Platelet Rich Fibrin
What is PRF?
Dr. Chau has utilized platelet concentrates such as PRP and PRF for over ten years to promote healing and regeneration of various tissues after oral surgery. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a form of blood plasma with high concentrations of platelets and leukocytes, which allows for higher growth factor release. The use of platelet concentrations to generate growth factors have been utilized in medicine for decades to promote healing. The use of growth factors extends to multiple fields of medicine, including management of osteoarthritic knees, repair of rotator cuffs, diabetic foot ulcers, skin burns, and soft tissue defects following surgery. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons have utilized growth factors for decades to promote regeneration of various tissues in the oral cavity after surgery to reduce bleeding, enhance soft tissue healing and bone regeneration.
What is the difference between PRF and PRP?
Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was proposed for use in the 1970s and 1980s. In the past 10 years, PRF has emerged as superior and more natural because PRF does not incorporate anticoagulants. Due to the anticoagulants added to PRP, the wound healing power is slightly reduced. Once extracted and processed from your blood, PRF releases growth factors over an extended period of time when compared to PRP, which means a prolonged rejuvenation for cosmetic, joint, and hair restoration treatments. PRF was first developed in France by Dr. Choukroun for specific use in oral and maxillofacial surgery.
How is PRF used for anti-aging at our clinic?
At our clinic, PRF is applied to the face topically prior to and after micro-needling. The micro-needling device uses tiny needles to puncture the epidermis with microscopic holes, which pushes the topical PRF into the skin subdermally. The growth factors may then be released over time within the facial tissues. The growth factors enhance cell repair and regeneration while reducing inflammation. This is similar to the “vampire facelift technique,” which uses PRP. In addition to reducing wrinkles, micro-needling with PRF can be used to reduce or eliminate various types of scars, stretch marks, alopecia, acne, and pigmentations.
A day after micro-needling, keratinocytes begin to proliferate and release growth factors to promote collagen in your skin. You will notice a tightening of your skin, smoothing of wrinkles and fine lines, reduction of pores, and decrease in melasma. Your skin will continue to improve in the weeks and months following your treatment as collagen is generated. Clinical studies have shown notable increases in collagen and elastin fibers 6 months after a micro-needling treatment.
PRF is completely natural with no chemicals added and is therefore considered the first “organic” anti-aging method for facial rejuvenation.
How is PRF prepared?
A small amount of blood is obtained from you. Your blood is immediately placed in a tube to spin in a centrifuge before clot formation. The success of this technique is dependent on the speed of blood collection and subsequent transfer to the centrifuge. Unlike PRP tubes, the glass tubes used for PRF do not contain any chemical additives. The centrifuge spins the tube to separate red blood cells and concentrate the platelets, white blood cells and growth factors at the top layer for the doctor to use. PRF can then be used for facial rejuvenation, hair regrowth, non-surgical athletic therapy, and joint pain relief, etc. The growth factors in your PRF helps your skin to recover faster by encouraging your body to generate healthy new cells, repair damaged tissue, and reduce signs of aging.
What is the cost of micro-needling with PRF?
The cost of your treatment will depend on the number of areas being treated. Please contact us for a treatment plan.