What Is PRP Therapy and How Does it Work?

What is PRP therapy?

With so much talk surrounding it, you’re probably wondering, what the hell is PRP? Don’t worry, we’ll get to that in a moment - but first you need to understand a bit about blood (not in a gory way - don’t worry!).

Our blood is made up of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. The white blood cells help fight infection, the red blood cells transport oxygen around the body, and the platelets are known best for their clotting qualities - stopping bleeding. But platelets also contain growth factors that help promote healing and boost tissue repair within the body. Pretty impressive, huh?

PRP - or platelet-rich plasma - is concentrated platelets which are used to repair damage within the body. So, as you can imagine, professionals can’t get enough of PRP.

How does PRP therapy work?

To get hold of PRP, medically qualified professionals take blood from the arm and put it in a centrifuge for around 5 minutes. When it comes out, the blood is separated into three levels, and the top level is the PRP. This PRP is then injected back into or applied to the area that needs attention to work its magic.

Microneedling and PRP

Because of PRP’s ability to boost healing and repair within the body, it’s used in loads of treatments, from sports injuries to hair loss.

Common aesthetic treatments that often involve the use of PRP include microneedling and laser skin treatments, as well as treatments for dark circles, wrinkles and acne scarring. This is due to the fact that PRP helps repair the skin after trauma. Not only this but PRP also boosts collagen and elastin, rejuvenating the skin.

In hair loss, PRP is injected into the affected areas on the head, and works by stimulating growth. The effects of the PRP therapy procedure can work wonders on regrowth, and can really help increase confidence.

What are the main benefits of PRP?

As well as helping repair, aiding regrowth and boosting collagen and elastin, PRP also has several other amazing benefits. For example, it’s a natural substance that comes from you. And because PRP comes from your own blood, there’s no risk of rejection or disease - and as long as it’s done in a sterile environment, there should be no risk of infection.

Although it takes a few weeks to see an initial difference, once you see the results of PRP therapy, they are long lasting. To get the very best PRP therapy results, three treatments are generally recommended, spaced out over the course of several weeks.

Fancy booking a PRP treatment? Find a PRP practitioner near you and see the benefits for yourself.