We each have a moment when, during our morning routine, we notice fine lines, wrinkles, marks that weren’t there the night before. Immediately we ask ourselves, did we spend too much time in the sun? Are we getting enough sleep? Did I enjoy one too many beverages at the party I went to? Fine lines, dark spots, bags or dark circles under the eyes are part of everyone’s aging process. While we cannot escape it, there are ways to treat it! Our experts will partner with you to identify a tailored approach to skin restoration and rejuvenation.

Facial PRP:

Skin aging process becomes apparent right around 25 years of age. The very first signs are the fine lines that appear and disappear with muscle contraction and relaxation. We know these as expression lines. As time goes on, they become deeper and we start seeing deeper wrinkles, loss of volume, and loss of elasticity which lead to saggy skin.

For this reason, it is highly recommended that we start skin care and rejuvenation at an early age. This will help prevent rather than treat.

The field of regenerative medicine has revolutionized not only skin rejuvenation, but the entire anti-aging medicine. Here we will explore the application of PRP and other biocellular methods in facial skin rejuvenation.

What are the signs of aging skin?

There are 3 main signs. These are: Wrinkles, Loss of Volume, and Loss of Elasticity and deep wrinkles.

Wrinkles: The very first sign of aging are the fine lines and wrinkles. This start becoming apparent at around age 25 and they become more noticeable by age 30. At first, they are small and shallow wrinkles which are commonly known as laughter lines or Crow’s feet. These fine lines are followed by wrinkles on the forehead. At first, they are more noticeable when skin moves with our facial expressions. These are called dynamic wrinkles. As time evolves and become more prominent return into permanent wrinkles.
Loss of volume: Normally you have fat under the facial skin. In some areas the fat pads are more prominent, such as under the eyes and cheeks. The distribution of the facial fat gives us the characteristic facial contours. As the age we lose some of the subcutaneous fat. This results in volume loss which shows itself as thinning of the lips, flattening of the cheeks, sagging skin, and the appearance of a turkey neck. Overall this could give a negative look such as being sad or tired.
Loss of elasticity and deep wrinkles: The structures of the skin weakens with age. It also loses its elasticity and firmness. This is mostly due to disintegration of Collagen and Elastin. This degeneration results in a loose, saggy skin with deeper wrinkles. One example of such phenomena is the deep nasolabial fold which forms due to a combination of sagging skin and loss of volume. Skin also becomes drier and loses the radiance associated with a youthful skin. All of these changes become visible at about age 50.

What are the solutions?

The best medicine is always prevention. Proper skin care and sun block are the fundamentals of a healthy and gracefully aging skin.

Face should be cleansed gently every evening to wash the pollution, dirt, and make up off of its skin. Failure to do so will prevent proper oxygenation of the outermost layer of the skin while you are sleeping. It will also prolong the skin exposure to the oxidative damage of the pollution and dirt.
Gentle scrubbing should be done 2-3 times a week. This will remove the outermost Keratin layer of the skin that is scaling and restore a youthful glow. Try an Olive oil-based scrub to add moisture.
Proper moisturizer should be applied regularly. This should be done at least twice a day, in the morning and at night.
Sun protection. This is probably the most important step in prevention. SPF protects against the damaging rays that cause premature skin aging. Remember sun lotions do not last forever. You have to reapply around midday. Sunscreen should be used everyday, even in cloudy days. Another point to remember is that indoor lighting in offices and commercial buildings are often white light, either LED or Fluorescent. These lights usually have a high UV content. Therefore, use sun screen indoor as well.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) Facial; the secret to youthful skin!

With the recent advances is regenerative medicine, skin care has been revolutionized. Platelets in your blood hold the key to open the gates of body’s healing cascade. They contain several growth factors that play key roles in wound healing and tissue regeneration.

PRP facial, also known as Vampire facial, uses your own platelets to promote growth of new skin cells, production of new Collagen and Elastin, and repair some of the damages done by aging or external factors.

There are a 4 basic steps in this treatment, which are as follows:

Your own blood is drawn.
The platelets and the plasma are separated from other components of the blood through centrifugation.
The platelets are concentrated through a series of centrifugation.
The obtained PRP is injected into the skin either through micro-needling or small injections using insulin needle.

The quality of the PRP is very important and it is one of the main dictating factors of the outcome. It depends on several factors such as:

The centrifuge and the tubes. This step is very important, and it is one of determining factor of the price of the procedure as well. Naturally the best tubes have a higher cost.
Methods used. Even if highest quality tubes and centrifuges are used, the operator is still very important. Blood should be drawn slowly in order not to break the platelets. Skills should be used so that the PRP is pure and free of red and white blood cells. Red blood cells can actually cause dark spots because they have a high iron content.
Concentration of the Platelet. Remember PRP stands for Platelet Rich Plasma. Therefore, if the blood is simply centrifuged and the plasma is used, this is regular plasma and not PRP.
Micro-needling and injection techniques. The depth of microneedle, the pressure and the pattern used on different parts of the face, where and deep to inject the PRP, are all extremely important in dictating the result. Simply going deeper an being more aggressive is not better. You have to know what to do and where to do it.

The following are some of the results obtained by PRP facial:

Reduce wrinkles
Plump up and reduce sagging skin
Get rid of deep creases
Improve Complexion
Tighter skin with more youthful glow
Reduce Acne scars
Reduce other face scars

Best of all there is little to no downtime. Your face will be pinkish red for about 1-2 days.

Is it safe?

PRP facial rejuvenation is using your own body to heal it and make it look better. Therefore, there are no side effects and it is very safe.

How many treatments Do you need?

It has been shown that patients who have 3 treatments or more have the best results. Each treatment is about 4-5 weeks apart. This is because we have to overcome years of accumulated Skin damage.

Also remember that we are not stopping the aging process. Unfortunately, your skin will continue to go through normal aging process even after the treatment. For that reason, it is recommended that the PRP facial be done every 3-6 months in order to repair the aging effects of time.

When should we start PRP facial rejuvenation?

You can start PRP treatment at any age. Naturally, the greater the damage and signs of skin aging, the greater number of initial treatments is needed.

Remember that skin aging starts before or at about 25 years of age and the signs are noticeable by 30 years of age. Therefore, the best time to start is around 20-25 years old so that we repair the minor damages that accumulate over time. This way we combat the appearance of wrinkles, creases, skin sagging, and other signs of facial aging before they start.

What type of Doctor should I see?

Regenerative medicine is an emerging science. However, despite being a relatively young science, it is already a complicated and powerful field of medicine. There are a lot of moving parts to be considered when using PRP and Stem Cells for any body part. Someone who does not have an in-depth knowledge of the regenerative medicine, will be more likely to make mistakes. For that reason, an experience regenerative medicine physician is the best person to see for PRP facial rejuvenation.

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Meanwhile stay young, stay beautiful.