You may have already read about the benefits of Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) treatments, but more recently many clinics have been advertising a newer form of platelet treatments, called Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF).
PRP and PRF are both made from the patient’s own blood by concentrating the platelets/plasma. The main difference is that PRF is allowed to “clot” prior to using it in a treatment. This allows the platelets to form a kind of gel that is much thicker than PRP, which allows the growth factors to release over a longer period of time. While both PRP and PRF serve the same purpose (regeneration), this subtle difference makes the uses of PRP and PRF unique.
At The PRP Center, our medical director choses to use PRP for hair treatments and microneedling skin treatments for the following reasons:
PRP is thinner and will spread out more in the scalp, which allows our providers to utilize less injections to cover a greater treatment area.
PRP has more overall studies supporting it’s use than PRF for hair and microneedling so it's more evidence-based.
Our version of PRP contains an overall higher number of platelets than PRF since we typically draw more blood than with PRF.
We find that PRP is easier to spread on the face for microneedling than PRF due to its thin viscosity.
PRP is more stable, while PRF has to be injected almost immediately or it will it clump too much and become unusable.
When would PRF be better?
The fibrin matrix, gradual release of growth factors, and thickness of PRF make it an ideal filler for the face (in deep wrinkles and under the eyes). PRF would likely be better for deep acne scars, and can be injected into deeper pits of the face.
Can you get the benefits of both PRP and PRF?
Yes, at the PRP Center we do spin our PRP a little slower than many other clinics. This allows us to keep more cellular components and growth factors in the PRP much like PRF while still keeping the consistency thin to make it easy to inject/spread.
Have more questions? Please contact our Raleigh clinic at (919) 526-0015 or info@prpcenters.com
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