By Dr Lina Malek

Platelet-rich plasma therapy was originally developed for orthopaedic surgery. Today, it has been made hugely popular by celebrities as a way to keep wrinkles at bay. Is it all hype? What are platelets anyway?
Platelets are an important component of your blood. Their job is the promotion of clotting and healing. In platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment, a person’s own blood plasma is extracted, prepared and then replaced into his or her skin.
Cosmetic practitioners have dubbed the aesthetic facial treatment as ‘vampire facelift’. In this treatment, PRP is injected into the patient’s face to address wrinkles or folds and improve the overall skin condition. PRP encourages the skin to produce collagen and other growth factors. These in turn, lead to a more supported skin structure. This makes skin appear fuller, tighter and more youthful. The results can vary from the subtle extra youth look to extremely younger-looking skin.
The benefits of PRP treatment or vampire facelift have been well publicised in the media. However, it is important to understand just how the treatment works.

Therapy

It is not a surgical procedure. It is an injection treatment done in a doctor’s office, just like botox and silicone fillers.
•    The patient’s face is cleaned and local anaesthesia is applied.
•     Next, the physician or the nurse draws approximately two             teaspoons of the person’s blood.
•    The blood is spun in a centrifuge. This process separates the             platelets, which are then isolated and prepared for re-                injection. The platelet-rich-plasma is activated in a special             process to release at least 8 essential growth factors and             proteins just before injecting to enhance  healing properties.
•    Before injection, a numbing cream is applied to the skin. Once         injected, the growth factors in the PRP cause the release of             stem cells that already exist in the skin. They trick the skin             into thinking it needs to heal itself -- new tissue is produced
    with new collagen, along with new blood vessels.

Candidate

Almost any one can be a candidate for PRP treatment. It is natural since it comes from a person’s own body.

Recovery

PRP injection requires little recovery time, and usually no downtime at all. On the first day, there may be some redness after treatment. On the second day, it usually subsides and the skin may swell, with the texture becoming rough like sandpaper. By the third day, the swelling should be gone, leaving just sandpaper-like texture for 5 to 7 days.

Result

People report skin that appears more youthful, rejuvenated and fairer which continues to improve over the first three months of therapy. The results then can last up to two years from the date of treatment.
While PRP is relatively new in the cosmetic surgery world, its future is promising. Like any treatment, it is important to ensure that your medical practitioner is well qualified and experienced in the procedure.