Have you ever heard athletes like Tiger Woods getting PRP treatment to help recover from an injury?
Our blood is composed of different components. These are plasma that makes up 55% of blood and 45% of elements like WBCs, RBCs and platelets.
Plasma is the liquid component of the blood that transports cells, proteins, hormones and vitamins around the body and removes the waste products.
Many doctors and cosmetic surgeons today use the blood plasma of an individual to treat wounds, heal them and help in cosmetic procedures like treating the signs of aging, hair growth etc.
This article discusses the PRP treatment, its advantages as well as side effects. Keep reading to know more.
PRP (Platelet-rich Plasma) Treatment
White blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets are part of blood that takes oxygen to other parts of the body, defends our body from diseases, and helps heal our wounds.
Plasma is the liquid part that is made mostly of water and protein.
It also contains proteins that defend our body against diseases and help the blood to clot.
Platelets are blood cells that help in healing wounds and make blood clots.
Doctors nowadays use this platelet-rich plasma to help heal the injuries or damaged tendons, ligaments, muscles, joints, and skin.
As well as in cosmetic surgery procedures like PRP facials to give your skin a collagen boost.
What is PRP Used For?
This treatment is used for a number of reasons. These include:
- To treat torn tendons, tendonitis, muscle injuries, arthritis-related pain, and joint injuries
- Cosmetic surgeries and procedures like hair transplant or treating wrinkles.
Tendon injuries: These are tough bands of tissue that connect the muscle. If they are injured, their healing process is usually slow. Doctors use these injections to treat chronic tendon problems like tennis elbow, jumper’s knee, etc
Acute Injuries: Doctors use PRP injections to treat sports injuries like pulled hamstring or knee sprains
Hair loss: Cosmetologists and healthcare professionals use these injections to promote hair growth and prevent hair loss. In some cases, it is even used for treating alopecia and pattern baldness.
Post-surgical repair: Doctors use these injections for the treatment of ligaments and torn tendons like rotator cuff tendon and ACL
Osteoarthritis: Studies suggest that PRP injections are effective in treating osteoarthritis as compared to treating them with Hyaluronic acid.
Before the PRP Treatment
Before the procedure takes place, your doctor would advise you to discontinue certain medications like blood thinners etc.
Omega 3 fatty acids and supplements are also asked to be discontinued.
PRP does not cause any major side effects but since the doctor needs to draw out your blood, you should make sure you’ve eaten properly before the procedure.
That eventually helps you avoid feeling lightheaded while the procedure is being carried out.
Moreover, your healthcare professional will take relevant medical information or medical history.
Who Cannot Get this Treatment?
You cannot get this treatment if you have:
- Anemia
- Cancer
- Infection
- Abnormal platelet function or low platelet count
PRP procedure
PRP treatment contains the following steps.
- Preparation
- Procedure
- After Treatment
Keep reading to know them in detail.
Preparation
Before any procedure, it is always advisable that you tell your doctor your medical information and if you have been using any medication or have an illness.
It is important to follow the health care professional’s instructions regarding medications like blood thinners. Your doctor might discontinue it for a while but if in case you feel a headache, he might prescribe your acetaminophen.
Before you take PRP treatment for hair, it is advisable to wash your hair a day before and not use any products on the hair.
You should have a clean hat to protect the area of treatment after the procedure.
As this treatment involves taking out your blood, it is advisable that you take a proper meal before the treatment.
The Procedure
The health care professionals draw out your blood and remove the PRP from other blood components.
Lidocaine is injected into the area of treatment to numb it. Afterward, the doctor carefully injects the PRP into multiple places under your skin.
As a result, the platelets break down and release their growth factor, thus triggering the natural process of cell proliferation and tissue renewal.
Usually, it takes 30 minutes for the procedure to complete.
Results take time and don’t show immediately after the treatment. At least three sessions are required at monthly intervals.
In case a person suffers from alopecia or pattern baldness, he or she may require yearly maintenance sessions.
Aftercare of PRP Site
After you have taken the PRP treatment, you should take care of the area where the procedure was done. Follow these steps:
- Keep the area clean and dry
- Leave the band-aid for 12-24 hours until the site heals
- While taking a shower, if the band-aid gets wet, change it
- Do not use ice to ease the swelling. The treatment is there to cause swelling that helps you heal
- Swelling and bruising may be caused for 3 to 7 days.
Medications
Your doctor or health care professionals may prescribe the following medication if you show any symptoms of severe pain, constipation, etc.
Pain is usually caused after the PRP treatment. Your doctor will prescribe Tylenol or Ultram if needed.
Your doctor may prescribe narcotic pain relievers. But care should be taken while taken these drugs.
Narcotics usually cause constipation. Drink as much water as you can and eat fibrous food to ease the symptoms of constipation.
A stool softener can be used by consulting the doctor.
Do not consume Aspirin, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, or anti-inflammatory drugs.
Learn more about the Benefits of PRP Facial here.
Physical Activity
If you had a PRP treatment in either of the following areas take precautionary measures. Do the physical activity as advised by your doctor.
- For PRP in the arm, wrist, or shoulder, don’t exert any force on it like pulling, lifting weight, etc. Avoid repeating a motion over and over.
- For PRP in the hip, knee, ankle, or foot, use crutches if there is pain.
- Do not drive for at least 24 hours after having drugs that numb you.
- If you had PRP treatment in your hip, foot, knee or ankle have someone to drive you back home.
PRP Therapy for Hair Loss and Hair Transplant
Over the years, this therapy has become a popular therapy for hair loss and hair transplant.
It helps to accelerate the growth of transplanted hair roots while thickening existing hair as well.
Treatment for Hair Loss
Platelet-rich plasma therapy for hair loss is a medical treatment that is done in three steps. These are:
- Your blood is drawn into a sterile tube
- It is then spun at high speed in the centrifuge machine to separate PRP
- Lastly, it is injected into the scalp
This procedure is relatively painless and requires 0 recovery time.
Working of This Treatment
As we have discussed above, there are growth actors in plasma. These growth factors in PRP trigger natural hair growth and maintain it by increasing blood supply to hair follicles.
As a result, you face lesser hair loss, new hair growth is visible and the existing hair becomes thicker and shinier.
Time Required
Results take time and are not shown immediately after the treatment. At least three sessions are required at monthly intervals.
In case a person suffers from alopecia or pattern baldness, he or she may require yearly maintenance sessions.
Recovery Time for PRP Injections
Your doctor may recommend you take rest at least for a day or so. Most often, you can continue your daily activates are the treatment.
You might not show any signs of improvement right after the treatment but may notice changes after several weeks or months.
PRP Treatment for skin
A PRP facial is also known as a vampire facial.
This procedure involves Microneedling and Platelet-rich plasma.
Your doctor draws blood from your arm and separates the platelet-rich plasma from blood in a centrifuge.
Microneedling makes small punctures in your skin. This allows PRP penetration in the skin.
This treatment helps to reduce your fine lines, wrinkles give you a collagen boost, reduces your acne scars and pigmentation, and tightens your skin.
PRP treatment is not the only plasma treatment in Dubai. You can find other treatments for Plasma in Dubai here and know what’s best for you.
Learn more about Botox Hair Treatment here.
Advantages of PRP Treatment
There are several advantages of PRP treatment.
These are:
Healing process: Studies suggest that PRP treatment enhances the healing process of muscles, joints, and tendons
Reduce pain: it significantly reduces pain and improves the function of people who have tendonitis or tennis elbow etc.
The need for anti-inflammatory drugs: Some studies suggest that also reduces the need for anti-inflammatories or stronger medications like opioids.
Tighter and firmer skin: PRP facials reduce your fine lines and wrinkles and give your skin a collagen boost. This makes your skin tighter and firmer.
Side Effects
Any treatment that involves the use of injections carries with it some risks or side effects.
Some side effects of this treatment or hair loss are:
- It may cause injury to your blood vessels or nerve endings of the scalp.
- Unsterilized equipment poses a threat of infection.
- Calcification of the injection points. It means that there might be calcium buildups in the scalp.
- Scarring of the tissue of the scalp
There is a chance that you might be allergic to anesthesia.
Do let your doctor know if you have any allergic reaction to a certain type of anesthesia before the procedure.
Rejection for Treatment
As mentioned above, certain medical conditions could reject the PRP treatment for hair loss. These are:
- Acute or chronic infections
- Cancer
- Chronic liver disease
- Hemodynamic instability
- Metabolic disorder
- Sepsis
Conclusion
Studies have shown that PRP treatment is effective for treating and speeding up the healing process of wounds, tendons and joints, etc whose healing is somewhat slow and takes time.
It has been one of the effective treatments for tennis elbow, sprains. It has shown improved functioning and reduced pain in patients with arthritis.
In case you are thinking to get a PRP treatment, you should consult your doctor or physician.
Remember, it is always advisable to follow your doctor’s instructions and inform him or her about the medications you have been taking.
In case you have any medical condition like cancer, anemia, a metabolic disorder etc, do inform your doctor as there are fair chances that your body might not accept the treatment.
PRP treatment treats many skin and hair loss problems including (alopecia and pattern baldness) in men and women.
In general, the treatment is somewhat painful but it subsides with time. The swelling happens for blood cells to start the healing process.
Therefore PRP treatment is an overall safe procedure that may hurt a little but will provide you excellent results for your skin and hair.
