PRP cosmetic injections are incredibly popular throughout Australia. Whether it’s the power of influencers like Kim Kardashian or testimonials from the thousands of happy recipients, there’s no denying PRP is one of the hottest cosmetic trends around right now.
But what is PRP? What are PRP cosmetic injections and what can they do for you?
That’s what this post is all about. Our team of cosmetic practitioners has put together this outline post to share everything you need to know about PRP cosmetic injections.
From what’s involved, how long it takes, how long it takes to see results and lots of other useful information.
What are PRP cosmetic injections?
What is PRP? What are PRP cosmetic injections? Why should you try them?
PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. It’s a treatment that uses part of our blood that contains growth factors our body uses naturally for healing and cell regeneration.
A PRP treatment takes a little blood and separates the plasma. That plasma is then applied to the skin or scalp, wherever you need it most.
PRP injections have been used extensively in soft tissue healing by orthopaedic surgeons to help recovery and promote healing of injuries.
Then someone came up with the idea to use those same principles for cosmetic use.
So rather than treating a soccer injury, we can use PRP injections to tackle many common conditions like hair loss, acne scars, wrinkles, fine lines, loose skin, pigmentation, stretch marks and a number of others.
We regularly use PRP injections to tackle stress-related hair loss, genetic hair loss, male and female pattern hair loss, hair thinning and other scalp issues.
We also use PRP injections to tackle the signs of ageing, scarring, skin discolouration, bags under the eyes, stretch marks and more.
PRP cosmetic injections can be used on the scalp, face, neck, shoulders, upper back, hands and anywhere else you want to treat.
Types of PRP treatments
PRP treatments can address a range of situations all over the body.
However, there are a few defined treatments that include:
PRP hair treatment
PRP hair treatment can tackle common hair loss or hair thinning conditions.
We apply the PRP solution to the affected area of the scalp using a special microneedler.
The PRP solution gets into the scalp to deliver all those growth factors to hair follicles to help encourage them to regenerate and begin producing new hair or thicker, more luxurious hair.
PRP skin treatment
PRP skin treatment can be used anywhere on the skin.
It uses that same platelet rich plasma solution and is applied directly to the skin by injection.
The growth factors can help encourage skin cells to regenerate and to produce more collagen and elastin. This in turn, helps address wrinkles, fine lines, scarring, discolouration and a range of other conditions.
PRP under eyes
PRP under eyes treatment is a targeted treatment designed to help with bags under the eyes, scars and dark circles.
The PRP solution is injected into the affected area to encourage cells to regenerate new skin.
PRP face and neck
PRP face and neck treatments concentrate on the face and neck.
It utilizes the PRP solution to help reduce the signs of ageing, smooth out wrinkles and fine lines and address any underlying conditions.
The PRP solution is applied directly to the face and neck by a cosmetic expert using injections.
PRP neck and decolletage
PRP neck and decolletage treatments target the neck, upper chest and back and shoulders.
These are all areas susceptible to the environment and sunshine and can be easily damaged.
The PRP solution helps encourage the growth of new skin cells to hopefully reduce the signs of ageing, scarring and a number of other skin conditions.
How do PRP cosmetic injections work?
As we mentioned at the top, PRP is made up of the growth factors contained within your own blood.
We know that a PRP solution can help speed up healing for injuries and we now know it can tackle many common hair and skin conditions.
The growth factors within the PRP solution provide everything hair follicles and skin needs to regenerate.
Hair follicles use the growth factors to help repair and begin growing new hair.
The skin will have the resources it needs to regenerate skin cells, produce more collagen and elastin.
All without surgery, medication or invasive procedures that require recovery time or leave signs you had work done.
The key to the success of PRP is simplicity.
The less you mess with the solution, the better it performs.
That requires a light touch and minimal additives and handling. We have refined the PRP process so the blood is drawn and placed in a medical centrifuge with minimal handling.
Except for a proven medical anticoagulant, nothing is added or taken away from the PRP solution.
This leaves it in as natural a state as possible, which we know boosts its efficacy.
What does a PRP cosmetic injection appointment look like?
So that’s the what and why, now let’s look at the how.
You’ll arrive at a clinic and be made comfortable. We’ll draw some blood, just like a blood test.
We’ll place the blood into a medical centrifuge to separate the plasma from the rest of your blood. We only need the plasma so we’ll safely discard the rest.
We’ll place the solution within a microneedler or syringe depending on the application.
We then carefully place the needle at a 90 degree angle to the treatment area and make sure the needler penetrates the skin at just the right depth.
While it may sound painful, it’s really not. You may experience mild discomfort but that’s about it.
How long does it take to see results from PRP injections?
Now to the million dollar question, how long do PRP cosmetic injections take to begin producing results?
First, a caveat. This is medicine and we are all different. Much will depend on your overall health and well-being, the issue we are trying to treat and the severity of that issue.
Now that’s out of the way, we can say that on average, it usually takes around 9-12 weeks to begin seeing a difference.
Most people require a minimum of 3-4 PRP cosmetic injections to make a real difference. As you’ll need between 4-6 weeks between injections, it will require a little patience on your part.
The good news is your patience will very often be rewarded with tangible results!
Most people who have had PRP cosmetic injections see tangible improvements in hair growth or skin condition.
There are no guarantees of course, but we think you’ll be happy with the results!
PRP cosmetic injection aftercare
The final question is about aftercare. Is there any? What happens after an appointment?
As PRP cosmetic injections are completely natural, aftereffects are minimal, if any.
You may experience redness, itching or a mild burning sensation at the injection site for a couple of hours afterwards.
Not everyone experiences this, but if you do, an ibuprofen or other mild over the counter medication will alleviate the symptoms.
We always recommend keeping the skin moisturized afterwards and to use a natural moisturizer.
Keep the treated area out of direct sunlight for a couple of days and make sure to eat healthily and drink plenty of water.
Other than that, you should not require any aftercare or follow-up.
PRP cosmetic injections
As you can see, PRP cosmetic injections are simple, natural and can deliver great results.
It isn’t often a new treatment delivers such benefits with so few downsides, but this is one of those treatments.
It’s safe, simple, subtle and requires no surgery, medication or recovery time. Appointments take less than an hour and can fit into your schedule wherever you like.
What more could you ask from a cosmetic treatment?
