The Difference PRP Can Make When It Comes to Your Skin

Aging brings experience and wisdom — and fine lines, wrinkles, age spots, and loss of facial volume. You may have tried lots of creams and even some minimally invasive procedures, but you probably didn’t get the results you were after. There’s one thing you may not have tried, though, and that’s platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy.

At Med Physique Center for Aesthetics in Austin, Texas, our team of expert aestheticians uses PRP therapy in combination with microneedling to visibly reduce the signs of aging in your skin. We feel that PRP, which harnesses your body’s own healing properties, is a game-changer. Here’s why.

Skin aging

While you are young and carefree — and less concerned about your skin — it is smooth, taut, and glowing. That is due in large part to two proteins, collagen and elastin. Together, they give your skin strength, volume, and resilience.

Unfortunately, by the time you reach 25 and do care about your skin, your body’s production of collagen and elastin starts to decline. Collagen also takes a hit from things like the sun’s ultraviolet light, smoking, and environmental pollutants. As a result of all these factors, you lose volume in your face and hands, leading to what we call “static” wrinkles.

You also develop “dynamic” wrinkles as a result of repeated facial expressions. Every time you smile, frown, or squint your eyes, the muscles under the skin tug on the area, eventually causing a furrow to form.

In the early stages of skin aging, dermal fillers can temporarily address static wrinkles, and injectables such as Botox®, a neurotoxin, can temporarily address dynamic ones.

The basics of microneedling

Microneedling involves the use of very small needles, either placed on a pen or a roller, that your provider moves over the skin to be treated. The needles create “micro-injuries” in the skin’s surface, and your body responds by sending healing factors to the area and jump-starting collagen production to generate new tissue and replace damaged skin layers.

How PRP makes a difference

Platelets are the part of your blood responsible for clotting and recruiting healing factors to the site of an injury. Doctors and aestheticians take advantage of those properties to boost the effectiveness of other treatments for injuries or cosmetic concerns. And PRP has quickly become one of the most effective natural treatments for cellular rejuvenation when it comes to the visible signs of aging.

At Med Physique Center for Aesthetics, we first draw a small amount of blood from your arm. Next, we spin the vial down in a centrifuge, which isolates the platelets in the blood’s watery plasma. Finally, we inject or spread the prepared solution on the treatment area to boost healing.

We offer PRP as part of two skin treatments. One is the PRP facial, sometimes called a “vampire facial.” We start by using the SkinPen® microneedling device to create dozens of tiny holes in your dermal tissue layer, where collagen resides. Then we apply the prepared PRP solution over the holes, where it soaks deep into the tissue.

The PRP initiates a localized response, first recruiting collagen-producing cells called fibroblasts. These fibroblasts replace tissue that’s been damaged by the microneedling and compromised by the aging process. You end up with smooth, healthy skin without fine lines and wrinkles. It even fills in acne pits and scars.

The second treatment is the PRP facelift. We start by using injectable dermal fillers to restore lost volume in your cheeks, lips, and around your eyes. Then we inject the prepared PRP solution into targeted areas of your face, which stimulates blood flow and encourages the growth of new cells, collagen, and blood vessels. The end result is a healthy, more youthful appearance — no surgery required.

If you want to reverse the visible signs of aging, why stop at microneedling or injectables when PRP can make such a positive difference in your skin? To learn more and schedule an evaluation, call Med Physique Center for Aesthetics at 512-212-3142, or book online with us today.