Tapping Your Platelets for Healthier, More Youthful Skin

Are you dealing with dull, lined, or acne-scarred skin? There are a lot of treatments out there that claim to turn back the clock for you, but sometimes it’s best to look close to home. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP), which is made from your own blood, can help give you a new, more youthful look.

At Med Physique Center for Aesthetics in Austin, Texas, our expert team of aestheticians offers facials and facelifts that capitalize on your platelets’ ability to heal and nurture, giving you a glowing complexion that you’ll love. Here’s what you need to know about the process.

Platelet-rich plasma 101

PRP therapy, also called autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) therapy, uses your blood's natural healing properties to repair damaged tissues, whether they come from arthritis, a sports injury, or an aging complexion. The platelets, best known for helping your blood clot, also secrete and recruit growth factors that regulate cell division, stimulate tissue regeneration, and promote healing by accelerating repair.

Blood is made up of a number of components: red blood cells, white blood cells, platelets, and a watery plasma. We draw a small vial of blood from your arm, then spin it down in a centrifuge to concentrate the platelets in the plasma. This is the material we use to generate tissue repair and stimulate the production of collagen, a structural protein that gives your skin strength and resilience but whose production declines over time.

The PRP facial

For a PRP facial, the aesthetician uses the SkinPen® microneedling device, the first such device to be FDA-approved. As it moves over your skin, it creates dozens of small holes, called microchannels, that stimulate your body to begin the healing process. Then we apply the pre-prepared PRP to your skin over the holes, where it soaks in deeply.

The PRP prompts a localized stem cell response, which recruits collagen-producing cells called fibroblasts. These fibroblasts replace your dull or damaged tissue with new cells that give you a healthy, vital look.

The PRP facelift

During a PRP facelift, the aesthetician first injects dermal fillers into specific areas of your face to help restore lost volume. Next, they inject the pre-prepared PRP into the same areas, where it encourages new cell growth, triggers new collagen and blood vessel production, and stimulates overall blood flow. The result is a glowing, more youthful appearance without any kind of invasive surgery.

What types of skin problems do PRP facials and facelifts treat?

While a glowing complexion is a great outcome of the procedure, you probably have other skin concerns you’d like to have fixed. PRP facials and facelifts effectively improve:

• Frown lines
• Crow’s feet
• Acne scars
• Other minor scarring
• Rosacea
• Wrinkled and sagging skin

And the best part is that, since PRP is made from your own blood, there’s no chance of any side effects or an allergic reaction to it.

If you’re bothered by the marks aging has etched across your face, go right to the source of healing — your own body. Give Med Physique Center for Aesthetics a call at 512-453-7000 to schedule a consultation and find out if PRP therapy is right for you. You can also book online.