Unparalleled Hair and Skin PRP Treatment in London
Unparalleled Hair and Skin PRP Treatment in London
The London Facial Care Clinic is at the forefront of cutting edge aesthetic treatments and therapies. Drawing on years of beauty and skin care experience, Dr Fern Jean-Joseph expertly guides each patient from initial inquiry to the treatment or treatments best for each individual.
With a great range of excellent therapies available, the type of PRP offered by the London Facial Care Clinic is fast becoming the gold standard to other doctors to strive for. Utilising this groundbreaking new technology, PRP can now be delivered effectively and painlessly, meaning happier and more satisfied patients.
Read on to find out how PRP treatment in London can help you use your body’s own health system to rejuvenate and revitalise your hair, skin, face and more.
What is PRP Treatment?
Platelet Rich Plasma, known as PRP, uses your own blood to create an advanced treatment that heals and repairs your skin. PRP treatment contains growth factors and, of course, platelets to rejuvenate the skin using the most natural source you can find: your own body. It is a cutting edge therapy utilising a form of regenerative medicine that amplifies your own internal system.
Your blood is mostly a liquid called plasma and has its red colour due to the red blood cells that carry oxygen around our body. Blood also contains white blood cells that fight infection and platelets, which help repair damaged blood vessels. These platelets are cells smaller than even red blood cells, and their surface is covered in special proteins called growth factors.
These growth factors are the secret to the success of PRP. As well as repairing tissue they also stimulate the production of collagen, another protein central to the growth and strength of your skin, nails, and hair. As we all know, collagen weakens and lessens with age, so PRP is the perfect treatment to combat signs of aging.
Platelet Rich Plasma
Platelet Rich Plasma
How is PRP different from blood?
PRP is made up of the same constituent parts that blood is. The reason that PRP is so therapeutic is a result of the high concentration of platelets – hence ‘platelet rich’. A small amount of your blood is put into a machine called a centrifuge – a small device that spins the blood very quickly. This pushes all the platelets to one side so that they can be easily collected.
How does PRP work?
- Importance of the Platelets
Platelets are central to repairing skin and tissue when you have an injury such as a cut, for example. When used in a clinic, however, it is the growth factors that give the most significant benefit
- Importance of the growth factors
The growth factors are retrieved from your own blood, so there is zero chance of having a reaction to the treatment. In fact, you are really using your own healing system but in a concentrated and direct form. The growth factors both stimulate the release and increase the number of regenerative and reparative cells in your skin and body tissue.
What can PRP treat?
With its unparalleled effect on collagen, you may think PRP is just an aesthetic product. Its properties are so strong however, that it is used by doctors worldwide to treat injury and disease in the cases of muscular strains and conditions such as tennis elbow. Research has shown that PRP can accelerate the healing process and give better patient’s better results.
The most common indications for PRP that we treat at ThelondonFacialCare are for:
- Lines and wrinkles
- Hair loss and thinning hair
- Uneven skin tone and pigmentation
- Dull skin complexion
PRP Treatments
PRP Treatments
PRP Treatment for Face and Skin
PRP treatment in London is fast becoming one of the most successful and popular treatments for skin repair, healing and beauty. Current research is concentrating on the beneficial potential of injecting a high concentration of growth factors into tissues such as the skin on the face.
PRP has actually been around since the 1970s where it was mainly used in treating medical conditions of the joints and jaw. In the last decade or so aesthetic and beauty doctors have uncovered the potential of this self-made treatment.
Now it is used for a wide range of dermatological treatments from wound healing, scar minimisation and facial sculpting. Skin research has shown that PRP therapy not only contains growth factors but also bioactive agents such as serotonin, dopamine and adenosine. The amazing effect of this is that PRP allows your skin cells to become more permeable. A more permeable cell changes inflammatory processes and works hand in hand with growing new cells and tissue regeneration.
PRP Treatment for Hair Loss
Hair Loss Doctors around the world now use PRP as an injection into the scalp to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. One of the most promising areas of research is the effect of PRP on male pattern baldness (also known as androgenic alopecia).
In one recent study, platelet rich plasma was injected using an insulin syringe into the scalps of patients who were not responding to treatment. The treatment was applied fortnightly for a total of 2 months.
The researchers discovered that the platelets not only released platelet-derived growth factor but many other beneficial proteins including transforming growth factor (TGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), insulin-like growth factor (IGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and interleukin (IL)-1.
They hypothesised that all of these growth factors act on stem cells located in hair follicles, which as powerful proto-cells stimulated new follicle development and the growth of new blood vessels.
The researchers found a significant reduction in hair loss observed during treatment between the first and fourth injection. The hair count was found to increase by 22 hair cells per cm2. Overall the team concluded that PRP injections were a simple, cost effective and feasible treatment for male pattern baldness with “high overall patient satisfaction”.
PRP Eyes
PRP Eyes
PRP Treatment for Under Eyes
PRP for both bags under eyes and for dark circles is the obvious choice for many.
Eye bags are more or less inevitable as we age. Time and the ageing process weakens the tissue under the eyes and relaxes muscles which support the eyelids. Over time small amounts of fat can also migrate into the area below the lower eyelid.
The modern world doesn’t help with the appearance of our eyes either. Too much stress and not enough sleep is one of the main causes of us running around with tired, sagging, and dark eyes. Using a cold compress on the eyes and getting a good night’s sleep can make some progress to slowing or reducing these effects but cannot permanently solve the issue.
In lieu of waiting for professional treatment, regular exercise, drinking plenty of water to avoid water retention, and limiting salt intake should go some way in reducing bags under the eyes. Getting enough sleep, usually, around 7-8 hours a night, is usually sufficient to reduce dark circles somewhat for most people. Again, this will not reverse the problem completely.
As described in this article, the use of PRP treatment in London for anti-ageing is actually relatively new. Dermatologists worldwide however are finding the treatment is experiencing a surge in popularity due to it being much less invasive than other treatments such as surgery. Cosmetic surgery is also known to have very variable results, despite the skill of the surgeon involved.
PRP has another advantage for eyes versus surgery and that is cost. PRP is less expensive than surgery and can often be half or even a third of the price of cosmetic surgery. Platelet rich plasma treatment is of course made using the patient’s own body, so completely autologous whilst surgery if it goes wrong can leave permanent changes that are undesirable. Combined with short time recovery compare to the recovery time from surgery and it is no wonder that many view PRP as the eye treatment of choice.
After PRP treatment for your eyes, there may be some puffiness and tenderness but this goes away after a couple of hours, not days.
Platelet Rich Plasma – A hospital grade treatment
Platelet rich plasma has enough history and research behind it that it is being used in hospitals worldwide to not only improve aesthetics and beauty but to help patients with a variety of musculoskeletal disorders gain back their quality of life, pain-free.
A recent review of PRP research concluded that the treatment is effective in treating osteoarthritis, synovitis, epicondylitis, skeletal muscle injuries, and tendinopathy.
PRP for Arthritis
PRP injections release several different growth factors after activation. There is now a good body of research that showcases the strength of PRP treatment on one of the banes of medicine: osteoarthritis. Many people suffer from this debilitating condition, even from their 30s or 40s. Although the exact mechanism is not known, research confirms that injection of a high concentration of platelets is effective in treating this condition, allowing patients to take less pain medication and regain their normal daily function.
The findings have been so positive that the Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine now states that “PRP Should Be Your First Choice for Injection Therapy in Treating Osteoarthritis of the Knee”. Not only is the treatment less invasive than surgery, but it is also highly efficient and safe.
PRP BENEFITS
PRP BENEFITS"/>PRP BENEFITS
Advantages of PRP
PRP has much sound research and evidence that has built up over the years. Initially, animal studies showed great results with muscle and tendon repair. Now research has revealed that it stimulates collagen and elastin production.
A special injector is used to introduce the PRP into your skin. This needling technique itself encourages new, fresh layers of skin to develop as well as resurfacing skin. The increased collagen and elastin production works with this to improve overall skin appearance, turgor, and tone.
How do I prepare for my PRP appointment?
PRP treatment in our London Clinic is great as it is less invasive and less risky than most other cosmetic or aesthetic procedures. However, to get the best results there are a few things you will want to keep in mind before attending your appointment.
- Stay Hydrated Your skin loves water and keeping hydrated is generally good advice for your skin’s health and beauty. This is also true in the days leading up to your PRP appointment as it will encourage fast healing and uptake.
- No Makeup You can use a cleanser in the morning but it is best to arrive at your appointment with no makeup or moisturiser applied – you don’t want it pushed into your skin during treatment
- UV Light Avoid excessive sun exposure or tanning bed use in the weeks leading up to your PRP day. High levels of UV exposure are damaging to your skin and could inhibit all the benefit you would derive from the treatment.
What to expect during your PRP appointment
Prior
Make sure to turn up to your appointment to give you a chance to change into a gown if necessary.
The doctor will then cleanse your skin fully to ensure everything is as clean as possible. After the cleanse a numbing solution known as a topical anaesthetic will be applied. Approximately 15-30 minutes is then needed to allow the anaesthetic to do its job.
PRP FAQ's
PRP FAQ's
What is PRP and what can it be used for?
PRP stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma and is found within our blood. Plasma contains growth factors that enable our bodies to heal and regenerate. By extracting these growth factors we can then target specific areas to encourage the natural healing process to take place.
PRP can be used for skin rejuvenation and to stimulate hair growth using micro-needling.
Does PRP hurt?
For facial PRP procedures, we use the mesogum U225 to inject and it won’t be necessary to use any topical anaesthetic cream. Read more about the mesogun U225 to understand why the procedure will be painless.
For Hair PRP procedures, it will not hurt as we prepare carefully our patient and 45 minutes prior to the injection we will apply topical anaesthetic cream which will numb the area completed by a ring block injection into the scalp
How long until I can see the benefits?
For skin rejuvenation and hair growth, I advise that you have 3 sessions which must be taken a month apart.
Immediately after the procedure, you may feel that the skin is smoother to touch. However, the body needs time and you will begin to notice the difference once the growth factors have become established and start the healing process.
Are there any side effects?
PRP is naturally sourced from your own body therefore the only reactions or side effects typically relate to the injection itself. These side effects can be some mild swelling and bruising from the injection site. Sometimes you may have some slight scratches on the surface of the skin and this should settle within a couple of days.
What to expect on the day of the procedure?
To be able to extract the PRP from your body we will need to collect a small amount of blood from your arm, similar to a routine blood test. The blood is then placed in a centrifuge that spins the blood at high speed which allows the platelets to separate from the other blood cells.
Before the treatment, any makeup will be removed and the area will be cleansed.
we will use a topical anaesthetic on the injection sites for hair rejuvenation however in facial rejuvenation this is not necessary as the method I use with the mess gun U225 has little to no discomfort.
The treatment itself can take up to 30 minutes depending on what area is being treated.
What is aftercare?
After having your treatment you are advised to avoid using any other product on the skin for 24 hours. This is to ensure the area is kept clean and to reduce any chance of infection. Full written aftercare instructions will be given to you after the treatment has taken place.
Am I eligible for PRP treatment?
prior to any treatment, you will be invited to have an initial consultation with Dr Fern. She will assess your skin, concerns, and goals and see if the treatment is suitable for your need. It is essential to have a consultation to ensure you will be satisfied and you are suitable for the procedure. The cost of the consultation will be deducted from any treatment you may have.
Cost of a PRP session?
The cost varies according to the machine used to extract the platelets from your blood. The choice of a machine is key to ensure a successful outcome of the treatment and being efficient. We have chosen the best machines to provide PRP treatment to our patients.
- Cost of PRP session with Rotafix 32A : £600
For decades, the Rotafix 32 A has set the standard and it is a versatile and indispensable centrifuge for doctors and it is fully automated. The Rotafix 32A has the capacity to deliver platelet concentrations up to 8x baseline with adjustable leukocyte concentrations. It is perfect for facial PRP sessions, for thinning hair conditions and hair beautification.
- Cost of PRP session with Angel system Arthrex: £1800
The Angel system is the only fully automated system that utilizes 3-sensor technology (3ST) and one-button automation to prepare customized platelet-rich plasma (PRP) formulations. The Angel system has the capability to deliver platelet concentrations up to 18x baseline with adjustable leukocyte concentrations. It is perfect for hair loss treatment.
We have as well package available for multiple sessions.
Online Facial Consultation is now available. A complete and precise assessment of patient’s needs through Dr Fern’s unique Expertise wherever you are.