PRP featured at aesthetic medicine conference
From February 1st to 3rd 2018, the International Master Course on Ageing Science IMCAS took place in Paris, France. The conference is considered as one of the leading events in Europe gathering more than 8,000 physicians and 230 exhibiting companies from the aesthetic industry. The use of Platelet Rich Plasma PRP was presented in more than 30 scientific presentations and symposia .
PRP is increasingly used as combination treatment, as highlighted in the presentations by Drs. Muller and Palatin. The safe and effective use of Platelet Rich Plasma in treating alopecia (hair loss) was presented by Drs. Keaney, Sadick and Gentile. The combination of PRP with lipoaspirate for lipofilling was also presented by Drs. Meningaud and Goisis. Lastly, new evolving treatment options using PRP in sexual medicine were also discussed by Drs Hersant, Virag and Leshubov.
The Aesthetic Effects of Microneedling and PRP
Microneedling therapy is a treatment that is gaining popularity for various dermatologic conditions. The procedure is performed by creating tiny micro wounds by means of a needle-roller or pen into the patients skin. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has shown to increase the clinical effects of the treatment. PRP improves the cosmetic outcomes of microneedling without increasing the risk of adverse effects.
Micro-needling Treatment options:
- Augments the levels of collagen which produces tighter, smoother, and firmer skin.
- Makes acne scars and stretch marks less noticeable.
- Helps to reserve and to stop hair loss.
Microneedling therapy helps to obtain smoother and softer skin without the complications of extensive surgery or harsh and abrasive treatments. It is also known as an effective treatment for hair restoration.When this therapy is performed with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP), it boosts the good results by adding blood-derived growth factors for a healthy cell production and the repair of different damaged tissues.
Procedure
Microneedling encourages the skin’s natural repairing processes and collagen production. PRP helps to increase the collagen production and stimulate the skin’s wound-repairing capacities. Therefore, results in new and healthy skin tissue that is smoother and looks younger.
PRP is also a valuable tool to reverse or even stop hair loss. When PRP is combined with microneedling, it promotes new hair growth and helps with the thickening of the hair.
Recovery
The recovery for this treatment is very comfortable since this procedure never breaks down the epidermis; there will be no downtime nor scarring. At some point, the skin appears pink with some measured discomfort for 24 hours to 48 hours after the procedure.
Results
Within one or two weeks, the skin will be significantly smoother and radiant; these effects may last up to 6 months. This procedure reduces the appearance of scars and wrinkles, regenerates the skin, reduces the proportions of pores, softens skin texture and reduces the appearance of stretch marks.
Furthermore, PRP treatments have excellent rates of patient satisfaction treating hair loss. This treatment is an affordable hair restoration procedure. It has outstanding results on women, younger men, and others.
Research Shows Numerous Benefits of Combined PRP Therapy
PRP therapy has shown to be an effective and safe treatment option for several orthopedic and chronic conditions such as osteoarthritis. In addition, many people have experienced the benefits that PRP can provide to the skin, namely fewer wrinkles and skin spots, as well as increased skin firmness. Now research has shown that PRP can be successfully combined with other types of treatments to provide excellent benefits.
PRP Therapy Combined with Hyaluronic Acid
According to a study published in the Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, the use PRP in combination with hyaluronic acid can result in a “statistically significant improvement on facial skin”.1 The study, which included 94 female patients with varying degrees of facial aging, was focused on determining the efficacy of PRP combined with hyaluronic acid on the skin’s general appearance, firmness, and texture. The majority of the patients who received the treatment reported an improvement in all of the measured variables. It was found that the results improved progressively as the patients received more injections.
PRP Therapy Combined with Stem Cells
Research studies have also shown that adding PRP to the stem cells protocol used for the treatment of degenerative osteoarthritis can accelerate the patient’s’ improvement. The study showed that this combination of treatments can significantly improve the patient’s quality of life by decreasing pain and improving mobility.
PRP Therapy Combined with Glycolic Acid
PRP therapy has also shown to effective to manage acne scars. The effects of PRP therapy combined with a 70% glycolic acid skin peel were studied at the Department of Dermatology of the Faculty of Medicine Universitas Brawijaya in Indonesia. The participants of this study, 7 males and 10 females, presented a significantly less noticeable acne scars after receiving the treatment.
References:
1Ulusal, B.G. (2016). Platelet-rich plasma and hyaluronic acid – an efficient biostimulation method for face rejuvenation. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. DOI: 10.1111/jocd.12271
2SHW. T. and Sinta Murlistyarini, S. (2016). Combination Treatment of Skin Needling, Platelet-Rich Plasma and Glycolic Acid 70%. Chemical Peeling for Atrophic Acne Scars in Fitzpatricks Skin Type IVVI. Journal of Clinical & Experimental Dermatology Research.
3Bansal, H., Comella, K., Leon, J., Verma, P., Agrawal, D., Koka, P., & Ichim, T. (2017). Intra-articular injection in the knee of adipose derived stromal cells (stromal vascular fraction) and platelet rich plasma for osteoarthritis. Journal of Translational Medicine. 15, 141.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CLINICAL APPLICATION OF PRP THERAPY
Arthritis
Tennis Elbow
Hair Loss
Skin Rejuvenation
Athletes and Celebrities Are Reaping the Benefits of PRP Treatment
Platelet Rich Plasma treatment has become one the favorite cosmetic treatments among celebrities. Athletes and actresses, and other celebrities have been known to use PRP to heal sports injuries and to improve their physical appearance.
Kobe Bryant
The first famous athlete who was known to receive PRP treatment was Kobe Bryant, who went to Germany to get his injured knee treated. Kobe’s favorable results sparked the curiosity among athletes and consolidated PRP treatment as an effective option to treat sports injuries. In fact, PRP popularity increased significantly after Kobe Bryant used it.
Alex Rodriguez
After his successful treatment in Germany, Kobe Bryant, prompted the Yankees player, Alex Rodriguez, to try PRP treatment. Rodriguez received five PRP sessions after his hip surgery back in 2009. PRP treatment allowed the baseball player to recover quickly from his surgery and he was able to return to the field a lot sooner than expected.
Tiger Woods
Another famous athlete known to have received PRP treatment is Tiger Woods. The world-renowned golf player received PRP treatment in 2008 after a surgery to repair an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury in his knee. PRP accelerated Tiger Wood’s knee healing significantly and he was able to play golf soon after. In 2009, after his successful PRP procedure, Tiger Wood had one the best years of his golfing career.
Angelina Jolie
PRP treatment is well-known for its rejuvenating benefits and actresses such as Angeline Jolie would not let a cosmetic treatment like this pass by unnoticed. It has been reported that Jolie received PRP skin injections to boost the collagen production in her skin and improve her overall skin appearance. The wonderful rejuvenating results observed in beautiful actress have inspired other celebrities to pursue PRP treatment.
Kim Kardashian
Recently, Kim Kardashian received a combination of PRP injections and microneedling to improve her facial appearance. The procedure was broadcasted on her reality show ‘Kim and Kourtney Take Miami’. PRP treatment gave Kardashian a glowing, youthful face.
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Platelet Rich Plasma Market is Expected to Reach a Value of USD 0.35 Billion by 2020
According to a recent market report published by Transparency Market Research, the global platelet rich plasma (PRP) market is estimated to experience a compound annual growth rate of 11.9% from 2014 to 2020, reaching a value of 0.35 Billion by the end of this period.
The study divided the PRP market by PRP types, origin, applications, and geography.
The three types of PRP treatments considered in the market study were:
- Pure-Platelet Rich Plasma (P-PRP)
- Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Plasma (L-PRP)
- Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin (L-PRF)
Pure-Platelet Rich Plasma (P-PRP) is characterized by having a high concentration of platelets and growth factors – this is considered the “conventional” PRP therapy, which currently holds more than 60% of the global market.
Leukocyte-Platelet Rich Fibrin (L-PRF) is a newer type of PRP therapy which includes a high number of white blood cells, known as leukocytes. L-PRF is anticipated to be the segment with the fastest growth from 2014 to 2020.
When classified by the origin, there are three PRP market segments:
- Autologous
- Homologous
- Allogeneic
From these, the current largest market belongs to the Autologous PRP segment, which is the type of PRP that is obtained from the same patient who will receive the PRP treatment. Since autologous PRP is derived from the own patient’s blood, it is easy to obtain and it eliminates the possibility of an immune rejection. According to the market study, the allogenic PRP is expected to grow significantly within the next years.
PRP therapy has several applications, including:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Cosmetic Surgery
- General Surgery
- Neurosurgery
- Other Surgeries
Orthopedic surgery is currently the largest application segment with more than 30% of the global PRP market. The efficacy of PRP in the treatment of orthopedic and sports injuries and the growing geriatric population in developed and developing countries, explain why this is the largest application segment of PRP therapy. The cosmetic applications are expected to grow significantly by 2020.
The Geographic segmentation of the PRP market is as follows:
- North America
- Europe
- Asia-Pacific
- Rest of the World
Currently, North America is the largest geographical PRP market segment due to the increasing number of cosmetic and orthopedic procedures performed in the region, as well, the growing awareness about the efficacy of PRP therapy. The Asia-Pacific PRP market segment is expected to witness a strong growth during the upcoming years.
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Injured Sports Horses Are Benefiting from PRP Therapy
Platelet rich plasma (PRP) therapy is a novel and promising type of regenerative medicine treatment that has proven to be effective in the treatment of athletes’ sports injuries such as tennis elbow. But athletes are not the only ones who can benefit from PRP therapy, sports horses have been successfully treated as well.
According to the University of California, Davis, all horses are prone to developing tendon and ligament injuries, regardless of their breed and function, however, athletic horses are at a greater risk.
Tendon and ligament injuries in horses are characterized by having a very slow healing rate and a high rate of recurrence. Serious injuries usually require difficult and expensive treatment and may, in some cases, end with the sporting career of a horse.
Until recently, tendon and ligament injuries in horses had been managed with palliative treatments that do not stimulate tissue healing. The recent advancements in regenerative medicine, both in humans and animals, have opened a new treatment possibility for racing horses.
The main advantage of PRP therapy is that it may lead to tissue regeneration and healing, in other words, PRP stimulates the body to heal the injured tendon or ligament.
According to Dr. Larry D. Galuppo, a veterinarian and horse surgery specialist, PRP therapy can improve the healing process in horses and reduce the chances for re-injury after the horses have returned to their typical activities.
The Case of Aidan the Horse
The Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital of the University of California, Davis published the case study of a sporting horse named Aidan.
Aidan presented to the hospital for being lame on his right forelimb during 10 days. After a thorough physical examination and various diagnostic procedures, including an ultrasound of the lame limb, Aidan was diagnosed with an injury of the collateral ligament injury of the right limb.
Aidan was treated with PRP therapy and anti-inflammatories, and he was in rehabilitation during 6 months. Aidan’s signs of lameness began to improve 30 days after he received the first PRP injection. The lameness signs continued to improve through the months with constant rehabilitation therapy and Aidan was able to return to his normal activities.
Aidan’s positive response to PRP therapy shows that this is a promising therapy for athletic horses, that could help valuable horses return to their normal functions.
Reference:
University of California, Davis. School of Veterinary Medicine. Platelet-Rich Plasma: Improving Treatment for Tendon and Ligament Injuries. (2011). The horse Report. Volume 29.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT CLINICAL APPLICATION OF PRP THERAPY
Arthritis
Tennis Elbow
Hair Loss
Skin Rejuvenation