Welcome to part two of platelet-rich plasma therapy. Previously, we established that PRP therapy has experienced a rapid increase in popularity due to its wide usability in dermatology to speed up healing. Platelet-rich plasma therapy uses two components of your own blood; the plasma and platelets. The blood is withdrawn, placed in a blue top tube then into a centrifuge. If you are coming from our first post on PRP, then you know that in this post, we will be exploring the use of PRP in dermatology. So let’s get into it.

What is PRP Treatment Used for in Dermatology?

Platelet-rich plasma therapy is dubbed a powerful tool in dermatology by one clinical study. This research outlines some of the numerous ways of using PRP in dermatology. The research indicates that PRP is applicable in treating conditions like acne, alopecia, skin ulcers, melasma, hyperpigmentation, and burns, by inducing tissue repair and regeneration.

Alopecia

PRP therapy reduces hair loss, and PRP stimulates hair growth when directly injected into the scalp by doctors. A 2014 research evidenced the efficiency of PRP injections in treating alopecia, particularly male pattern baldness. In fact, Healthline reports that PRP therapy is becoming a frequently used counterpart of hair transplants because the treatment helps to speed up the hair growth process of transplanted hair roots and thickens the existing hair.

Acne

Platelet-rich plasma therapy can work in combination with other treatment modalities to improve acne scars. The specialist will administer PRP via injection into areas that have acne damage, which then reduces the acne scars by promoting elastin and collagen production. Collagen is responsible for the skin’s firmness, and elastin keeps the skin tight.

Skin Ulcers

In a clinical study, researchers found that PRP is useful in enhancing wound healing in chronic venous leg ulcers without any adverse events. Ulcers affect millions of people globally and easily become chronic and non-healing. Consequently, experts describe PRP therapy as a breakthrough in treating non-healing and diabetic foot ulcers. PRP therapy is a relatively affordable and simple treatment option that provides growth factors that expedite tissue healing.

Melasma

In a pilot study, researchers determined that platelet-rich plasma therapy significantly improved melasma within 6 weeks of treatment. Thus, they recommend PRP therapy be employed as an alternative or additional therapy for melasma.

These are only a few ways clinicians can use PRP in dermatology to improve your health and wellbeing. This breakthrough treatment has potential and seems to be living up to the hype surrounding its use. We hope that answered some of the questions you might have had relating to PRP in dermatology. Reach out to us if you need more questions answered.

References

Suryanarayan, S., Budamakuntala, L., Suresh, D., & Sarvajnamurthy, S. (2013). Autologous platelet-rich plasma in chronic venous ulcers: Study of 17 cases. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 6(2), 97. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.112671

PRP Therapy for Acne-Prone Skin | RJ Clinical Institute. (2019). Rjclinicalinstitute.com. https://www.rjclinicalinstitute.com/prp-therapy-for-acne-prone-skin/#:~:text=The%20platelet%2Drich%2Dplasma%20is,permanently%20brighter%20and%20smoother%20skin.

‌Suthar, M., Gupta, S., Bukhari, S., & Ponemone, V. (2017). Treatment of chronic non-healing ulcers using autologous platelet rich plasma: a case series. Journal of Biomedical Science, 24(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12929-017-0324-1

Suryanarayan, S., Budamakuntala, L., Suresh, D., & Sarvajnamurthy, S. (2013). Autologous platelet rich plasma in chronic venous ulcers: Study of 17 cases. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 6(2), 97. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.112671

Merchán, W. H., Gómez, L. A., Chasoy, M. E., Alfonso‐Rodríguez, C. A., & Muñoz, A. L. (2019). Platelet‐rich plasma, a powerful tool in dermatology. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, 13(5), 892–901. https://doi.org/10.1002/term.2832

‌Nall, R. (2017, May 24). What Is PRP? Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health/prp#purpose

‌Khatu, S., More, Y., Gokhale, N., Chavhan, D., & Bendsure, N. (2014). Platelet-rich plasma in androgenic alopecia: Myth or an effective tool. Journal of Cutaneous and Aesthetic Surgery, 7(2), 107. https://doi.org/10.4103/0974-2077.138352

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