Platelet Rich Plasma Therapy – PRP Cosmetic
Biophyl™ (hcPRP)
Many growth factors are involved in the repair and regeneration of soft tissue. The potential benefits of enhanced healing processes for skin depressions, wrinkles, acne scars, fine lines, crow’s feet and collagen depletion, have led to a recently widespread interest in the use of PRP (platelet rich plasma) therapy for cosmetic improvement.
Although doctors have used PRP therapy since the mid-1990s to aid bone healing after spinal injury and soft tissue recovery following plastic surgery, it has only been in the past year that the treatment has really come to the forefront. Since athletes such as Tiger Woods and Pittsburgh Steelers’ Hines Ward have been treated with PRP, people from around the world have been turning more and more to this type of therapy. In fact, according to the media, PRP injections in his elbow, may have been the reason that Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Takashi Saito was able to return to the mound for the 2008 Major League Baseball playoffs.
The allure of PRP is that theoretically, it can provide an abundance of healing factors in the body’s normal environment. Since platelets are responsible for healing and coagulation as well as providing growth factors to stimulate tissue regeneration and repair, it makes sense to try to harness their power to stimulate collagen renewal.
In keeping with our philosophy of moving forward and providing a cutting edge approach, at Vancouver Laser, we now offer hc PRP, which is highly concentrated platelet rich plasma therapy. Instead of using PRP from systems such as Selphyl, that typically use a 2-8X concentration, we use the patented form of hcPRP that involves injecting platelet rich plasma in a concentration of 23-90X.
Benefits of hcPRP
- hcPRP is the HIGHLY CONCENTRATED version of PRP
- Simple
- Absence of significant adverse consequences
- Safe -no risk of immune or disease transmission
How hcPRP therapy works
The theory behind PRP is that it may affect tissue healing via growth factors that are released after platelet degranulation. Because of this potential benefit we now inject hcPRP for the treatment of fine lines, wrinkles, folds and collagen loss. And although it can be injected in to the same areas as common cosmetic fillers, it cannot compensate for major volume loss.
What to Expect
Following a consultation to determine if you are a suitable candidate and if you choose to have the treatment, we will first take a few vials of your own blood. We then spin it in a centrifuge to separate the platelet-rich plasma from the other components. Then we inject the concentrated platelets in the area we wish to optimize in terms of benefits. In theory, the growth factors that the platelets secrete (not including human growth hormone) will spur tissue regeneration and the growth of collagen. The autologous nature (using your own blood) of PRP eliminates the risk of immune rejection or disease transmission.
Depending on the degree and extent of the wrinkles or folds, typically one to three treatment sessions are required. Injections are usually spaced 4 – 6 weeks apart.
There is minimal discomfort at the time of injection because we do numb the area being injected.. The area may feel slighty swollen and tender. Minimal discomfort may persist for 2 -5 days. The regenerative repair process takes weeks to months.
There have been no reported complications with PRP therapy.
Feel free to call us for a consultation 604-708-9891 to determine whether or not you are a candidate. At the time of the consultation you will be given an estimate as to the cost of the actual treatments, depending on the number of injections that will be needed.
We are proud to be part of pioneering work being done around the world. We are hoping and expecting exciting data to be coming out soon.
