Platlet Rich Plasma (PRP) is an ideal bio-accelerator and cellular coordinator for tissue repair. However, PRP on its own can be limited in the amount of cellular biostructure created.
When used in aesthetics, PRP needs the power to regenerate and maintain tissue many times greater than the body’s natural ability to repair in order to generate a super structural effect of rejuvenation.
Adelaide cosmetic physician Dr Robin Chok from Regenesis Cosmetic Surgery offers a key piece of advice: ‘PRP is a Healer, Sealer, Never a Filler’. These are important principles for any practitioner with an interest in PRP.
Specific techniques in combining PRP with other bio-restructuring materials are currently being developed. The most cost efficient and well tolerated product to combine with PRP is Hyaluronic acid (HA) as a gel.
HA is a perfect medium for cellular restructuring due to its good water and cellular permeability, allowing faster re-vascularisation of fresh tissues essential for any new growth.
Combining PRP with HA was popularised by American Dr Charles Runels as the Vampire Facelift a few years ago. His technique involved specific areas where common HA fillers should be placed for aesthetic effect, then layered with PRP.
The most important biostructure regeneration required for facial rejuvenation is creation of tissue lift. However many techniques simply try to create lift by volume, which can be limiting.
Regenesis 3D BioMatrix Facelift developed by Dr Chok of Regenesis Cosmetic Surgery combines all of the above principles. PRP and HA are applied to a much deeper fascial layer of the facial tissue to create Adhesion Lift, which is most desirable in any ageing face. This gives a feeling of tautness and skin tone that is tight and lifted.
PRP and HA in combination also regenerate volume and integrity of the fatty tissues, hence creating a younger skin glow – known as a ‘PRP glow’ effect.
But many PRP procedures claiming rejuvenation effects are limited, as they only address the most superficial layers of the skin. Hence they are not long lasting and the ‘glow’ effect remains up to 120 days at most.
RegenLab already has a product that combines the power of PRP and HA in a single tube and is soon to be available in Australia.
New Zealand was among the first countries in the world to see first-hand the ‘hyper lift’ effect of the Biomatrix Facelift performed in NZSCM a few years ago. Since then the technique has been further enhanced for simplicity and comfort. With better strategic placement of the PRP-HA gel, a longer lasting effect has been achieved. A single treatment of the Biomatrix Facelift can last up to nine months – and any booster treatment within the nine months will augment it by another 12 months.
This is much more favourable than traditional PRP-only treatments which require three treatments, each a month apart, for the effect to last six months at most. A single Biomatrix 3D Facelift by Dr Chok costs less than three treatments of PRP in any guise, as the PRP is truly synergistic with the HA for maximum aesthetic effect.
Future development of this technique with Vitamised HA is being developed for more consistent results. AMP
For more information visit www.regenlab.com
CLINICAL STUDIES
RegenLab PRP is backed by 162 scientific papers for a myriad of indications. Following are some recent examples. For access to all papers, visit http://bit.ly/2hEPCgp
OSTEOARTHRITIS
An economic evaluation of PRP versus Hyaluronic Acid for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis [HA being the standard therapy for drug-resistant OA that does not benefit or has short term benefits (<1 month) with intra-articular corticosteroids), scenarios to one and five years, was published this year by Stefano Landi, Paolo Landa and Salvatore Russo of the Universita Ca’ Foscari, Venice, Italy.
Conclusion: ‘In the short term, it seems that the PRP therapy is cost-effective in the treatment of knee OA versus the HA therapy. However, more research is needed to assess its cost-effectiveness in the long term and to figure out if this treatment may be an efficient resource allocation for the [Italian national health system].’
http://www.grhta.com/article/c27693e1-b6cc-4b77-a692-ce5e294e9b3f
SKIN ENHANCEMENT
From March 2014 to June 2015, 30 patients with atrophic acne scars on the cheeks were selected for a comparative study using autologous fat grafts plus PRP with or without fractional CO2 laser resurfacing.
The study was conducted by Tenna, Cogliandro, Barone, Panasiti, Tirindelli, Nobile and Persichetti, variously of the Unit of Plastic Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery and Dermatology, and Department of Ematology, University of Rome. Their conclusions were published on PubMed.gov (US National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health) in June, 2017.
All patients were treated with infiltration of nanofat plus PRP. The production of PRP was achieved using the RegenLab THT tube method.
Patients were evaluated pre and post-operatively by physical examination, photographs and ultrasound with a 22-MHz probe to measure subcutaneous tissue thickness.
In 15 randomly chosen patients (group B), a fractional CO2 laser resurfacing at 15 W was also performed right after the infiltration.
An Italian version of the FACE-Q post-operative module was administered to analyse each patient’s satisfaction and aesthetic perception of the result.
Results: The average pre-operative thickness of subcutaneous tissue of patients from group A was 0.532cm, and 0.737cm in group B.
All patients in both groups had a treatment benefit, confirmed with FACE-Q post-operative module, but without a significant difference between the two groups.
Conclusion: Subcutaneous infiltration with nanofat and PRP seems to be effective to improve atrophic scars, either alone or combined with fractional CO2 laser resurfacing. The FACE-Q module confirmed the impact of treatment of facial acne scars in social life and relationships.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28127660
VULVO-VAGINAL REJUVENATION
A novel technique of vulvo-vaginal rejuvenation by lipo-filling and injection of combined PRP and hyaluronic acid has been developed by Aguilar, Hersant, SidAhmed- Mezi, Bosc, Vidal and Meningaud at the Department of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgery, Henri Mondor Hospital, Créteil, France.
Abstract: ‘There are no standard non-invasive treatments to offer to improve the trophic and dimensional alterations of the vulvo-vaginal area,’ according to the researchers’ findings published on PubMed.gov.
‘The surgical procedure consists in a vaginoplasty by lipo-filling of the posterior vaginal wall, far from the vascular axes and with an injection of combined PRP and HA subcutaneously in the perineum.
‘To illustrate the technique and evaluate its results, we present the case of a 39-year-old female with history of episiotomy with vaginal laxity resistant to physical therapy.
Findings: ‘There were no intra-operative complications with this simple procedure. During follow-up we observed an improvement in the modified Stabbatsberg scale and a vulvo-perineal rejuvenation by improving the vaginal trophicity and restoring a normal vaginal caliber. No post-operative complications occurred.’
Conclusion: ‘[It] is a minimally invasive technique that is safe and easy to perform.’
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27512643
HAIR REGROWTH
A study of PRP injections in the treatment of androgenetic alopecia through a one-year period was conducted by Gkini, Kouskoukis, Tripsianis, Rigopoulos and Kouskoukis at the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical School, and Laboratory of Medical Statistics, Democritus University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece; and the Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Medical School, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens.
Method: Twenty patients (18 males and two females,) with androgenetic alopecia were enrolled in the study. PRP was prepared using a single spin method (Regenlab SA).
Upon activation, it was injected in the androgen-related areas of scalp. Three treatment sessions were performed, with an interval of 21 days and a booster session at six months following the onset of therapy.
Statistical analysis of the data was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 19.0 (IBM, NY, US).
Results: Hair loss reduced and at three months it reached normal levels. Hair density reached a peak at three months (170.70 ± 37.81, P < 0.001). At six months and at one year, it was significantly increased, 156.25 ± 37.75 (P < 0.001) and 153.70 ± 39.92 (P < 0.001) respectively, comparing to baseline. Patients were satisfied with a mean result rating of 7.1 on a scale of 1-10. No remarkable adverse effects were noted.
