Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in Medellín

Platelet-rich plasma, PRP or just plasma: people look it up under all three names. According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), a small sample of your blood is drawn and spun in a centrifuge to remove the red blood cells. What's left is plasma with a high concentration of platelets, which release growth factors. The so-called vampire facial is one way of applying it: microneedling first, then plasma on the skin.

In that same ASPS press release, the lead author of a scientific review on the topic cautions that, in some cases, claims about PRP go beyond the available evidence.

For the skin, the ASPS describes several ways to use it: injected under the skin to improve texture, tone and wrinkles; applied on top of the skin after microneedling, also for acne scars; or combined with laser.

For the scalp, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) explains that it's injected into the area where you're losing hair. If your concern is your hair, the first step is understanding why it's falling out: according to the AAD, treatment starts with finding the cause. Your doctor decides at your consultation how it's applied in your case.

PRP aims to improve the texture and radiance of your skin. Depending on what you want to change, another treatment, or a combination, may be a better fit:

• Dull or dehydrated skin: skin boosters.
• Enlarged pores or acne scars: microneedling or chemical peels.
• Dark spots or melasma: a plan for dark spots and melasma or laser.
• Loss of firmness or mild sagging: collagen biostimulators.
• Folds or loss of volume: hyaluronic acid fillers.

At your consultation, we'll tell you what makes sense for you.

At your consultation, tell your doctor about any health conditions you have, anything you take and any treatments you've had before. If your plan includes microneedling, the FDA warns that it may not be right for you in certain cases, including if:

• You have a bleeding disorder or take blood thinners, including low-dose aspirin.
• You have an active skin infection or a cold sore outbreak.
• You take isotretinoin for acne or have taken it in the last 6 months.
• You have or have had keloid scars.
• You're pregnant or breastfeeding.
• You have a weakened immune system or uncontrolled diabetes.

With that information, she decides whether PRP is right for you and how it should be done.

Every procedure has risks, and this one does too. Because the plasma comes from your own blood, the ASPS describes it as a treatment with a low risk of side effects, but low risk isn't the same as no risk. If your plan includes microneedling, the FDA lists these risks, among others:

• Redness, bleeding, bruising, itching or peeling.
• Less common: darker or lighter spots on the skin, a cold sore outbreak, swollen lymph nodes or infection.

A report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes HIV cases linked to vampire facials at an unlicensed spa in New Mexico that did not follow recommended infection control practices. Before you decide, your doctor walks you through each risk.

A session takes 45 to 60 minutes and starts with drawing a small sample of your blood. For your appointment, bring a list of everything you take, especially blood thinners or aspirin.

Afterward, you may have redness for 24 to 48 hours. If your plan includes microneedling, the FDA recommends asking whether a new needle cartridge is used for each patient and each session. According to the FDA, after microneedling your skin may be more sensitive to the sun and to products like makeup or creams with retinol or glycolic acid. Your doctor tells you what to use in those days.