PRP and PRF: what 'using your own blood' actually involves
Platelet-rich plasma and platelet-rich fibrin are prepared from a few millilitres of your own blood. Here is the process, the difference between the two, and where the evidence is strongest.
The process
A small blood sample, typically one to three tubes, is drawn from your arm. The tubes are spun in a centrifuge, which separates red cells from the plasma and concentrates the platelets. The platelet-rich layer is drawn off and injected back into the area being treated, within minutes, with nothing added.
PRP versus PRF
PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is spun faster, with an anticoagulant, and gives a liquid concentrate of platelets. It is easy to inject superficially and is the longer-studied of the two.
PRF (platelet-rich fibrin) is spun more slowly, without anticoagulant, so a fibrin scaffold forms. It is thicker, releases growth factors more slowly, and can be prepared as a soft gel that behaves a little like a natural filler. It is the newer approach and the one many doctors prefer for the under-eye.
Where it is used
- Under-eye skin: thin, crêpey, shadowed skin where traditional filler can look heavy
- Facial rejuvenation, alone or combined with microneedling
- Neck and décolleté
- Hair: scalp injections to stimulate thinning follicles, usually as a course
- Intimate health: regenerative treatment for both men and women, discussed separately in our men's health and women's health divisions
What to expect
A course rather than a single session, often three treatments four to six weeks apart, then maintenance. Results are gradual and natural because they are your own tissue responding. Bruising at injection sites for a few days is normal.
Who should not have it
Blood disorders, active infection, some medications and certain cancers rule it out. The consultation checks this before anything is booked.
Evidence, honestly
Evidence for PRP is strongest in hair and in combination treatments for the face; results vary with preparation method and platelet concentration. We are clear with patients about which indication has the firmer data, and we do not promise outcomes.
