Everything you should know about Micro-needling & PRP!

There are a lot of questions regarding micro-needling and PRP facial injections. But, first things first, let’s start by explaining what these two terms mean.

Micro-needling is a procedure, used for aesthetics reasons to lessen the impact ageing has to your skin. What usually happens during micro-needling is the stimulation of new collagen production with the use of a special device containing needles.

Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) injections

PRP injections are used for more tightness and speed of the healing process. Although both procedures can help with scars, spots, wrinkles or stretch marks, PRP injections can only be used in the face area.
PRP injections used to involve actual blood being injected into the patient’s face causing redness in the area, something that gave them the nickname “vampire facials”. After recent advances, only the plasma from the blood is now injected into the face, reducing the redness.

Micro-needling with PRP can only be used for minor aging signs and is not ideal for potential patients who are pregnant, suffer from skin conditions like eczema, scar easily and those who do not heal as easily or have undergone skin radiation in a time period smaller than a year. It is easy to understand that even if PRP injections are minimally invasive, they should only be performed by medically trained professionals, such as doctors, preferably with adequate experience on the procedure.

Before the appointment, patients should prepare their skin by avoiding exposure to the sun and tanning and making sure they drink a fair amount of water during the days leading to the appointment. What is also very important for them to do is arrange for help getting back home and, of course, arriving to the appointment with a bare face (meaning no makeup and no moisturizer).

Before the procedure starts, a cleanser and a topical anesthetic are applied. After they settle, the micro-needling procedure starts, lasting for about 30 minutes. As the anesthetic starts to work and while the face is numbing, a syringe of the patient’s blood is drawn, usually from the arm. A centrifuge, into which the blood is put, separates the PRP solution from the rest of the components. After that, the solution injected into the skin of the face.

Any irritation the patient feels or any redness after the procedure is finished, is soothed with the application of a serum or balm. Possible side effects include slight bruising or inflammation, which tend to subside in only a few days. Other than that, recovery time is generally minimal and patients can go back to their routine soon after the procedure. Of course, it is important they cleanse and moisturize their skin and not burden it with heavy products. During the time the skin is healing, meaning for the first 72 hours after the procedure, patients should avoid the use of alcohol-based products, direct sun exposure, exfoliating and activities that might cause sweating, to minimize the risk of bruising.

Patients should be informed in advance that, although PRP can give them a smoother and firmer skin, the results are not permanent and maintenance sessions might have to take place.

“Cleopatra Technique”, developed by professor Cleopatra Nacopoulos, uses two forms of Platelet Rich Fibrin liquid – A-PRF and I-PRF – to rejuvenate and augment the skin, guaranteing long-lasting results for up to two years after the treatment.