PRP for the face: how your own plasma works, what research confirms and how the treatment goes at SOLAR

PRP (platelet-rich plasma) is plasma enriched with platelets. In the blood, platelets stop bleeding and drive healing: when tissue is damaged, they release growth factors, signalling proteins that start repair. Among them are PDGF, TGF-beta, VEGF, EGF, FGF and IGF-1. In the skin these signals are aimed primarily at fibroblasts, the cells that produce collagen, elastin and the skin's own hyaluronic acid.

The idea is simple: concentrate platelets in a small volume of plasma and deliver them where the skin needs to respond. The material is prepared from your own blood, so there is no allergy to it. In Russian-speaking countries the facial treatment is often called "plasmolifting". The word "lifting" is more tradition than description: PRP does not lift the facial contour the way device treatments do; its job is skin quality.

1. Blood is drawn from a vein into sterile tubes with an anticoagulant. The volume is similar to a routine blood test: a few tubes.
2. The tubes go into a centrifuge. After a few minutes of spinning, the blood separates into layers: red cells at the bottom, plasma on top, and platelets collect at the boundary between the layers and in the lower part of the plasma.
3. The doctor draws off the platelet-rich fraction. Depending on the system and protocol, its platelet concentration is several times higher than in whole blood.

An important caveat: there is no single standard for preparing PRP. Blood volume, centrifuge settings and final concentration vary between studies, which makes their results hard to compare. The safety standard, however, is the same: a single-use sterile kit for each client and all preparation in a medical treatment room.

• Consultation. The doctor examines your skin, clarifies the goal (texture, tone, fine lines, acne scars, the under-eye area), asks about your health, medication and previous treatments, and suggests a format.
• Numbing cream is applied to the face, neck or décolletage while the plasma is being prepared.
• Blood draw and centrifuge.
• Delivery. There are two main methods. Micro-injections with a fine needle in a grid pattern place the plasma precisely in the dermis, including the under-eye area. With microneedling, the plasma is applied to the skin and worked in through micro-channels. Sometimes the two methods are combined.
• Finish: a soothing product and SPF.

The whole visit, including preparation, takes about an hour.

PRP for facial skin has been studied since the late 2000s, but large high-quality studies are still few. Here is the honest picture.

Skin quality, texture and fine lines. A 2020 systematic review (24 studies, 8 of them randomized, 480 participants) concluded that PRP is safe and gives a moderate improvement in skin appearance, texture and fine lines. The strongest data relate to texture. In most studies the improvement did not exceed 50 percent, and how long the effect lasts has not been established.

A 2018 randomized trial in JAMA Dermatology is telling: PRP was injected into one cheek and saline into the other. Six months later, the participants themselves rated texture and wrinkles better on the PRP side, while dermatologists comparing photos blind found no significant difference. The effect is real but mild, so a dramatic change should not be expected from PRP.

Tone and radiance. Clients most often describe a more even complexion and a rested look. In studies this is reflected mainly in subjective ratings; instrumental measurements are fewer.

Acne scars. Here the data are stronger. A review of 13 studies in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (2019) showed that adding PRP to fractional laser improves the appearance of atrophic scars and eases recovery. With microneedling the results are mixed: in some split-face comparisons the PRP side looked better than the side treated with distilled water, in others the difference was small. For acne scars PRP works as a booster, not as a stand-alone method.

The under-eye area. This is the most cautious part. In a small 2014 study (10 participants, one session), after three months only the evenness of skin colour under the eyes improved, while melanin content, hydration and wrinkles did not change significantly. Dark circles can be pigment-related, vascular or caused by shadow from volume loss, and PRP can influence only some of these causes. It does not restore volume.

A typical protocol is three sessions about four weeks apart, followed by a maintenance session every 6-12 months. For acne scars more sessions may be needed, and PRP is then built into a course of microneedling or RF microneedling. The first changes in texture usually show after 3-4 weeks, and the full picture emerges by the end of the course, once the skin has had time to renew its collagen. The doctor determines the exact number of sessions after an examination.

• Redness and mild swelling: from a few hours to 1-2 days.
• Injection points or microneedling marks: 1-2 days.
• Bruising is possible, especially under the eyes, and fades within a few days.

For the first 12-24 hours, no make-up or active products. For 48 hours, no sauna, hammam, pool or intense exercise. Retinoids and acids return to your routine after a few days, as your doctor advises.

PRP is not performed, or is postponed:

• during pregnancy and breastfeeding: safety data are insufficient, and any decision is made only together with your doctor;
• with blood disorders, clotting disorders or a low platelet count;
• while taking anticoagulants or antiplatelet drugs (never stop prescribed medication on your own; this is for your treating doctor to decide);
• with cancer, including a history of cancer;
• with an active skin infection in the area: cold sores, pustules, inflamed acne;
• with acute infections, fever, or a flare-up of chronic or autoimmune conditions.

Aspirin and other anti-inflammatory drugs are usually best avoided for a few days before the treatment, unless prescribed by a doctor. If you are prone to keloid scarring or have had a course of isotretinoin, microneedling is decided individually.

Plasma makes the most sense where the skin has already received a controlled micro-injury. After Virtue RF microneedling, thousands of micro-channels remain in the skin, and plasma applied right after the treatment enters them without additional injections. The aim of the combination is to support the skin's repair response. In studies with fractional laser, PRP in most cases also softened the period of redness and swelling.

At SOLAR, PRP can be added to a treatment as an add-on: the plasma is applied to the treated skin during the same visit. It is also combined with microneedling and other skin quality treatments. Whether the add-on suits you is the doctor's decision.

No method is best for everyone. PRP is chosen when texture and acne scars matter most, when you prefer to work with your own material, or to boost a device treatment. If the main problem is dehydration from air conditioning, hyaluronic acid is usually more effective: read more in our article on biorevitalization and on the skin boosters page. Methods are often alternated over the year.

Plasma is also used on the scalp for hair loss. At SOLAR this treatment is called plasma therapy, and it has its own protocols, course and research data. We covered it in our article on plasma therapy for hair.

After any treatment involving needle punctures, the skin is more sensitive to UV for several days, and darker skin carries a higher risk of post-inflammatory pigmentation. In Dubai the sun is intense almost all year round, so the rules are strict: SPF 50 every day, reapplied every 2-3 hours outdoors, no beach or pool for the first 48 hours, no direct sun for the first week. Chlorinated water and sea salt irritate fresh micro-channels.

The best time for a course is from October to April: less UV and sweating, the restrictions are easier to follow, and the skin has time to complete its renewal before summer. If the course falls in the hot months, sessions are planned so that the first days after them do not coincide with a beach holiday.

The cost of the treatment and the course is confirmed at the consultation.