PRP is one of the few treatments in aesthetic medicine that uses nothing but your own blood. That makes it appealing to people who want to avoid synthetic products, and it also makes it easy to oversell. This article explains what platelet-rich plasma actually does, where it works well, where the evidence is thinner, and who tends to be a good candidate.
What PRP is
A small amount of blood is drawn from your arm, the same way as a routine blood test. It is spun in a centrifuge for a few minutes, which separates the red cells from the plasma and concentrates the platelets. Platelets carry growth factors, the signalling proteins your body uses to repair tissue. The concentrated plasma is then injected back into the skin or scalp, or applied to the skin after microneedling.
Nothing is added. The result is a fluid that is entirely yours, which is why allergic reactions are essentially unheard of and why it can be combined with most other treatments.
What it does for the skin
Injected into the face, PRP stimulates fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen and elastin. Over several weeks, skin tends to look brighter, feel firmer and show finer texture. It is not a filler: it does not add volume, and it will not lift a jawline or fill a hollow. What it does is improve the quality of the skin itself.
The areas that respond best are the under-eyes, where the skin is thin and where dark circles are often about texture rather than pigment, the cheeks, and the neck and décolleté, which are hard to treat any other way.
Results build over two to three sessions spaced about a month apart, and last around a year with a maintenance session. If you are comparing options for the mid-face, biostimulators work on collagen too but add gradual volume, so the two are often used for different goals.
What it does for hair
Injected into the scalp, PRP is used for early to moderate hair thinning, most often pattern hair loss in both women and men. The growth factors extend the growth phase of hair follicles that are shrinking but still alive. The practical result, in people who respond, is less shedding first, then thicker existing hairs, then some new growth in areas where follicles were dormant.
It does not revive follicles that have been gone for years, which is why timing matters. The earlier thinning is treated, the more there is to work with. A typical protocol is three to four sessions a month apart, then maintenance every four to six months.
Where the evidence stands
PRP has a reasonable body of published research for hair loss and for skin rejuvenation, with more consistent results for hair. Studies vary in how the plasma is prepared and how much is injected, which is one reason results vary between clinics. Two things are well established: it is safe when prepared and injected under medical supervision, and it works better as a course than as a single session.
What the evidence does not support is any claim of dramatic, permanent change after one visit. If a clinic promises that, ask to see their before-and-after photos taken in the same light and at the same angle. Questions like this are covered in how to choose an aesthetic clinic.
Who it suits
PRP tends to be a good fit if you want a natural approach to skin quality without adding volume, if you have early or moderate hair thinning and want to act before it progresses, if you are already doing Morpheus8 or microneedling and want to improve the healing and the result, or if you prefer a treatment with no synthetic product.
It is a poorer fit if your main concern is lost volume, which needs face fillers, if hair loss is advanced with smooth, shiny scalp, or if you have a blood disorder, are on blood thinners, or have an active infection. Smoking reduces the response, and so does uncontrolled diabetes. All of this is reviewed at the consultation before anything is booked.
What a session looks like
The blood draw takes a minute. Centrifuging takes about ten. A numbing cream is applied while you wait. The injections themselves take ten to twenty minutes depending on the area. For hair, expect a series of small injections across the thinning zone. For skin, injections are placed in the dermis with a fine needle or a cannula, or the plasma is applied over the skin immediately after microneedling.
Afterwards, expect redness and mild swelling for a day, sometimes small bruises at injection points. You can wash your face or hair the next morning. There is no product to settle, so the aftercare is simpler than for fillers: no heat, no intense exercise and no makeup for 24 hours.
What it costs and how to decide
Pricing is by session and by area, and a course of three is the usual starting point. Because results depend on the number of sessions, the useful question at a consultation is not the price of one session but the cost of the full protocol that fits your goal.
If you are not sure whether PRP is the right starting point, the PRP treatment page lists the areas we treat, and a consultation with the physician is where the plan gets made. You can book or ask a question here.