What can Platelet-Rich Plasma Treatments do for your skin

Great news! Fort Wayne Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics, a service of Fort Wayne Dermatology Consultants, Inc., has found a way to combine microneedling and PRP for younger looking skin for our patients. Our aestheticians, overseen by our dermatologists, perform this medical aesthetics procedure with amazing cosmetic results. Here’s how we do it:

It Starts With Microneedling

We have offered microneedling at Fort Wayne Plastic Surgery & Aethetics for awhile. Microneedling is a minimally invasive technique where the aesthetician runs a dermaroller or a device implanted with very fine needles over the skin. These needles make tiny, evenly spaced puncture wounds, and the body responds by producing collagen and elastin. These are proteins that keep the skin taut and supple. Blood platelets also rush to the area, bringing chemicals that promote healing, growth and skin rejuvenation. This is where the PRP treatment comes in.

Introducing PRP

PRP stands for platelet-rich plasma, and it is the main ingredient in this unconventional facial treatment. Doctors have known for a long time that platelets, which are tiny plate-shaped bodies in the blood, are sent to the area of an injury to help stop the bleeding as well as provide the growth and healing factors discussed earlier. When platelet-rich plasma is combined with microneedling, patients can see quicker, more dramatic healing effects on their skin.

During a microneedling with PRP treatment, a lab technician will draw a small amount of your blood that is placed in a centrifuge and prepared while you are having the first microneedling treatment. The centrifuge concentrates the platelets in your blood. After or during the microneedling procedure, the aesthetician will paint your face with the freshly concentrated platelets. Because the microneedles have opened up channels in your skin, the PRP solution can sink easily into its layers. Concentrated platelets can also be injected into the skin. This will help to stimulate more collagen and even act as a more mild, natural “filler”. When this part of the treatment is complete, the aesthetician soothes your skin with a serum to ease any irritation. They may also apply a bit of blood-poor plasma to the skin. You will then go home as the procedure works its magic.

The Treatment

You should arrive early for your treatment, for you will need to leave time for the numbing agent to work on your skin. This takes about 20 minutes, while the treatment itself takes about half an hour. The numbing agent prevents the mild irritation to modest pain that you may have heard associated with microneedling.

After the Treatment

Even though the aesthetician has applied an emollient to the skin, some redness and swelling is to be expected. This will go away after four or five days. We recommend you stay out of the sun, avoid places that are hot and humid, and not perform strenuous activities during this time. You should not put harsh chemicals on your skin for a few days — though light, hypoallergenic makeup like the kind we sell by Jane Iredale is fine.

You will be able to see the results of the treatment a few weeks later. Thanks to new collagen and healing chemicals, your skin will be more youthful and fine lines or wrinkles will be harder to see.

Call Us to Schedule

Call Fort Wayne Plastic Surgery & Aesthetics at 260-469-1400 to schedule a consultation with one of our aestheticians to discuss how Microneedling with PRP treatments can help you.