Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a medical procedure that uses an increased concentration of autologous platelets suspended in a small amount of plasma after centrifugation to inject into a target zone.

Normally, blood is composed of 93% red blood cells (RBC), 6% platelets, and 1% white blood cells (WBC); all components are suspended in plasma. In platelet-rich plasma, the percentage of platelets is increased to 94%, while the percentage of red blood cells is decreased to 5% because they are not essential in the healing process. As a result, the patient's plasma becomes very rich in platelet count in comparison with normal blood concentration.

The procedure begins with withdrawing blood from the patient's arm through a syringe. The collected blood is placed into tubes which are then positioned in a centrifuge. The speed and duration of centrifugation must be carefully set in order to avoid damaging the platelets. During centrifugation, RBC, WBC, and platelets are separated according to their concentration levels. The blood plasma rich in platelets is extracted from the appropriate level for further processing. An activating agent, such as calcium chloride, is added to activate platelets so that their content may be released.

Platelets are essential in blood clotting. Once a blood vessel is disrupted by injury and bleeding occurs, platelets are activated to assist in the formation of a clot, which stems the blood flow. Moreover, every platelet is involved in regulating, signalling, and growth-factor molecules for the recovery and healing of damaged tissues as a result of injury.

Since PRP is an autologous procedure, it is considered to be much safer compared to allogenic and homologous methods. It also prevents the transmission of diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and West Nile fever.

PRP is also better accepted by the patient's body because it eliminates the risks of graft versus host disease and does not cause challenges associated with the formation of antibodies.

PRP promotes the healing of soft tissues through growth factors that are released after the degranulation of platelets. These growth factors stimulate the physiological processes essential for tissue recovery and healing after an injury. The healing process is aided in several ways: growth factors attract undifferentiated stem cells into the newly formed matrix, which leads to cell division; inflammation is limited and the release of cytokines is suppressed; macrophages are attracted to enhance tissue healing and regeneration; and capillary growth for the formation of new blood vessels is stimulated.

The use of platelet-rich plasma injections in dermatology has solid scientific grounds in treating multiple skin conditions. First and second-degree thermal burns can be reduced with PRP injections. Cuts, surgical wounds, and other superficial injuries are also treated with PRP.

Patients affected by hair loss find platelet-rich plasma injections to be highly effective after the course of treatment. PRP causes the reinvigoration of dormant hair follicles, which stimulates new hair growth in patients diagnosed with male pattern hair loss and female pattern hair loss.

Platelet-rich plasma injections are also beneficial in achieving facial rejuvenation. These injections can treat wrinkles, discolouration, and photodamage.

PRP is considered to be immunologically neutral with no adverse risks of foreign-body reactions, hypersensitivity, or allergy. The use of platelet-rich plasma injections in dermatology has solid scientific grounds in treating multiple skin conditions, as confirmed by multiple published papers:

PubMed search results for platelet-rich plasma

PubMed article 30793521

Individuals with the following medical conditions are prohibited from treatment with PRP: chronic liver disease, sepsis, acute and chronic infections, critical thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), and hypofibrinogenemia.