for those that want to keep things very natural. I really like it for the difficult to treat under eye area because it’s a very delicate area where it’s quite common to get fine lines and wrinkles, so PRP is a really nice treatment for that.
Q. How long does the treatment take and when should you start to see results?
A. So you should allow about an hour for your appointment. Most of the time will be taking your own blood and breaking it down in the centrafuse and separating the components and you can just relax during this time. We’ll apply a strong topical numbing cream and that will be working while we’re doing the preparation and the actual injecting only takes about 15-20 minutes and there is minimal downtime. In terms of seeing results, we usually recommend you do a course of treatments, usually 3-4 treatments spaced about 4-6 weeks apart and you’ll start to notice a result after your second treatment but your peak results will be about a month after you’ve done your 3rd treatment.
Q. How painful is the treatment?
A. So, the treatment is generally pretty comfortable. We apply a strong topical numbing cream to the area that we’re going to treat first and then there is some local anaesthetic that is mixed in with the PRP as well. So generally the procedure is very well tolerated.
Q. Is there anybody you wouldn’t recommend this treatment to?
A. So I would advise anybody that is pregnant or breastfeeding to avoid this treatment. Its contraindicated for anybody with cancer, any active infection or anybody with any platelet clotting disorders
Q. Are there any modalities that PRP can be combined with as a collaborative treatment to improve results?
A. Yes! So PRP, is a great treatment when combined with other hair restoration treatments, so it can be used before a hair transplant to improve the density of the area of concern and reduce the number of grafts that are required for the transplant. It can also be used to maintain your results post transplant. In terms of skin, PRP can be used in adjunct for several other injectable treatments, but it’s best to discuss this in an individualised consultation to address your particular concerns.